Can Google Analytics detect bots?

Discussion in 'Google Analytics' started by dreteh, Jan 28, 2010.

  1. #1
    Let's say someone uses php code to parse my website, will Google Analytics detect it?
    My first guess is no because the Google Analytics code never get executed by a browser. Am I correct?
    Thank you.
     
    dreteh, Jan 28, 2010 IP
  2. billys_office

    billys_office Peon

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    #2
    My suspicion from the geographic data that I see is that Google seems to rule out bots and does not enter them into its calculations
     
    billys_office, Feb 1, 2010 IP
  3. joebert

    joebert Well-Known Member

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    #3
    There might be rare exceptions for advanced bots that do stuff like produce screenshots of a website and things of that nature. For the most part though you're right, bots generally don't execute (or even retrieve) Javascript so Analytics would never know about the page request.
     
    joebert, Feb 1, 2010 IP
  4. billys_office

    billys_office Peon

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    #4
    thanks
    good point at a basic level and simply explain that bots would not initiate javascripts and so their entry would be neutral in the count

    thanks again
     
    billys_office, Feb 2, 2010 IP