Pirsch Cross-Domain Tracking

Overview

Pirsch takes a privacy-first approach to cross-domain tracking by treating each domain as a separate entity. Unlike traditional analytics platforms that link user sessions across domains, Pirsch intentionally isolates domains to protect user privacy and comply with GDPR requirements without requiring cookie consent banners.

This approach means you'll track pageviews and events independently for each domain, with aggregate statistics available through the Pirsch dashboard. While individual user journeys are not tracked across domains, you can still analyze traffic patterns and conversions across your web properties.

How Pirsch Handles Multiple Domains

Privacy-First Design

Pirsch's cross-domain architecture prioritizes user privacy:

• No cross-domain cookies: Pirsch doesn't set cookies that follow users between domains
• Isolated sessions: Each domain maintains its own session tracking
• No persistent identifiers: User behavior is not linked across domain boundaries
• Cookieless tracking: Uses privacy-friendly fingerprinting that respects user privacy

Domain Isolation Benefits

1. GDPR Compliance: No need for cookie consent banners
2. User Privacy: Visitors cannot be tracked across your domain portfolio
3. Simplified Setup: Each domain operates independently
4. Clean Data: No cross-contamination between properties

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Add Each Domain in Pirsch Dashboard

Log into your Pirsch account and add each domain as a separate website:

1. Navigate to Settings > Websites
2. Click Add Website
3. Enter your domain details:
   • Domain Name: example.com
   • Timezone: Select appropriate timezone
   • Public Access: Enable if you want public stats
4. Repeat for each additional domain

Step 2: Install Tracking Code on Each Domain

Each domain requires its own unique tracking code with a domain-specific identification code:

Domain 1 (example.com):

<script defer src="https://api.pirsch.io/pirsch.js"
  id="pirschjs"
  data-code="CODE_FOR_DOMAIN_1"></script>

Domain 2 (shop.example.com):

<script defer src="https://api.pirsch.io/pirsch.js"
  id="pirschjs"
  data-code="CODE_FOR_DOMAIN_2"></script>

Domain 3 (blog.example.com):

<script defer src="https://api.pirsch.io/pirsch.js"
  id="pirschjs"
  data-code="CODE_FOR_DOMAIN_3"></script>

Step 3: Configure Referral Tracking

To understand traffic flow between your domains, configure proper referral settings:

<script defer src="https://api.pirsch.io/pirsch-extended.js"
  id="pirschextendedjs"
  data-code="YOUR_CODE"
  data-dev="dev.example.com"></script>

Step 4: Track Domain-Specific Events

Use custom events to track cross-domain activities:

// Track when users click to another domain
document.querySelectorAll('a[href*="otherdomain.com"]').forEach(link => {
  link.addEventListener('click', () => {
    pirsch('Domain Navigation', {
      meta: {
        destination: 'otherdomain.com',
        source_domain: window.location.hostname,
        link_text: link.textContent
      }
    });
  });
});

Analyzing Multi-Domain Traffic

Dashboard Views

Access each domain's statistics separately in the Pirsch dashboard:

1. Use the domain selector dropdown to switch between properties
2. View referrers to see traffic coming from your other domains
3. Analyze entry and exit pages for each domain independently

Referrer Analysis

Check referrer reports to understand cross-domain traffic flow:

• Navigate to Referrers in your dashboard
• Look for your other domains in the referrer list
• This shows how much traffic moves between your properties

Custom Event Aggregation

Create a centralized view by exporting data from each domain:

# Use Pirsch API to export data
curl "https://api.pirsch.io/api/v1/statistics/page?from=2025-01-01&to=2025-12-31" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Validation and Testing

Test Cross-Domain Navigation

1. Visit Domain 1 (example.com)

   • Open developer console
   • Check for Pirsch script load
   • Verify no errors in console

2. Click Link to Domain 2 (shop.example.com)

   • Should see new pageview in Domain 2's statistics
   • Should see Domain 1 as referrer in Domain 2's dashboard

3. Check Dashboard Data

   • Wait 5-10 minutes for data processing
   • Verify pageviews appear in both dashboards
   • Confirm referrer information is captured

Verify Privacy Compliance

• Confirm no cross-domain cookies are set
• Check that user fingerprints are domain-specific
• Verify no persistent identifiers exist across domains

Test Real-Time Data

// Monitor Pirsch requests in browser console
// Filter network tab by "pirsch.io"
// Should see separate requests for each domain

Implementation Patterns

Multi-Brand Setup

For separate brand domains:

<!-- brand1.com -->
<script defer src="https://api.pirsch.io/pirsch-extended.js"
  data-code="BRAND1_CODE"></script>

<!-- brand2.com -->
<script defer src="https://api.pirsch.io/pirsch-extended.js"
  data-code="BRAND2_CODE"></script>

Subdomain Architecture

For subdomain-based applications:

<!-- app.example.com -->
<script defer src="https://api.pirsch.io/pirsch-extended.js"
  data-code="APP_CODE"></script>

<!-- docs.example.com -->
<script defer src="https://api.pirsch.io/pirsch-extended.js"
  data-code="DOCS_CODE"></script>

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

1. Document Your Setup: Maintain a mapping of domains to identification codes
2. Use Consistent Naming: Name domains clearly in Pirsch dashboard
3. Monitor Referrers: Regularly check referrer reports to understand traffic flow
4. Custom Events: Track important cross-domain actions with custom events
5. Test Regularly: Verify tracking after any domain changes or deployments
6. Export Data: Use API to create custom cross-domain reports
7. Privacy First: Embrace the privacy-first design rather than trying to circumvent it

Related Resources

• Install Tracking Code
• Event Tracking Setup
• Server-Side vs Client-Side