=== MonsterInsights - Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) ===
Contributors: chriscct7, smub
Donate link: http://www.wpbeginner.com/wpbeginner-needs-your-help/
Tags: WordPress analytics, google analytics, google analytics dashboard, google analytics widget, WooCommerce stats, analytics dashboard, universal google analytics, statistics, tracking, stats, google, google analytics by yoast, ga, monster insights, monsterinsights, universal analytics, web stats, ecommerce, ecommerce tracking
Requires at least: 4.8.0
Tested up to: 6.2
Stable tag: 8.15
Requires PHP: 5.6
License: GPL v3

The best free Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. See how visitors find and use your website, so you can grow your business.

== Description ==

= Google Analytics Plugin for WordPress =

With over 3 million active installs, MonsterInsights is the most popular Google Analytics plugin for WordPress.

We believe that it's easy to double your traffic and sales when you know exactly how people find and use your website. <a href="https://www.monsterinsights.com/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=liteversion" rel="friend" title="MonsterInsights">MonsterInsights</a> shows you the analytics and stats that matter, so you can grow your business with confidence.

At MonsterInsights, we make it "effortless" to properly connect your WordPress site with Google Analytics, so you can start making data-driven decisions to grow your business.

Unlike other Google Analytics plugins, MonsterInsights allows you to enable all advanced Google Analytics tracking features with just a few clicks (no need to hire a developer).

The best part is that MonsterInsights comes with an analytics dashboard for WordPress that shows you actionable analytics reports right inside your WordPress dashboard. We have created customized reports that eliminate the fluff and only show you the stats that matter, so you can see exactly what's working and what's not!

Simply put, MonsterInsights is the most complete Google Analytics plugin for WordPress that's both EASY and POWERFUL.

That's why millions of small businesses and top companies like Microsoft, Bloomberg, FedEx, Yelp, Subway, etc. use MonsterInsights to setup Google Analytics on their WordPress sites.

> <strong>MonsterInsights Pro</strong><br />
> This plugin is the lite version of MonsterInsights Pro plugin that comes with all the tracking features you will ever need including events tracking, ecommerce tracking, custom dimensions tracking, page speed reports, popular post tracking, custom dimensions, affiliate link tracking, video tracking and tons more. <a href="https://www.monsterinsights.com/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=liteversion" rel="friend" title="MonsterInsights">Click here to purchase the best premium Google Analytics plugin for WordPress now!</a>

We took the pain out of installing Google Analytics in WordPress and made it easy. Here's why over 3 million smart business owners, designers, and developers love MonsterInsights, and you will too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y8TGGkdcGY

= Quick & Easy Google Analytics Setup =

Properly setting up Google Analytics is complicated. You have to either hire a developer or learn how to add advanced code snippets to your website in many different areas. This process can take days or weeks...and can even break your website!

With MonsterInsights, we made it "effortless" to properly setup Google Analytics in WordPress. Yes, you can enable all advanced Google Analytics features with just a few clicks.

If you can point-and-click, then you can set up Google Analytics inside WordPress and start seeing insights in under 15 minutes (no code necessary).

We keep up with all Google Analytics updates, including the new Google Analytics 4 (GA4), so you can sleep well at night knowing that your website will always stay up to date with the newest features.

See what one business owner is saying about MonsterInsights:

>It just works. Really easy way to insert Google Analytics tracking code and keep it there when switching themes. No need to copy/paste code anywhere. This is the best way to handle Google Analytics in WordPress.<br>
> Steven Gliebe

= Google Analytics Dashboard + Real Time Stats =
Our goal at MonsterInsights is to make Google Analytics easy and accessible for everyone.

We understand that Google Analytics has a steep learning curve which often prevents small business owners from making informed decisions to grow their business.

That's why MonsterInsights comes with a built-in Google Analytics Dashboard for your WordPress site, so you can see all the useful information about your visitors right inside your WordPress dashboard without needing to login somewhere else.

We have even created customized reports to help you filter through the noise and see the stats that really matter!

* **Audience Report** helps you get to know your visitors in a whole new way. It shows you detailed insights like which country your visitors are coming from, what are they most interested in, which device are they using, their age, gender, and a whole lot more. You can use this demographics report and audience clues to tweak your website design and content accordingly.

* **Publishers Report** helps you understand which pages your visitors are arriving, and which pages they are leaving from. Designed specifically for blogs and other resource sites, this powerful report will show you which outbound links are getting clicked so you can easily optimize for higher conversions.

* **Behavior Report** shows you exactly how people find your website, which keywords did they search for, who referred them, what did they click on your site, and more. You can use these useful stats to identify low-hanging fruits, new partnership opportunities, and promotional areas to focus on.

* **Content Report** shows you stats on exactly which content gets the most visits, so you can stop guessing and start creating content that gets more traffic and conversion.

* **Ecommerce Report** shows you important store stats like total revenue, conversion rate, average order value, top referral sources, and more (all in one place).

* **Forms Report** shows you conversion stats for various contact forms and lead forms on your website, so you can improve the conversions to grow your business.

* **Search Console Report** shows you exactly how well your website is ranking in Google, so you can further optimize your SEO to grow your organic traffic.

* **Custom Dimensions Report** helps you dig deeper by showing you useful stats like who are your most popular authors, what are the best publication times, which are your most popular categories or tags, how well are your Yoast focus keywords and SEO score performing, and more.

* **Site Speed Report** makes it easy to track pagespeed insights and loading times for your website and get the information you need to improve user experience and your SEO rankings.

Our custom Google Analytics Dashboard reports are based on over 12+ years of online business experience. We built MonsterInsights to be the Google Analytics plugin that we wish we had.

We currently use MonsterInsights on all our portfolio companies which include both media sites generating tens of millions of pageviews and eCommerce sites generating millions in sales.

That's why we can confidently say that MonsterInsights is the ultimate Google Analytics Shortcut for seeing the stats that matter and making data-driven decisions to grow your business.

>I love being able to drill down into the analytics via the reporting feature. I have the PRO version and it makes a big difference what you can analyze. I'm glad that I can integrate with Pretty Links too!<br>
>Kim Beasley - MonsterInsights user

= Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce Tracking Made Easy =

Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce tracking is a powerful feature that lets you track user behavior across your <a href="https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-start-an-online-store/" rel="friend">online store</a> starting from product views to checkout page to thank you page and beyond.

With MonsterInsights' easy WooCommerce integration, you can setup WooCommerce analytics with literally 1-click.

Once you have enabled WooCommerce tracking, MonsterInsights will show you all important WooCommerce metrics in a single dashboard including WooCommerce conversion rate, top products in your WooCommerce store, total transactions, total revenue, average order value, top referral sources, and more.

Our WooCommerce analytics report also includes other detailed WooCommerce event tracking data like total add to carts, total removed from cart, time to purchase, and sessions to purchase.

For those who want to go beyond our WooCommerce stats dashboard, you can easily open up the Google Analytics dashboard to combine WooCommerce data with other secondary dimensions and filters to find exactly what you're looking for.

Aside from WooCommerce Google Analytics integration, MonsterInsights' eCommerce addon also offers seamless integration for the Easy Digital Downloads plugin.

Our Easy Digital Downloads Google Analytics integration allows you to set up Enhanced Ecommerce Tracking on your store with just 1-click.

Our eCommerce tracking works with other popular ecommerce plugins such as MemberPress, GiveWP, LifterLMS, Restrict Content Pro, and more.

Each integration works automatically with Google Analytics Universal (GA3) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4), so that your site can be prepared for future changes.

Simply put, MonsterInsights' Enhanced Ecommerce for WordPress feature is by far the easiest and most powerful in the market.

= Google Analytics + GDPR Compliance =

MonsterInsights helps make Google Analytics GDPR compliance easier for business owners.

Our EU compliance addon allows you to:

* Anonymize IP in Google Analytics
* Disable the Demographics and Interest Reports for Remarketing and Advertising
* Disable UserID and author name tracking
* Enable the ga() compatibility mode
* Integrate with Cookie Notice and CookieBot plugins to collect user consent before tracking
* Integrate with Google AMP Consent Box before enable tracking
* Integrate with Google Analytics's Chrome browser opt-out extension and built-in cookie opt-out system
* Offer Easy Opt Out link for Google Analytics tracking

While no single plugin can guarantee 100% GDPR compliance in WordPress, MonsterInsights goes to great length in helping business owners with GDPR compliance.

For more details, see: <a href="https://www.monsterinsights.com/gdpr-and-monsterinsights-everything-you-need-to-know/" rel="friend">GDPR and MonsterInsights - Everything You Need to Know</a>.


= Universal Tracking + Google Analytics for AMP and Instant Articles =

MonsterInsights uses Google Analytics universal tracking, so you can track your users across devices and platforms.

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is a project by Google that helps you speed up your website. However if you don't set it up properly, Google AMP can cause you to lose your website analytics. Our Google Analytics AMP integration allows you to have accurate tracking on all AMP enabled pages. It works seamlessly with AMP for WordPress plugin.

We also offer 1-click Google Analytics integration with Facebook Instant Articles.

At MonsterInsights, we always stay ahead of the curve in helping you integrate WordPress with the latest Google Analytics tracking features.

>Analytics for PROs! This plugin brings it all, great features and helpful info to easily see what you are doing.<br>
> Frank van der Sluijs

= Google Affiliate Link Tracking =

Our affiliate link tracking makes it easy for bloggers and affiliate marketers to track their affiliate links with Google Analytics.

MonsterInsights uses event tracking for all WordPress outbound link tracking which is far more accurate than any built-in WordPress analytics solution.

Unlike other WordPress analytics plugin, our Google Analytics affiliate link tracking does NOT slow down your website because all events are recorded via JavaScript and sent straight to your account.

Most other WordPress stats plugin track data on your <a href="https://www.wpbeginner.com/wordpress-hosting/" rel="friend">WordPress hosting server</a> which slows down your website and does not scale for larger websites.

Since our affiliate link tracking uses Google Analytics' powerful servers, we can skip WordPress entirely.

MonsterInsights' affiliate link tracking feature works with all WordPress affiliate link management plugins including Pretty Links, Thirsty Affiliates, and others.

= Custom Dimensions Tracking, Custom Google Analytics Event Tracking, and More =

Our Google Analytics event tracking feature for WordPress doesn't just stop at affiliate link tracking.

You can use MonsterInsights custom Google analytics event tracking feature to easily add outbound-link tracking, file downloads tracking, call-to-action button tracking, hashmark tracking, telephone link tracking, and more.

Our powerful Forms Tracking addon uses Google Analytics custom event tracking feature to enable form analytics in WordPress. With just 1-click, you can enable form conversion tracking for your contact forms, lead generation forms, registration forms, surveys, and any other type of form in WordPress.

MonsterInsights' Custom Dimensions addon allows you to push WordPress analytics even further. You can use Google Analytics custom dimensions to generate helpful WordPress stats for:

* Author Tracking - see stats for each author to find which author's posts generate the most traffic.
* Post Type Tracking - see stats for WordPress post types to find out which sections are performing the best.
* Category Tracking - see stats for your WordPress categories to find out which sections of your sites are the most popular.
* Tags Tracking - see stats for your WordPress tags to find out which tags are the most popular.
* SEO Score Tracking - see stats for your Yoast SEO score and see how it impacts your traffic.
* Focus Keyword Tracking - see stats for Yoast focus keyword and see how it correlates with your traffic.
* Logged-in User Tracking - see WordPress stats for what percentage of your users are logged-in.
* User ID Tracking - see stats for each individual logged-in user's activity through User ID custom dimension - great for Ecommerce and membership sites.
* Published Time Tracking - track the performance of your posts based on their published time.

Simply put, MonsterInsights allow you to take full advantage of all the powerful Google Analytics features.

>I like how simple it is for client users and how I can turn on the advanced features for myself to get all the details right.<br>
> Skip Shean

= Track Both Google Analytics 3 and Google Analytics 4 =
Help future-proof your website's analytics with MonsterInsights Dual Tracking. With our dual analytics tracking, you can easily use both Google Analytics 3 and Google Analytics 4 without any special coding or configuration.

= Google Analytics Dashboard Plugin for WordPress Multisite Networks =

MonsterInsights is the most popular analytics plugin for adding Google Analytics to WordPress multisite.

We have built-in all permissions and controls that you would need to successfully run Google Analytics on a WordPress multi-site.

You can control who has access to view the Google Analytics Dashboard report in WordPress. Our permissions setting allows you to hide analytics reports for specific user roles.

Similarly, we understand that some sites may want to exclude logged-in users from tracking. MonsterInsights gives you granular control to exclude admin in Analytics as well as other user roles.

Our performance addon allows you to adjust sample rate and site speed sample rates for Google Analytics.

By now you can probably see why MonsterInsights has become the most popular Google Analytics plugin for WordPress.

We understand Google Analytics better than any other analytics plugin for WordPress.

= Full MonsterInsights Feature List =

* Quick and Easy Setup - Easily setup Google Analytics for WordPress with just a few clicks (no coding needed)
* Real Time Stats - See real time stats inside your Google Analytics dashboard.
* Universal Tracking - Get better insights with Google Analytics' universal tracking.
* Google Analytics Dashboard - See the stats that matter from right inside your WordPress dashboard with custom Publisher Report, Ecommerce report, and Search Console report.
* Google Analytics 4 Support -  Easily set up and send proper website tracking data to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
* eCommerce Tracking - Add Google Analytics Ecommerce tracking to WordPress.
* WooCommerce Google Analytics - Add Enhanced Ecommerce Tracking to your WooCommerce store.
* User Journeys - See exactly which pages a customer visited before before purchasing from your WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress, LifterLMS, Restrict Content Pro, or GiveWP website.
* Easy Digital Downloads Google Analytics - Add Enhanced Ecommerce Tracking to your EDD store.
* Affiliate Link Tracking - Track your affiliate links and get stats that matter.
* Google Ads Conversion Tracking - Automatically track Google Ads conversions for WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress, LifterLMS, Restrict Content Pro, or GiveWP websites.
* Meta Pixel (Facebook, Instagram Ads) PPC Conversion Tracking - Automatically track pageviews and Purchases for WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress, LifterLMS, Restrict Content Pro, or GiveWP websites.
* Microsoft Ads (Bing Ads) PPC Conversion Tracking - Automatically track Microsoft Ads purchases for WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress, LifterLMS, Restrict Content Pro, or GiveWP websites.
* File Download Tracking - Enable file download stats with just a click.
* Custom Link Tracking - Track your outbound link clicks with Google Analytics.
* Events Tracking - Track custom button and banner clicks with Google Analytics.
* Custom Dimensions Tracking - Enable Google analytics custom dimensions tracking for WordPress.
* Author Tracking - See author stats and discover who's the most popular author on your site.
* Popular Post Tracking - See which blog post and section is the most popular.
* YouTube Google Analytics - Easily and automatically track embedded YouTube video starts, stops, and progression of your YouTube videos.
* Vimeo Google Analytics - Easily and automatically track embedded Vimeo video starts, stops, and progression of your YouTube videos.
* HTML5 Video Google Analytics - Easily and automatically track embedded HTML5 video starts, stops, and progression of your YouTube videos.
* Exclude from Tracking - Disable the loading of the Google Analytics tracking on specific pages or posts.
* Contextual Insights - Get actionable tips on how to improve engagement and get more visitors based on your site's traffic.
* Headline Analyzer - Get more clicks and improve SEO following suggestions from our Headline Analyzer directly in the WordPress editor
* Custom Post Type Tracking - Track the performance of your custom post types.
* Referral Tracking - See how visitors are finding your website to better focus your marketing efforts.
* Performance Tracking - Control the performance rate and sample rate for your Google Analytics report.
* Enhanced Link Attribution - Get better analytics with enhanced link attribution.
* Email Summaries - Your site's Google Analytics traffic report delivered straight to your inbox every week.
* Google Analytics for AMP - Add proper tracking for Google AMP.
* Google Analytics for Facebook Instant Articles - Add proper tracking for Facebook Analytics.
* Google Analytics GDPR Compliance - EU compliance addon helps you improve Google Analytics GDPR compliance by adding anonymize IP, cookie consent for opt-out tracking, and more.
* Form Conversion Tracking - Track conversions for your WordPress forms. Works with all popular plugins including WPForms, Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms, Formidable Forms, and more.
* Google Optimize Tracking - Enable Google Analytics support for Google Optimize A/B Testing.
* Google Analytics Tools - Helpful tools for Google Analytics such as UTM link tracking builder.
* Want us to add something else? Suggest a feature and we'll get it added!

After reading this exhaustive feature list, you can probably imagine why MonsterInsights is the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress.

Give MonsterInsights a try.

Want to unlock even more features? <a href="https://www.monsterinsights.com/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=liteversion" rel="friend">Upgrade to our Pro version</a>.

>Simple, yet powerful. Amazing piece of plugin, does exactly what expected and even more.<br>
> Matt Jaworski

= Popular Google Analytics Tutorials =

* <a href="https://www.monsterinsights.com/how-to-properly-setup-google-analytics-in-wordpress/" rel="friend" title="How to setup Google Analytics with WordPress">How to setup Google Analytics with WordPress</a>
* <a href="https://www.monsterinsights.com/how-to-login-to-google-analytics/" rel="friend" title="How to login to Google Analytics">How to Login to Google Analytics</a>
* <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/start-a-wordpress-blog/" rel="friend" title="How to start a blog">How to Start a WordPress Blog (step by step)</a>

= Note for Beginners =

Like all WordPress plugins, Google Analytics by MonsterInsights is only available for self-hosted WordPress sites. This means you will need to <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-properly-move-your-blog-from-wordpress-com-to-wordpress-org/" rel="friend" title="How to properly move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org">switch from WordPress.com to WordPress.org</a> if you want to use this plugin on your WordPress site.

For more details, see this infographic on <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/self-hosted-wordpress-org-vs-free-wordpress-com-infograph/" rel="friend" title="Self Hosted WordPress.org vs Free WordPress.com">self hosted WordPress.org vs free WordPress.com</a>

= Credits =

This plugin is created by <a href="https://twitter.com/chriscct7" rel="friend" title="Chris Christoff">Chris Christoff</a> and <a href="https://syedbalkhi.com/" rel="friend" title="Syed Balkhi">Syed Balkhi</a> with sponsorship from <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/" rel="friend" title="WPBeginner">WPBeginner</a>.

= Branding Guidelines =

MonsterInsights&reg; is a registered trademark of MonsterInsights LLC. When writing about the Google Analytics for WordPress plugin by MonsterInsights, please make sure to uppercase the first letters of both word.

* MonsterInsights (correct)
* Monster Insights (incorrect)
* monsterinsights (incorrect)
* monsterinsight (incorrect)

= What's Next =

If you like this plugin, then consider checking out our other projects:

* <a href="http://optinmonster.com/" rel="friend" title="OptinMonster">OptinMonster</a> - Get More Email Subscribers
* <a href="https://wpforms.com/" rel="friend" title="WPForms">WPForms</a> - Best WordPress Contact Form Plugin
* <a href="https://aioseo.com/" rel="friend" title="AIOSEO">AIOSEO</a> - The original WordPress SEO plugin to help you rank higher in search results (trusted by over 2 million sites)
* <a href="https://www.seedprod.com/" rel="friend" title="SeedProd">SeedProd</a> - Most popular coming soon & maintenance mode plugin for WordPress
* <a href="https://wpmailsmtp.com/" rel="friend" title="WP Mail SMTP">WP Mail SMTP</a> - Improve email deliverability for your contact form with the most popular SMTP plugin for WordPress
* <a href="https://rafflepress.com/" rel="friend" title="RafflePress">RafflePress</a> - Best WordPress giveaway and contest plugin to grow traffic and social followers
* <a href="https://smashballoon.com/" rel="friend" title="Smash Balloon">Smash Balloon</a> - #1 social feeds plugin for WordPress - display social media content in WordPress without code
* <a href="https://pushengage.com/" rel="friend" title="PushEngage">PushEngage</a> - Connect with visitors after they leave your website with the leading web push notification plugin
* <a href="https://trustpulse.com/" rel="friend" title="TrustPulse">TrustPulse</a> - Add real-time social proof notifications to boost your store conversions by up to 15%

This plugin would not be possible without the help and support of <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/" rel="friend" title="WPBeginner">WPBeginner</a>, the largest WordPress resource site. You can learn from our <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/category/wp-tutorials/" rel="friend" title="WordPress Tutorials">free WordPress Tutorials</a> like <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/how-to-install-wordpress/" rel="friend" title="How to Install WordPress - Step by Step">how to install WordPress</a>, <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/wordpress-hosting/" rel="friend" title="How to choose the best WordPress hosting">choose the best WordPress hosting</a>, <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/glossary/" rel="friend" title="WordPress Glossary Terms for Beginners">WordPress glossary</a>, and more.

You can also learn about other <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/category/plugins/" rel="friend" title="Best WordPress Plugins">best WordPress plugins</a>.


== Installation ==

1. Install Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights either via the WordPress.org plugin repository or by uploading the files to your server. (See instructions on <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/step-by-step-guide-to-install-a-wordpress-plugin-for-beginners/" rel="friend">how to install a WordPress plugin</a>)
2. Activate Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights.
3. Navigate to the Insights tab in your WordPress admin menu and configure the plugin.
4. Want more features? <a href="https://www.monsterinsights.com/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=liteversion">Purchase MonsterInsights Pro</a>!

== Changelog ==
= 8.15: May 22, 2023 =
- New: Site Notes allows you to record important website events right inside your WordPress dashboard.
- Update: Fix EDD integration.
- Update: Mobile screen optimizations.

= 8.14.1: Apr 11, 2023 =
- Fixed: We fixed a PHP warning error and added additional security hardening.

= 8.14.0: Mar 29, 2023 =
- New: Our New PPC Tracking addon allows you to effortlessly track sales inside Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and Meta.
- Enhancement: We updated and tweaked lots elements to make our dashboard easier to use


= 8.13.1: Mar 14, 2023 =
- Fixed: We fixed a bug that could cause an issue if Google's API endpoint returned a non-200 response.

= 8.13.0: Mar 13, 2023 =
- Enhancement: We enhanced the notifications user experience.
- Fixed: We fixed the PDF reports header.
- Update: We applied additional security hardening.

= 8.12.1: Jan 12, 2023 =
- Fix: We made updates to authentication

= 8.12.0: Jan 12, 2023 =
- Enhancement: We updated and fixed some UI/UX elements to make MonsterInsights easier to use
- Enhancement: We optimized our Javascript code to work better with minification plugins
- Enhancement: We optimized our Javascript code to work better with minification plugins
- Enhancement: We optimized the Javascript code to work nicely with minification plugins
- Enhancement: We optimized our code to work better with PHP8

= 8.11.0: Dec 12, 2022 =
- New: With our limited-time-only Year in Review report you’ll be able to see how your site performed in 2022 and how to improve in 2023. This report will be automatically available from January 1 to January 14, 2023, inside the Reports section of MonsterInsights.
- Enhancement: We optimized our media addon events.

= 8.10.1: Nov 09, 2022 =
- Fix: We fixed a bug in our auto-update logic when it encounters double digit version numbers. 

= 8.10.0: Nov 07, 2022 =
- New: We created a new Media report available right inside WordPress Admin dashboard to view video plays and engagement
- New: We added file download support for Pretty Links
- Enhancement: We enhanced some UI elements within the plugin
- Fix: We updated User Journey to work with older versions of Easy Digital Downloads

= 8.9.1: Oct 11, 2022 =
- Enhancement: Our UserJourney addon works with sequential orders
- Enhancement: We updated some language inside the WordPress Admin area for GA4 reporting
- Fix: Headline analyzer now understands queries better
- Fix: We updated our Ads addon to work with Easy Digital Downloads 3.0 

= 8.9.0: Sep 20, 2022 =
- New: You can now show an MonsterInsights badge on your website!
- Enhancement: We updated and tweaked many UI elements to better help with onboarding and plugin usage.
- Enhancement: We now include our dashboard fonts locally.
- Fix: We updated support for PHP 8 with our headline analyzer tool.

= 8.8.2: Aug 26, 2022 =
- Fix: We fixed the headline analyzer issues reported by our lite users.
- Fix: We fixed the PHP errors reported by WordPress 4.8 users.

= 8.8.1: Aug 24, 2022 =
- Fix: We fixed the Javascript error reported by lite users.

= 8.8.0: Aug 24, 2022 =
- New: We added UserJourney for Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress, LifterLMS, Restrict Content Pro, and GiveWP.
- Enhancement: We enhanced the PageInsights addon to better support query strings
- Enhancement: We optimized the reports cache.
- Enhancement: We optimized the LearnDash integration.
- Enhancement: We optimized reports data for eCommerce integrations.
- Enhancement: We optimized report queries for certain timezones.
- Enhancement: We updated some of our error messages to provide better direction.
- Enhancement: We optimized the code for PHP 8.1.
- Enhancement: We optimized our onboarding wizard to include all GA properties.
- Enhancement: License validation now checks to ensure active license exists.
- Fix: We fixed non zero data in eCommerce reports.
- Fix: We fixed the purchase events for LifterLMS.
- Fix: We updated the report URL for all downloads button inside the WordPress dashboard.
- Fix: Updated eCommerce session tracking for GA4 properties.

= 8.7.0: Jul 11, 2022 =
- Fix: We fixed the logged-in sessions data in our dimensions report.
- Fix: We fixed the test mode detection PayPal Express Payment method when Smart Button is used.
- Enhancement: We optimized our plugin's backend javascript.
- Enhancement: We optimized the membership levels tracking for Restrict Content Pro integration.
- Enhancement: We optimized the integration with EDD latest versions.

= 8.6.0: Jun 13, 2022 =
- Enhancement: We updated the User Journey display
- Enhancement: We optimized the plugin activation process, popular posts, userID tracking, and onboarding

= 8.5.3: May 18, 2022 =
- Fix: We optimized the user ID custom dimension for GAv4
- Fix: We optimized the affiliate events for GAv4
- Fix: We optimized the Easy Digital Downloads purchase events for GAv4

= 8.5.2: May 06, 2022 =
Fix: We fixed an error reported by users using older versions of PHP.

= 8.5.1: May 04, 2022 =
- New: We launched a new User Journey addon to easily see which pages and for how long each customer visited before making a purchase from your WooCommerce store.
- Enhancement: We enhanced Page Insights to show stats right in the WordPress sidebar while editing public post types.
- Enhancement: We enhanced our Headline Analyzer tool.
- Fixed: We fixed the URL query string parameters in reports.
- Fixed: We fixed anchor tag targets to enhance user experience.
- Fixed: We restricted excluding page tracking only for public post_types.
- Fixed: We fixed console errors reported by a few customers on the admin homepage.


= 8.5.0: March 31, 2022 =
- Tweak: We enhanced and optimized the backend styles.
- Fixed: We fixed a few PHP warnings when no add-ons are installed.
- Fixed: We optimized the filters to add dynamic attributes in all frontend script tags.

= 8.4.0: February 28, 2022 =
- Fixed: We fixed the plugin requirements for Forms Addons version 2.2.1+
- Fixed: We optimized the popular posts widgets display in edit screens
- Fixed: We fixed console errors for users who have CookieYes enabled
- Fixed: We fixed custom dimensions for all single post types.

= 8.3.4: February 10, 2022 =
- Fixed: Resolved a PHP Notice message some users received after upgrading to 8.3.3

= 8.3.3: February 09, 2022 =
- Fixed: We fixed the PDF reports format.
- Tweak: We optimized the Ajax requests for notifications.

= 8.3.2: January 25, 2022 =
- Fixed: We fixed the fatal error that occurred due to a generic class name conflict.
- Fixed: Fixed errors some users were having with our Exclude from Tracking feature.

= 8.3.1: January 24, 2022 =
- New: With our new Exclude from Tracking Feature admins can now exclude any page or post from tracking.
- Fixed: We fixed the local gtag.js where it didn’t work with only the GAv4 connection.
- Fixed: We fixed the messages in the plugin settings based on the Media Addon activation status.
- Tweak: We categorized and enhanced the plugin notifications.
- Fixed: We fixed Javascript errors when the CookieBot plugin is active and the Forms addon is not.
- Fixed: We fixed UTM parameters in tracking links.
- Fixed: We remove the type attribute from the script tag if the current theme supports html5.
- Fixed: We fixed GA4 eCommerce missing events.
- Fixed: We fixed the incorrect numbers for Year In Review average page views.
- Fixed: We fixed the integration with Enfold theme Ajax forms where conversions were not being tracked.
- Fixed: We fixed the backward compatibility for AffiliateWP versions below 2.7.

= 8.3.0: December 14, 2021 =
- New: With our limited-time only Year in Review report you’ll be able to see how your site performed in 2020 and how to improve in 2021. This report will be automatically available from January 1 to January 14, 2022 inside the Reports section of MonsterInsights.
- New In Pro: Introducing the MonsterInsights Media addon which allows for impression and video watch time tracking for videos uploaded to WordPress, embedded from YouTube or embedded from Vimeo automatically!
- New In Pro: We've added a new integration with AffiliateWP allowing you to more effectively track your affiliate impact on conversions!
- Tweak: External links to our documentation now will always open in a new tab to make it easier to perform the action listed in the docs.
- Fixed: A bug that caused some reports to show a blank numbers.
- Fixed: The Headline Analyzer feature will no longer unpin when another plugin's tab is unpinned.
- Fixed: Legacy analytics.js code has been removed which increases performance by removing unnecessary switches and database lookups.
- Fixed: An issue that caused the dashboard widget to sometimes show the bounce rate box twice for GAv3 properties.
- Fixed: An issue with Cookie Notice when used in Cookie Notice's legacy mode.
- Fixed: An issue that could prevent auth for networks on the multisite panel has been fixed.

= 8.2.0: November 3, 2021 =
- Tweak: The GA Compatibility layer feature has had it's output cleaned up.
- Bugfix: Updated events when dual-tracking mode is enabled to not alter bounce rate on GAv3 properties.
- New In Pro: Email summaries that show traffic results over the last 7 days
- New In Pro: We've added official integrations with the Complianz and CookieYes plugins.

= 8.1.0: September 30, 2021 =
- Tweak: We've updated some of the GAv4 report labels to be more accurate.
- New in Pro: We've added Google Ads conversion tracking for WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, and MemberPress.
- New in Pro: We've added a new integration with EasyAffiliates for users using WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, and MemberPress.

= 8.0.1: September 21, 2021 =
- Fix: We fixed an issue that caused the bounce rate box to appear twice on the dashboard widget.

= 8.0.0: September 14, 2021 =
- New: Full Google Analytics v4 support! After working very closely with the Google Analytics team for many months, we're excited to unveil full support for Google's newest version of Google Analytics. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s web analytics platform, and it can track both websites and apps in the same property. It also has some new reporting features and can give you better, more in-depth insights into how users are interacting with your website. We've taken the time to ensure that users who run GAv4 can do so effortlessly, for example by ensuring your events from GAv3 will work the same in GAv4 without having to touch any code or configuration. You can learn all about GAv4 and MonsterInsights on our [announcement blog post](https://www.monsterinsights.com/introducing-google-analytics-4-dual-analytics-tracking-for-wordpress/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=liteversion).
- New: GAv3 + GAv4 Dual Tracking support. We're also excited to announce our exclusive dual-tracking feature. This feature lets you to track your site visitors to both a Google Analytics v3 (Universal) and a Google Analytics v4 (GAv4) property at the same time, which allows you to take advantage of the new GAv4 features without having to sacrifice your historical data. You can [learn more](https://www.monsterinsights.com/introducing-google-analytics-4-dual-analytics-tracking-for-wordpress/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=liteversion) about this MonsterInsights exclusive feature on our [site](https://www.monsterinsights.com/introducing-google-analytics-4-dual-analytics-tracking-for-wordpress/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=liteversion).

= 7.18.0: July 15, 2021 =
- Tweak: We updated the way we load the main tracking script to improve page load performance.
- Tweak: We tweaked how most of the objects stored in the database are loaded and improved the overall sizes for better performance in the WordPress administration area.
- Tweak: We optimized our plugin's assets to reduce the plugin size and improve loading times in the admin area.
- Tweak: We extended our compatibility shim to support virtual pageview events added using legacy code.
- Fix: We updated the image size used by our Popular Posts widgets for improved performance and compatibility.

= 7.17.0: March 23, 2021 =
- New: Our contextual education messages will now highlight the report or setting mentioned so it's easier to make informed decisions.
- Tweak: We added extra checks to the methods used for sending server-side events with the measurement protocol to prevent preloading plugins from triggering them.
- Tweak: We made an adjustment to ensure the curated Popular Posts in the widget are randomly displayed.
- Tweak: We added a filter to allow disabling of the Popular Posts random display of posts.
- Tweak: We adjusted the way we load the Popular Posts styles to improve performance when the styles are not used.
- Fix: We improved the analytics.js to gtag.js compatibility layer for more stability and fixed an issue that could interfere with the bounce rate.
- Fix: We adjusted the loading screens to make it more consistent when loading reports.

= 7.16.2: February 22, 2021 =
- Tweak: We improved our gtag.js compatibility layer with support for custom trackers used in the analytics.js format for some integrations.

= 7.16.1: February 17, 2021 =
- Tweak: We made an adjustment to our gtag.js compatibility layer to improve support for all analytics.js event sending syntax.
- Fix: We fixed an issue with lightbox scripts using images hosted on external CDN servers.

= 7.16.0: February 11, 2021 =
- New: MonsterInsights is now updated to use Google Global Site Tag (gtag.js) including our exclusive analytics.js compatibility helper that makes existing events integrations work without needing any adjustments.
- Tweak: We made adjustments to ensure future compatibility with PHP8 with our classes.
- Tweak: We made some improvements to our admin panel CSS styles for better compatibility with other plugins.

= 7.15.1: January 27, 2021 =
- Fix: Our cross-domain option for the gtag.js tracking code was causing an issue.

= 7.15.0: January 21, 2021 =
- New: Upgrade to the Global Site Tag (gtag.js) tracking code without having to worry about your existing events or integrations using analytics.js code. In this version you can manually opt-in to the gtag.js tracking code that will be the standard in a future release.
- Fix: Improved compatibility for older PHP versions with our Popular Posts feature.

**See our <a href="https://www.monsterinsights.com/changelog?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=liteversion" target="_blank">changelog</a> for previous releases.**

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

For all frequently asked questions, and their answers, check the [MonsterInsights Docs](https://www.monsterinsights.com/docs/).

= Why use Google Analytics vs WordPress stats? =

Native WordPress stats plugins will always slow down your website because they rely on your WordPress hosting server. Most of them do not provide accurate WordPress analytics either.

Some WordPress stats plugins use third-party servers to mitigate this issue, but they all lack powerful features that Google Analytics can offer.

Google Analytics is the #1 analytics solution in the world. It comes with all the powerful features that you can ever ask for. MonsterInsights makes it easy for you to use all advanced Google Analytics features in WordPress.

= Why choose Google Analytics by MonsterInsights vs Google Site Kit? =

The MonsterInsights Google Analytics plugin is built for all types of websites, large or small, to get up and running quickly with Google Analytics and Google Analytics 4.

Beyond simply providing a Google Analytics dashboard, our plugin makes configuring advanced features as easy as point-and-click that would otherwise still require a developer to implement.

Our Google Analytics plugin also includes many features such as Google Ads tracking, Google Optimize support, form conversion reporting, goal tracking, Search Console integration, Pagespeed insights, advanced eCommerce tracking, and more.

There's a reason over 3 million users have trusted MonsterInsights to provide Google Analytics data to their website.

= Can I use MonsterInsights together with another Google Analytics plugin? =

No. You should only use one Google Analytics plugin on your WordPress site. If you use multiple Google Analytics plugins, then you will compromise your data integrity.

We recommend uninstalling other Google Analytics plugins before you install MonsterInsights.

= Why does MonsterInsights load Google Analytics in WordPress header section? =

Some people believe that loading Google Analytics in WordPress header will slow down your website. That's a myth. The Analytics code loads asynchronously which means that it does not impact your website speed at all.

MonsterInsights loads code in WordPress header because it makes sure that you have the most accurate tracking.

= Does MonsterInsights work with ad blockers? =
As of version 7.18, Pro users of MontersInsights can use a locally hosted version of Google Analytics (gtag) which helps with tracking data accuracy. This version can also improve the performance of your website, compared to hosting the script on Google Analytics servers.

= Can I hide Google Analytics from tracking Administrators and Editors? =
Yes. By default we do not send data to Google Analytics for logged-in WordPress administrators and editors. You can add easily <a href=â€https://www.monsterinsights.com/docs/exclude-user-roles-from-google-analytics-trackingâ€ rel=â€friendâ€>block additional user roles.</a>

= How does MonsterInsights help with Google Analytics GDPR compliance? =
MonsterInsights helps make Google Analytics GDPR compliance easier for business owners.

Our EU compliance addon allows you to:

* Anonymize IPs to Google Analytics
* Disable the Demographics and Interest Reports for Remarketing and Advertising
* Disable UserID and author name tracking
* Integrate with Cookie Notice and CookieBot plugins to collect user consent before tracking
* Integrate with Google AMP Consent Box before enable tracking
* Integrate with Google Analytics Chrome browser opt-out extension and built-in cookie opt-out system
* Offer Easy Opt Out link for Google Analytics tracking

While no single plugin can guarantee 100% GDPR compliance in WordPress, MonsterInsights goes to great lengths in helping business owners with GDPR compliance.

For more details, see: <a href="https://www.monsterinsights.com/gdpr-and-monsterinsights-everything-you-need-to-know/" rel="friend">GDPR and MonsterInsights - Everything You Need to Know</a>.

= Which eCommerce plugins are compatible with MonsterInsights Enhanced Ecommerce Tracking feature? =

If you are looking to enable Google Analytics Ecommerce tracking in WordPress, then MonsterInsights is the best solution to do that.

With just 1-click, you can enable Google Analytics Enhanced Ecommerce Tracking for WooCommerce and see WooCommerce analytics report right inside your WordPress dashboard.

MonsterInsights Enhanced eCommerce tracking works out of the box with WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress and 10+ other advanced integrations. These include:

* **Yoast SEO** - Easily view and analyze YoastSEO scores directly inside Google Analytics with custom dimensions.
* **Gravity Forms, Formidable Forms, Contact Forms 7** - View form events and conversion statistics.
* **LifterLMS** - Track sales data inside Google Analytics.
* **GiveWP** - Track donations as eCommerce events inside Google Analytics.
* **Restrict Content Pro** -  View Google Analytics eCommerce data.
* **WordPress Comment Forms** - See which articles are driving the most engagement inside Google Analytics.
* **Generic Forms** - Easily add Google Analytics conversion tracking data to your website, no coding needed for all types of forms.

= Does MonsterInsights work on WordPress multisite? =

Yes. MonsterInsights offers the most comprehensive Google Analytics solution for WordPress multi-site.

It comes with advanced permission control, sample rate control, and other options that you need to properly enable Google Analytics on WordPress multisite.

= Does MonsterInsights support Google Analytics v4 (GAv4) =

Yes, we fully support Google Analytics v4 (GAv4) properties as well as GAv3 (Universal) properties. In fact, you can track your site to both at the same time using [our exclusive dual tracking feature](https://www.monsterinsights.com/introducing-google-analytics-4-dual-analytics-tracking-for-wordpress/?utm_source=wprepo&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=liteversion).


== Screenshots ==

1. The overview report
2. Top countries and referrals
3. Top posts and pages
4. Authentication with MonsterInsights
5. Settings page
6. File download tracking
7. eCommerce tracking - no configuration required (Pro feature)
8. eCommerce report (Pro feature)
9. Search console report (Pro feature)
10. Custom dimensions tracking (Pro feature)
11. Custom Dimensions report (Pro feature)
