Tracking Overview

Customer History uses a combination of cookies, sessions, and database records to track visitor behavior on your WooCommerce store.

How It Works

Step-by-step tracking process:

1. Visitor Arrives

When someone visits your store:

  • Small JavaScript tracking code loads (5KB)
  • Cookie is set in their browser
  • Session ID generated and stored
  • Basic info captured (referrer, device, location)

2. Activity Tracking

As they browse:

  • Page views recorded
  • Product views tracked
  • Cart actions monitored
  • Search queries logged
  • Time spent calculated

3. Customer Identification

When they log in or checkout:

  • Session linked to WordPress user account
  • Previous guest sessions can be merged
  • Complete history becomes visible
  • Future visits automatically tracked

4. Data Storage

Information saved in database:

  • Session records (browsing activity)
  • Customer profiles (combined data)
  • Analytics aggregates (reports)
  • Order connections (purchases)

Technical Details

Cookies Used

  • puredevs_ch_session – Session identifier
  • Duration: 30 days (configurable)
  • Type: First-party cookie
  • Purpose: Track return visits

Tracking Script

  • Loads asynchronously (doesn’t slow page)
  • Only 5KB in size
  • Updates every 30 seconds for live tracking
  • Works without JavaScript (basic tracking)

Data Collection Points

  • Frontend: JavaScript events
  • Backend: WordPress hooks
  • WooCommerce: Order events
  • AJAX: Real-time updates

Tracking Modes

Automatic Tracking (Default)

Tracks everything automatically:

  • All page views
  • Product interactions
  • Cart activities
  • Search queries

Manual Tracking

For custom events:

puredevs_ch_track_event({
    event: 'video_played',
    product_id: 123,
    video_duration: 45
});

What’s NOT Tracked

Privacy-focused exclusions:

  • Admin users (by default)
  • Bots and crawlers
  • Password or payment info
  • Form input contents
  • Personal conversations
  • Pages you exclude

Privacy Compliance

Built with privacy in mind:

  • GDPR ready: Consent management included
  • IP Anonymization: Option to mask IPs
  • Data Export: Users can request their data
  • Right to Deletion: Complete data removal
  • No Third Parties: Data stays on your server

Accuracy

Tracking accuracy factors:

  • Typical accuracy: 95-98%
  • May miss: Users blocking cookies
  • May miss: Private/incognito mode
  • Captures: Most genuine customer behavior

Performance Impact

Minimal effect on site speed:

  • Script loads asynchronously
  • Doesn’t block page rendering
  • Batches database writes
  • Uses efficient indexing
  • No noticeable slowdown

Disable Tracking

Users can opt out:

  • Add consent banner with opt-out
  • Respect Do Not Track browser setting
  • Honor GDPR preferences
  • Allow cookie deletion