• About
    • History of Dallas SEO
    • SEO Expert Witness Services
  • Contact
  • Topics
    • Bing
    • Blogging
    • Branding
    • Domain Names
    • Google
    • Internet Marketing
    • Link Building
    • Local Search
    • Marketing
    • Public Relations
    • Reputation Management
    • Search Engine Marketing
    • Search Engine Optimization
    • Search Engines
    • Social Media
    • Tech
  • Advertise
  • Email Newsletter

Bill Hartzer

Bill Hartzer on Search, Marketing, Tech, and Domains.

Home » Web Analytics » Firefox Blocks Google Analytics and Other Trackers in Standard Mode in Private Windows

Firefox Blocks Google Analytics and Other Trackers in Standard Mode in Private Windows

Posted on April 24, 2019 Written by Bill Hartzer

The latest version of the Firefox web browser blocks Google Analytics, as well as other trackers, such as Google Tag Manager, Google Ads (such as Google AdSense), and email trackers such as MailChimp. This blocking is done when a Firefox user has the Privacy and Content Blocking settings set to Standard–and they use a Private Window to browse. What could this mean? Firefox users who visit a website that uses Google Analytics won’t show up in Google Analytics as having visited the website, depending on their privacy settings.

If you use Google Analytics, be prepared to see a lot less visits from Firefox users. I usually have my tracking set to a custom setting, as I pick and choose which sites’ cookies and trackers I want to block. However, the default setting is the Standard setting. Here’s an example of the Trackers that are blocked when I selected the Standard setting on this site, BillHartzer.com:

Firefox Standard Tracker Blocking

On this site, I use Google Analytics, Google AdSense (the ads you’re seeing), and MailChimp (for my newsletter that I should send out more often). With Firefox’s standard setting, it blocks the following:

mailchimp.com
googletagmanager.com
googlesyndication.com
google.com
doubleclick.net
google-analytics.com
googletagservices.com

You can learn more about Firefox’s Tracking Protection by visiting their page here.

I did check with my own Google Analytics when I visited my own home page to see if the visit actually is showing up. It currently is showing in the real-time analytics that I’m visiting the site even though I’ve changed the privacy setting to block Google Analytics’ tracking, which is the standard setting, the default setting. This may be due to the fact that I changed the setting and didn’t restart Firefox. I’ll update this if this changes (after I actually restart Firefox). I’m using the 66.0.3 (64-bit) version of Firefox.

Update: After closing the browser, clearing out the cookies and data for this site, I visited this site again and browsed to certain pages: I was still able to see my visit showing up in Google Analytics’ real time, so it does look like the visits are still being recorded by Google Analytics despite the fact that I have Firefox set to Standard, which is apparently blocking the trackers. Not sure if I’m doing something wrong here or not, but it does look like even though Firefox says that the trackers are being blocked, data is still getting through (somehow?).

Update 2: I’ve updated the post to make it clear that the tracking will be blocked when a Firefox user has the standard setting on (which is the default) and they browse using a Private Window. I can confirm that if you’re using the standard blocking (default setting) and using a Private Window, you are not being tracked in Google Analytics.

H/T goes out to Jeremy and Spartan Media for mention this to me.

I’ll be posting updates and responding to comments here on Twitter.

Filed Under: Web Analytics

About Bill Hartzer

Bill Hartzer is CEO of Hartzer Consulting, an SEO Consulting firm that includes services such as search engine optimization, technical SEO audits, domain name consulting, and online reputation management. As an SEO Expert, Mr. Hartzer frequently serves as an SEO Expert Witness and Domain Name Expert Witness in legal cases worldwide. He also oversees DNAccess.com, a company that provides brand protection and monitoring, domain name background checks, and stolen domain name recovery services.

Recent Posts

  • AI Content Generation Market Projected to Reach $5.958 Billion by 2029 September 6, 2023
  • Indigo Ransomware Attack Impacted SEO, Led to Lost Revenue August 14, 2023
  • Internet Corporation Listing Service Invoice – Fake Invoice Scam August 8, 2023
  • Someone Stole My Domain Name: Here’s What You Do August 8, 2023
  • Pulsr: First AI Search Engine for NFTs Launches July 27, 2023
  • 2023 TechBehemoths Survey: SEO is Most Effective Method for Lead Gen July 13, 2023
  • Meta Launches Threads, Twitter Sends Cease and Desist Letter July 6, 2023
  • Squarespace Acquires Google Domains June 15, 2023
  • How to Submit Spammy, Deceptive, and Low Quality Web Pages to Google June 14, 2023
  • New HIPAA-Compliant Google & Facebook Campaign Tracking Available June 13, 2023
  • Google Search Engine Class Action Settlement: Google Referrer Header Privacy Litigation June 5, 2023
  • I Asked Twitter for SEO Advice. Here’s What They Said June 1, 2023
  • Web.com Launches AI Domain Name Generator and AI Writer Tools May 31, 2023
  • Artlist Launches AI-Powered Footage Search Engine May 30, 2023
  • Google’s Search Generative Experience According to Google Bard May 22, 2023
  • Is AIO the New SEO? May 10, 2023
  • Google Passkey Support to Replace Built-In Security Key for Google Accounts May 3, 2023
  • WisTL Launches WisTLing App to Explore The Filming Locations of TV Series and Movies April 28, 2023
  • BrandChamp Acquires CrewFire April 12, 2023
  • Facebook Won’t Verify My Identity for Meta Verified April 4, 2023

Hartzer Domains

US Agency Awards Judge

DFWSEM logo

Bill Hartzer is a Brand Ambassador for:



Industry Friends

I Love SEO
WTFSEO
SEO By the Sea
Jeff Lenney
Jeff Gabriel
Scott Hendison
Dixon Jones
Brian Hartzer
Navah Hopkins
DNAccess
SEO Dallas

Connect With Bill Hartzer

Bill Hartzer on Twitter
Bill Hartzer on Instagram
Hartzer Consulting on Facebook
Bill Hartzer on Facebook
Bill Hartzer on YouTube

Categories

  • Advertising (19)
  • AI (2)
  • Bing Search Engine (6)
  • Blogging (42)
  • Branding (12)
  • Domain Names (214)
  • Google (241)
  • Internet Marketing (27)
  • Internet Usage (85)
  • Link Building (53)
  • Local Search (39)
  • Marketing (183)
  • Marketing Foo (30)
  • Pay Per Click (3)
  • Podcast (18)
  • Public Relations (8)
  • Reputation Management (9)
  • Search Engine Marketing (44)
  • Search Engine Marketing Events (48)
  • Search Engine Marketing Firms (19)
  • Search Engine Marketing Jobs (33)
  • Search Engine Optimization (166)
  • Search Engines (207)
  • Social Media (195)
  • Tech (7)
  • Web Analytics (17)
  • Webinars (1)

Note: All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only, and are mentioned only to help my readers. All other trademarks cited herein are the property of their respective owners. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement.




Hartzer Consulting



Website, Content, and Marketing by Hartzer Consulting, LLC.

Copyright © 2023 ·