Cookie-based user tracking for user journey analysis in JavaScript

24 Sep 2023

tech
cookies

Tracking user behavior on websites and analyzing user journeys can provide valuable insights for improving user experience and optimizing website performance. One common approach to achieve this is by using cookie-based user tracking in JavaScript.

Persistent Identification: By setting a unique identifier in a cookie on the user’s browser, you can consistently track the user across multiple pages and sessions.
User Journey Analysis: With cookie-based tracking, you can analyze the entire user journey, including the pages visited, actions taken, and the time spent on each page.
Personalization: The collected data can help customize the user experience based on their previous interactions and preferences.
Conversion Tracking: Tracking user actions can help measure conversions, such as purchases or form submissions, and analyze the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

Here’s an example of how you can implement cookie-based user tracking using JavaScript:

// Function to set a unique identifier in a cookie
function setTrackingCookie() {
  const cookieName = 'user_id';
  let userId = getCookie(cookieName);

  if (!userId) {
    // Generate a new user ID if it doesn't exist
    userId = generateUserId();
    setCookie(cookieName, userId, 365); // Set the cookie to expire in 365 days
  }

  return userId;
}

// Function to generate a unique user ID
function generateUserId() {
  return Math.random().toString(36).substr(2, 9);
}

// Function to get the value of a cookie
function getCookie(cookieName) {
  const name = cookieName + '=';
  const decodedCookie = decodeURIComponent(document.cookie);
  const cookieArray = decodedCookie.split(';');

  for (let i = 0; i < cookieArray.length; i++) {
    let cookie = cookieArray[i];
    while (cookie.charAt(0) === ' ') {
      cookie = cookie.substring(1);
    }
    if (cookie.indexOf(name) === 0) {
      return cookie.substring(name.length, cookie.length);
    }
  }

  return '';
}

// Function to set a cookie
function setCookie(cookieName, cookieValue, expirationDays) {
  const date = new Date();
  date.setTime(date.getTime() + (expirationDays * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000));
  const expires = 'expires=' + date.toUTCString();
  document.cookie = cookieName + '=' + cookieValue + ';' + expires + ';path=/';
}

// Usage example
const userId = setTrackingCookie();
console.log('User ID:', userId);

In this example, we define several functions to handle the cookie-based user tracking process:

The setTrackingCookie() function checks if a user ID cookie exists. If not, it generates a new user ID using the generateUserId() function and sets the cookie to expire in 365 days using the setCookie() function.
The generateUserId() function generates a unique user ID using a combination of Math.random() and string manipulation.
The getCookie() function retrieves the value of a cookie by parsing the document.cookie string.
The setCookie() function sets a cookie with the provided name, value, and expiration days.

Finally, we use setTrackingCookie() to set the user ID cookie and retrieve the generated user ID.

Conclusion

Cookie-based user tracking in JavaScript allows for analyzing user journeys, personalizing user experiences, and tracking conversions. By setting a unique identifier in a cookie, you can effectively track users across multiple pages and sessions. The example code provided demonstrates how this can be achieved in JavaScript. Start utilizing cookie-based tracking to gain insights and enhance your website’s user experience.

#tech #cookies

Why Use Cookie-based User Tracking?

How to Implement Cookie-based User Tracking in JavaScript

Conclusion