> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/plausible/analytics/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Privacy Features

> Built-in privacy protections that keep your analytics compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations without compromising insights.

Plausible Analytics is built with privacy as a core principle. Unlike traditional analytics platforms, Plausible doesn't use cookies, doesn't track users across websites, and doesn't collect personally identifiable information.

## Privacy-First Architecture

Plausible's approach to privacy:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="No Cookies" icon="cookie-bite">
    Zero cookies or persistent identifiers. Nothing stored in visitor browsers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="No Cross-Site Tracking" icon="ban">
    Each site's data is completely isolated. No tracking networks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="No Personal Data" icon="user-shield">
    No collection of PII. Visitors remain completely anonymous.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Lightweight Script" icon="feather">
    Under 1KB script size. Minimal impact on page performance.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How Visitor Tracking Works

Plausible identifies unique visitors without cookies or persistent storage:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Generate Daily Hash">
    A unique visitor ID is created by combining:

    * Visitor's IP address
    * User Agent string
    * Website domain

    This combination is hashed using a one-way encryption.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Daily Rotation">
    The hash salt rotates every 24 hours, making it impossible to track visitors across days. Yesterday's hash is completely different from today's.
  </Step>

  <Step title="No Storage">
    Nothing is stored on the visitor's device. No cookies, no localStorage, no fingerprinting.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Anonymized Data">
    Once the pageview is recorded, only aggregated statistics are stored. Individual visitor data cannot be reconstructed.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  This method provides accurate visitor counts and session data while maintaining complete anonymity and privacy.
</Info>

## Regulatory Compliance

Plausible is designed to comply with major privacy regulations:

### GDPR Compliance

**General Data Protection Regulation (European Union)**

* ✅ No cookies means no cookie consent required
* ✅ No personal data collected
* ✅ Data processing based on legitimate interest
* ✅ Compliant with Article 6(1)(f)
* ✅ No need for cookie banners in most cases

<Note>
  Many Plausible users can operate without cookie consent banners. However, always consult with your legal team as requirements may vary based on your specific situation.
</Note>

### CCPA Compliance

**California Consumer Privacy Act**

* ✅ No sale of personal information
* ✅ No personal data collected to begin with
* ✅ Visitors cannot be identified
* ✅ No opt-out mechanism needed

### PECR Compliance

**Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations**

* ✅ No cookies or similar technologies
* ✅ No prior consent required for analytics
* ✅ Compliant with UK and EU regulations

### Other Regulations

Plausible also complies with:

* ePrivacy Directive
* PIPEDA (Canada)
* LGPD (Brazil)
* Various regional privacy laws

## Data Storage and Security

### Where Data is Stored

* **Cloud Infrastructure**: Plausible Cloud uses servers in the EU (Germany)
* **Data Residency**: All data remains within the European Union
* **Self-Hosted**: You control data location with self-hosted deployments

### Data Encryption

* **In Transit**: All data encrypted with TLS/HTTPS
* **At Rest**: Database encryption for stored analytics data
* **Hashed IDs**: Visitor identifiers are hashed and salted

### Data Retention

* **Forever by Default**: Analytics data stored indefinitely for insights
* **Custom Retention**: Configure data retention policies
* **Easy Deletion**: Delete all site data anytime

<Warning>
  Deleting a site permanently removes all associated analytics data. This action cannot be undone.
</Warning>

## IP Address Handling

Plausible processes IP addresses responsibly:

### Collection Purpose

IP addresses are used only to:

* Generate anonymous visitor IDs (hashed daily)
* Determine approximate geographic location (country/city)
* Detect spam and prevent abuse

### No Storage

* IP addresses are **never stored** in the database
* Used only at collection time, then discarded
* Cannot be used to identify individuals later

### Geographic Data

Location data stored:

* **Country** - Derived from IP
* **Region/State** - Approximate location
* **City** - General city area

Not stored:

* Exact coordinates
* Precise addresses
* Street-level location

## Privacy Controls

### Excluding Pages

Exclude specific pages from tracking:

```html theme={null}
<script defer data-domain="yourdomain.com" 
        data-exclude="/admin/*,/account/*"
        src="https://plausible.io/js/script.js">
</script>
```

### Hash-Based Routing

For single-page applications:

```html theme={null}
<script defer data-domain="yourdomain.com"
        src="https://plausible.io/js/script.hash.js">
</script>
```

### Proxy Configuration

Run Plausible through your own domain to:

* Bypass ad blockers (for accurate data)
* Maintain first-party data collection
* Enhance privacy perception

## Privacy Shields

Additional privacy features to block unwanted traffic:

<Accordion title="IP Blocking">
  Block traffic from specific IP addresses or ranges:

  * Exclude internal team traffic
  * Block known spam sources
  * Filter data center IPs
  * Maintain clean analytics data
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Country Blocking">
  Block traffic from entire countries:

  * Exclude regions not relevant to your business
  * Filter out spam-heavy locations
  * Focus on target markets
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Hostname Filtering">
  Control which hostnames can send data:

  * Prevent data pollution from scrapers
  * Block unauthorized domains
  * Protect against traffic hijacking
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Page Blocking">
  Block specific pages from analytics:

  * Exclude admin pages
  * Filter staging environments
  * Remove internal tools from stats
</Accordion>

## Transparency and Open Source

### Open Source Code

* **Fully Open Source**: Entire codebase available on GitHub
* **Community Audited**: Security and privacy reviewed by thousands
* **No Hidden Tracking**: Every line of code is public
* **Self-Hostable**: Run your own instance with complete control

### Data Ownership

You own your data:

* Export anytime in CSV or via API
* Delete permanently whenever you want
* No vendor lock-in
* Full data portability

## Privacy Policy Requirements

Using Plausible typically simplifies your privacy policy:

### What to Include

```markdown theme={null}
We use Plausible Analytics to track overall trends in website usage. 
Plausible Analytics collects only aggregated information, which does 
not allow us to identify any visitor to our website. No personal data 
is collected.

For more information, see the Plausible Analytics Data Policy:
https://plausible.io/data-policy
```

### Cookie Notice

In most cases, **no cookie notice is required** because:

* No cookies are used
* No personal data collected
* No consent mechanism needed

<Info>
  Always consult your legal team about privacy policy requirements specific to your jurisdiction and business.
</Info>

## Comparison with Traditional Analytics

| Feature             | Plausible    | Traditional Analytics     |
| ------------------- | ------------ | ------------------------- |
| Cookies             | ❌ None       | ✅ Multiple cookies        |
| Personal Data       | ❌ None       | ✅ Extensive PII           |
| Cross-site Tracking | ❌ No         | ✅ Yes                     |
| Cookie Consent      | ❌ Not needed | ✅ Required                |
| Script Size         | \<1 KB       | 45+ KB                    |
| GDPR Compliant      | ✅ Yes        | ⚠️ Requires configuration |
| Open Source         | ✅ Yes        | ❌ No                      |

## Do Not Track (DNT)

Plausible respects Do Not Track browser settings:

* When DNT is enabled, no data is collected
* Visitor privacy preference is honored
* No tracking or analytics performed
* Completely opt-out compliant

## Data Processing Agreement

For enterprise customers:

* DPA available upon request
* GDPR Article 28 compliant
* Standard contractual clauses
* Processor responsibilities documented

## Privacy Audits

Plausible undergoes regular security and privacy reviews:

* Independent security audits
* Community code reviews
* Penetration testing
* Privacy impact assessments

## Best Practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Update Privacy Policy" icon="file-contract">
    Include a brief mention of Plausible in your privacy policy.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use Privacy Shields" icon="shield">
    Block internal traffic and spam to keep data clean and private.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Review Regularly" icon="clock">
    Periodically review what data you're collecting and why.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Stay Informed" icon="bell">
    Keep up with privacy regulation changes in your jurisdictions.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Self-Hosting for Maximum Privacy

For complete data control:

* Host Plausible on your own infrastructure
* Full control over data location
* Custom data retention policies
* Additional security measures
* Integration with internal systems

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Dashboard" icon="chart-line" href="/features/dashboard">
    Explore privacy-friendly analytics
  </Card>

  <Card title="Installation" icon="code" href="/quickstart">
    Get started with Plausible
  </Card>
</CardGroup>