StatCounter manages access through project-based sharing where you grant users access to specific projects rather than account-wide access. Use this section to understand how to share projects, modify permissions, and revoke access when needed.
Access Requests at a Glance
- Add User Access covers sharing projects with collaborators and configuring their permissions.
- Update Access & Roles explains how to modify sharing settings and adjust user access to projects.
- Remove User Access details how to revoke project access and maintain audit documentation.
How StatCounter Structures Access
StatCounter uses a project-centric access model that differs from traditional team management:
- Account Owner - The primary account holder who creates and owns all projects. This account manages billing and has ultimate control over all projects.
- Project Sharing - Individual projects can be shared with other StatCounter users via their email addresses. Shared users access specific projects without seeing other projects in your account.
- Access Levels - When sharing a project, you can grant full access (view and edit) or view-only access, depending on what the user needs to accomplish.
- No Central Team Management - Unlike enterprise analytics platforms, StatCounter manages access per-project rather than through a central team interface.
This project-based approach allows granular control when working with clients or contractors who should only access specific properties.
Understanding StatCounter Project Access
Account structure:
- Each StatCounter account can contain multiple projects (website properties)
- The account owner sees all projects they create or own
- Shared users only see projects specifically shared with them
- There is no concept of organization-wide access - everything is project-specific
Sharing mechanism:
- Share projects by inviting users via their email address
- Users must have their own StatCounter account to receive shared projects
- Shared users log into their own StatCounter account and see shared projects alongside their own
- You can share the same project with multiple users, each with different permission levels
Permission levels:
- Full Access - User can view all reports, modify project settings, and change tracking configuration. Use for contractors who need to configure or maintain tracking.
- View Only - User can see reports and statistics but cannot modify any settings or configurations. Appropriate for clients viewing their own data or stakeholders who only need reporting access.
Roles to Maintain
When managing StatCounter access, consider these role patterns:
- Account Owner - Your primary StatCounter login that owns all projects. Protect these credentials carefully as they control billing and project ownership. Limit sharing of owner credentials.
- Full Access Shares - Collaborators who need to configure tracking, modify settings, or manage project configuration. Assign selectively only to trusted technical users.
- View Only Shares - Clients, stakeholders, or analysts who need to see data but should not modify tracking. This is the most common sharing scenario for external parties.
- Temporary Shares - Contractors or consultants who need access for a defined period. Document expiration dates and remove promptly when projects conclude.
Unlike traditional user management, StatCounter doesn't have formalized roles - you implement role patterns through deliberate sharing decisions.
Add, Update, Remove at a Glance
- Add: Share a project by entering the user's email address and selecting their permission level (Full Access or View Only). The user receives notification and the project appears in their StatCounter account.
- Update: Modify sharing by changing the permission level from Full Access to View Only or vice versa. This immediately updates what the user can do with the project.
- Remove: Delete the share to revoke all access to that specific project. The user immediately loses access but retains access to any other projects you've shared with them separately.
Platform Notes & Practical Steps
- Email-based sharing: All StatCounter sharing requires the recipient's email address. They must have a StatCounter account (free or paid) to access shared projects.
- Per-project granularity: You share individual projects, not your entire account. If you have 10 projects and share 2 with a contractor, they only see those 2 projects.
- No team interface: StatCounter doesn't have a central team management page. You manage sharing separately for each project through project settings.
- Sharing is not transferable: If you share Project A with User X, they cannot further share that project with others. Only the project owner can share.
- Account requirement: Recipients must already have a StatCounter account or create one. Share invitations only work with registered StatCounter email addresses.
- Multiple permission levels: You can share the same project with different users at different permission levels (e.g., contractor gets Full Access, client gets View Only).
- No usage limits: Most StatCounter plans allow unlimited project sharing without additional fees.
- Instant updates: Permission changes and access revocations take effect immediately - users may need to refresh their dashboard to see changes.
Governance Checklist
- Document all project shares including recipient email, permission level, and business justification (client access, contractor engagement, etc.).
- Conduct quarterly reviews of project sharing settings to identify stale access from completed engagements.
- Maintain a mapping of which users have access to which projects, especially when managing multiple client properties.
- Store screenshots of sharing configuration for audit purposes before making changes.
- Establish a process for immediate access revocation when contractors depart or client relationships end.
- Verify recipient email addresses are current and belong to authorized personnel before sharing.
- Create calendar reminders for temporary shares tied to contract end dates.
- Review and remove View Only shares for clients after project delivery or relationship conclusion.
Best Practices for StatCounter Access Management
- Principle of least privilege: Default to View Only sharing and upgrade to Full Access only when configuration capability is genuinely required.
- Per-project discipline: Only share specific projects relevant to each user's work. Don't share all projects just for convenience.
- Client access patterns: When giving clients access to their own analytics, use View Only permission and share only their specific project(s).
- Contractor scoping: For contractors supporting multiple clients, share only the client projects they're actively working on. Remove access as each client engagement concludes.
- Documentation before sharing: Before sharing any project, document who requested access, why they need it, and the expected duration.
- Regular audits: Monthly review of all project sharing settings to catch forgotten temporary shares or contractors whose engagements ended.
- Email verification: Confirm recipient email addresses through separate communication before sharing - don't rely solely on email addresses provided in tickets or forms.
- Separate client projects: Use distinct StatCounter projects for each client rather than tracking multiple clients in one project. This enables cleaner access control.
Common Scenarios
Client wants to see their analytics: Create or identify the client's specific project. Share it with their email using View Only permission. Verify they received access and can view their data. Document the share date and client name.
Contractor needs to configure tracking: Share the relevant project(s) with Full Access permission. Document which projects were shared and the contract end date. Set calendar reminder to remove access when contract concludes.
Internal team member needs reporting access: Share relevant projects with View Only permission. For trusted team members who may need configuration access, consider Full Access but document the elevated permission.
Temporary audit access: Share projects with View Only permission for audit period. Immediately remove access once audit completes. Export audit trail showing when access was granted and revoked.
Multiple contractors working on different clients: Share each client's project only with the contractor assigned to that client. This prevents cross-contamination of client data access.
Contractor company rotates personnel: You'll need to remove access from departing contractor and share with new contractor. StatCounter doesn't support transferring shares - you must explicitly remove and re-add.
Security Considerations
Email security:
- Verify recipient email addresses through trusted channels before sharing
- Be cautious with personal email addresses - prefer business emails for audit trail
- Watch for typos in email addresses which could share sensitive data with wrong recipient
Permission discipline:
- Limit Full Access shares to only those who genuinely need to modify tracking or settings
- Use View Only as the default for most sharing scenarios
- Regularly downgrade Full Access shares to View Only when configuration phase completes
Access review frequency:
- Monthly reviews for projects with sensitive data or multiple shares
- Quarterly reviews for standard business analytics projects
- Immediate review when contractors depart or client relationships end
Project separation:
- Never combine multiple clients in a single project - it complicates access control
- Use separate projects for production vs. testing environments
- Consider using distinct projects for different departments or business units
Compliance and Documentation
Maintain proper records for StatCounter project sharing:
- Share log: Track each project share with date, recipient email, permission level, and business reason
- Project mapping: Document which users have access to which projects, especially for multi-client scenarios
- Change history: Record when permissions changed from Full Access to View Only or vice versa
- Access removal log: Document when and why access was revoked, including the requestor
- Screenshots: Capture project sharing configuration before making changes for audit evidence
- Review records: Document quarterly access reviews showing which shares were validated vs. removed
For regulated industries, maintain sharing documentation for your compliance retention period, typically 7 years.