Overview of How Google Analytics Works

Javascript is included on page

<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-2675499-2");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
</script>

Request for image contains information

Javascript causes an image to be requested from the Google Analytics Server. Parameters sent with the image request contain information about the page loaded and about the browser capabilities.

URL of image:
http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmwv=4.1&utmn=1726621737&utmhn=cscie12.dce.harvard.edu&utmcs=UTF-8&yutmsr=1680x1050&utmsc=32-bit&utmul=en-us&utmje=1&utmfl=9.0%20%20r115&utmdt=Introduction%2C%20Internet%20and%20Web%20Basics&utmhid=99327265&utmr=0&utmp=/lecture_notes/2007-08/20080130/slide1.html&utmac=UA-2675499-2&utmcc=__utma%3D261712543.446246362.1206127732.1209398731.1209569723.25%3B%2B__utmz%3D261712543.1208810203.19.10.utmcsr%3Dgoogle%7Cutmccn%3D(organic)%7Cutmcmd%3Dorganic%7Cutmctr%3Djquery%2520tabs%2520cscie12%3B

Parameters sent (via query string):