StatCounter Cross-Domain

Overview

StatCounter's approach to cross-domain tracking is simpler than most modern analytics platforms. Rather than sophisticated session linking, StatCounter offers two straightforward options: separate projects for each domain or using the same tracking code across multiple domains.

Key Concepts

Cross-domain tracking allows you to monitor user journeys that span multiple websites or subdomains. This is essential for:

• Main site + subdomain (www.example.com + shop.example.com)
• Multiple brand websites owned by same organization
• Sites with separate checkout or login domains
• Multi-regional sites (example.com, example.co.uk, example.de)

StatCounter's Limitations

Unlike Google Analytics or other advanced platforms, StatCounter does NOT:

• Automatically maintain sessions across domains
• Link user journeys between different domains
• Pass session IDs via URL parameters
• Unify visitor profiles across domains

Tracking Approaches

Approach 1: Separate Projects (Recommended)

Create individual StatCounter projects for each domain.

Advantages:

• Clean, isolated reporting per domain
• No cross-contamination of data
• Easier to manage permissions
• Independent settings per site

Disadvantages:

• Cannot track user journeys across domains
• Separate dashboards required
• Difficult to get unified view

When to Use:

• Completely separate business units
• Different analytics needs per domain
• No need to track cross-domain behavior
• Independent marketing teams

Implementation

<!-- On www.example.com -->
<script type="text/javascript">
var sc_project=12345678; // Project for main site
var sc_invisible=1;
var sc_security="abcd1234";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="https://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter.js" async></script>

<!-- On shop.example.com -->
<script type="text/javascript">
var sc_project=87654321; // Different project for shop
var sc_invisible=1;
var sc_security="4321dcba";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="https://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter.js" async></script>

Approach 2: Single Project Across Domains

Use the same tracking code on all domains.

Advantages:

• Unified traffic numbers
• Single dashboard view
• Simpler code management
• Combined statistics

Disadvantages:

• Sessions break when switching domains
• Users counted as "new" on each domain
• No session continuity
• Referrer shows as previous domain

When to Use:

• Total traffic volume is priority
• Subdomains of same site
• Simple aggregated reporting needed
• Budget constraints (one project only)

Implementation

<!-- Same code on ALL domains -->
<!-- www.example.com, shop.example.com, blog.example.com -->
<script type="text/javascript">
var sc_project=12345678; // Same project everywhere
var sc_invisible=1;
var sc_security="abcd1234";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="https://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter.js" async></script>

Subdomain Tracking

Same Root Domain

For subdomains under the same root domain (shop.example.com, blog.example.com):

Option A: Single Project

Use the same tracking code across all subdomains. StatCounter cookies will work automatically.

<!-- Same code on all subdomains -->
<script type="text/javascript">
var sc_project=12345678;
var sc_invisible=1;
var sc_security="abcd1234";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="https://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter.js" async></script>

Option B: Separate Projects

Create individual projects for major subdomains:

// Conditional loading based on subdomain
var sc_project, sc_security;

if (window.location.hostname === 'www.example.com') {
  sc_project = 12345678;
  sc_security = 'abcd1234';
} else if (window.location.hostname === 'shop.example.com') {
  sc_project = 87654321;
  sc_security = '4321dcba';
} else if (window.location.hostname === 'blog.example.com') {
  sc_project = 11223344;
  sc_security = '5566aabb';
}

Different Root Domains

For completely different domains (example.com, example-shop.com):

Without Session Linking

Simply install the same or different tracking codes:

<!-- example.com -->
<script type="text/javascript">
var sc_project=12345678;
var sc_invisible=1;
var sc_security="abcd1234";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="https://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter.js" async></script>

<!-- example-shop.com -->
<script type="text/javascript">
var sc_project=12345678; // Same project for combined stats
var sc_invisible=1;
var sc_security="abcd1234";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript"
src="https://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter.js" async></script>

Result: Each domain visit creates a new session. Referrer will show the previous domain.

With Custom Session Linking (Workaround)

Create a manual session linking mechanism using URL parameters:

// On source domain (example.com)
function linkToDomain(url) {
  // Generate session identifier
  var sessionId = getCookieValue('sc_session') || generateSessionId();

  // Append to URL
  var separator = url.indexOf('?') > -1 ? '&' : '?';
  window.location.href = url + separator + 'sc_session=' + sessionId;
}

// On destination domain (example-shop.com)
function restoreSession() {
  var urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
  var sessionId = urlParams.get('sc_session');

  if (sessionId) {
    // Store session ID
    document.cookie = 'sc_session=' + sessionId + '; path=/; domain=.example-shop.com';
  }
}

// Call on page load
restoreSession();

Note: This is a custom solution; StatCounter doesn't natively support session linking.

Configuration

Dashboard Settings

1. Log in to StatCounter
2. Navigate to your project
3. Config > Project Settings
4. Update "Website URL" to include all domains if using single project

Multiple Domain Setup

If tracking multiple domains with one project:

1. Set primary domain in project settings
2. Document all domains using the code
3. Use page grouping or filtering to separate domains in reports

Page Grouping by Domain

Create groups to separate domains in reports:

Settings > Page Grouping

Pattern: *example.com*
Group: Main Site

Pattern: *shop.example.com*
Group: Shop

Pattern: *blog.example.com*
Group: Blog

Validation

Verify Cross-Domain Setup

1. Test Each Domain Individually:

Visit each domain and verify tracking:

• Open each domain in a browser
• Wait 10-15 minutes
• Check StatCounter dashboard
• Confirm visits appear

2. Test Cross-Domain Navigation:

Navigate from one domain to another:

• Start on domain A
• Click link to domain B
• Check StatCounter for both visits
• Verify referrer shows domain A

3. Check Session Behavior:

// On each domain, check cookie
document.cookie.split(';').forEach(cookie => {
  if (cookie.includes('sc_')) {
    console.log(cookie);
  }
});

4. Verify Dashboard Reporting:

• Check "Came From" report
• Verify external domains appear as referrers
• Confirm page views from all domains
• Test page grouping filters

Common Cross-Domain Issues

Best Practices

For Subdomains

1. Use single project for subdomains of same root domain
2. Consistent code placement across all subdomains
3. Page grouping to separate subdomain traffic in reports
4. Document all subdomains using the tracking code

For Different Domains

1. Decide early: Separate or combined projects
2. Document approach: Make clear which method you're using
3. Test thoroughly: Verify tracking on all domains
4. Monitor referrers: Use "Came From" report to track cross-domain navigation

URL Parameters

Add parameters to track cross-domain sources:

<!-- Link from domain A to domain B -->
<a href="https://shop.example.com/product?source=main_site&campaign=header">
  Visit Shop
</a>

StatCounter will track the full URL including parameters.

Naming Conventions

Use clear naming for multi-domain setups:

Project Names:
- "Example.com - Main Site"
- "Shop.Example.com - E-commerce"
- "Blog.Example.com - Content"

Or combined:
- "Example.com Network - All Properties"

Reporting and Analysis

Combined Project Reporting

When using one project for multiple domains:

1. Filter by domain: Use search in reports
2. Page grouping: Set up groups by domain
3. Export data: Filter in spreadsheets for domain-specific analysis
4. Custom reports: Create separate views per domain

Separate Project Reporting

When using different projects:

1. Dashboard switching: Toggle between projects
2. Manual aggregation: Combine data in spreadsheets
3. Individual analysis: Analyze each domain separately
4. Cross-reference: Compare referrer data to see cross-domain traffic

Key Metrics to Monitor

• Cross-domain referrals: Check "Came From" for your own domains
• Session counts: Understand sessions break between domains
• Page views: Track total views across all domains
• Entry/exit pages: Identify cross-domain entry points

Advanced Configurations

Conditional Tracking

Load different projects based on environment:

var sc_project, sc_security;

// Production domains
if (location.hostname.includes('example.com')) {
  sc_project = 12345678;
  sc_security = 'abcd1234';
}
// Staging domains
else if (location.hostname.includes('staging.example.com')) {
  sc_project = 87654321;
  sc_security = '4321dcba';
}
// Development - no tracking
else {
  // Don't load StatCounter
}

Custom Referrer Tracking

Track the specific page users came from:

// On destination domain, log the referrer
if (document.referrer) {
  var referrerDomain = new URL(document.referrer).hostname;

  if (referrerDomain.includes('example.com')) {
    // User came from your other domain
    console.log('Internal cross-domain traffic from:', document.referrer);
  }
}

Multi-Region Setup

For international sites:

// Different projects for different regions
var region = location.hostname.split('.').pop(); // .com, .uk, .de

var projects = {
  'com': { project: 12345678, security: 'abcd1234' },
  'uk': { project: 23456789, security: 'bcde2345' },
  'de': { project: 34567890, security: 'cdef3456' }
};

if (projects[region]) {
  var sc_project = projects[region].project;
  var sc_security = projects[region].security;
}

Limitations and Alternatives

StatCounter Limitations

• No automatic session linking across domains
• No unified visitor profiles
• Sessions always break on domain change
• Limited cross-domain journey analysis

When to Consider Alternatives

Consider other tools if you need:

• Full cross-domain tracking: Google Analytics, Matomo
• Unified user journeys: Mixpanel, Amplitude
• Complex multi-domain funnels: Adobe Analytics
• E-commerce across domains: Enhanced ecommerce platforms

Hybrid Approach

Use StatCounter for basic tracking + another tool for cross-domain:

<!-- StatCounter for visitor details -->
<script>/* StatCounter code */</script>

<!-- Google Analytics for cross-domain -->
<script>/* GA4 with cross-domain configured */</script>

Troubleshooting

Tracking Not Working on Second Domain

1. Verify code is installed on all domains
2. Check JavaScript console for errors
3. Confirm project ID is correct
4. Test with browser DevTools Network tab

Sessions Breaking

This is expected behavior for StatCounter. To work around:

• Use URL parameters to pass context
• Implement custom session linking
• Consider alternative analytics platforms

Referrer Not Showing

• Ensure both domains use HTTPS
• Check referrer policy headers
• Verify no privacy extensions blocking referrers
• Confirm pages are public (not password-protected)

Duplicate Tracking

• Search for multiple StatCounter codes on pages
• Check if tag manager is also adding code
• Verify plugins aren't auto-inserting tracking

Support Resources

• StatCounter Multi-Domain Setup
• Subdomain Tracking Guide
• FAQ
• Contact Support