One switch. Two modes. Both GDPR-friendly - the difference is whether you need a consent banner.
Quick answer
| Cookieless (default) | Cookie | |
|---|---|---|
| Script | script.cookieless.js | script.js |
| Banner needed? | Usually no - nothing stored on visitor device | Yes - stores first-party cookie, GDPR/ePrivacy requires consent |
| Tracks returning visitor days later? | Approximated (daily rotating hash) | Yes (cookie) |
| Accuracy | Good for visits / referrers, lower for retention | Best accuracy |
| When to use | Marketing sites, blogs, docs - you want clean UX | SaaS where login retention matters |
Not legal advice. Most EU interpretations: cookieless = no consent needed. Always check your DPA.
Which script to use
Cloud example - cookieless (recommended start):
<script defer data-website-id="YOUR_ID" data-domain="yourdomain.com" src="https://cloud.openwebtrack.one/script.cookieless.js"></script>Cloud example - cookie:
<script defer data-website-id="YOUR_ID" data-domain="yourdomain.com" src="https://cloud.openwebtrack.one/script.js"></script>Self-hosted: replace cloud.openwebtrack.one with your ORIGIN (e.g. analytics.example.com).
You get the exact tag in dashboard → Website → Settings → Tracking script - copy/paste it, don’t hand-write.
How to switch
- Dashboard → Website → Settings → Cookieless toggle
- Copy the new script tag it shows
- Replace old tag in your site
<head>
No data migration needed.
What is stored?
- Page URL, title, referrer, UTM
- Tech browser, OS, device, screen size
- Location country / region / city from IP (IP discarded after lookup, only coarse city kept)
- Identity - cookieless: daily hash, cookie: first-party
owt_*cookie
Never collected: name, email, ad IDs - unless you send them via Events.
FAQ
Do I need a banner if I also use Revenue/Events? No extra banner for those - they use same mode. Only switch to cookie if you need cross-day identity.
Will ad blockers block it? If you use your own domain (self-host) - far less. Cloud domain can be blocked more often. Self-hosting on analytics.yourdomain.com is the best bypass.
Can I change later? Yes, swap script at any time. Historical data stays.