FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Is GoStats really free? How can you stay in business?

GoStats began in 1999 as a hobby and has ever since been providing reliable free counter service and a paid statistics service subscription. For free accounts, all that is required is the standard GoStats web counter/tracker link back. (credit where credit is due) There will otherwise be no ads whatsoever on your website. The Pro version will give you access to a wealth of additional data which you cannot get elsewhere. The Pro version is a valuable recommendation for anyone who wants to gain great value with the access to important data, insights and tools.

What is a hit counter and what is a web tracker?

A counter displays the number of hits your site has received as a graphical display on your website. A tracker will collect much more data about your web traffic and create reports for your site. GoStats provides both a counter and tracker in one single tool. See a demo: hit counter & tracker demo

I've forgotten my password! How can I retrieve/reset it?

Please use this form to reset your password: GoStats password reset form

My login/password is correct, however, I am still unable to login and see my analytics stats.

Ensure that your browser is allowing cookies from GoStats.com and that your firewall is not limiting cookies from GoStats.com

How Do I install a Counter onto My Site?

To Install a GoStats counter:
1. Go to "My sites"
2. Choose your site, and click "Get counter code"
3. Click on a counter type
4. Choose and click on a colour/style
5. Copy and paste the GoStats code into your site's code.

Should I install the code on all pages or just the home page

You should install GoStats on all pages in your site in order to get the best data about how your visitors use your website. If you want the best data, ensure that the code is installed on all pages.

Should I install my counter/analytics code into my header or footer?

You can paste your code in either option, however: The header will count all page calls, while the footer will count only complete page loads.

Can I track all of the pages in my site? Is there a limit?

Yes, you are free to install the GoStats code in all pages of your site. There is no limit.

What should I do if the GoStats counter is not working?

Step 1: Make sure your account it valid, Try logging in.
Step 2: If your account is valid then once you have logged in select 'Get HTML code'
Step 3: Copy the appropriate code from the 'Get HTML code' area and paste it into the source of your web page. note: If you use an HTML editor, be sure to use the 'edit source' feature.
Step 4: Test your counter. If it doesn't work send an email to gostats and be sure to include a brief description of your problem, a link to the page with the counter code on it and your username.

How do I change my Password?

To change your password:
1. Go to "Profile"
2. Click "Change Password"
3. Fill in your old and new passwords
4. Click "Save Changes".

How do I password Protect my Stats?

To Password protect your Stats:
1. Go to "my sites"
2. Click "edit site profile"
3. Click "[+]"
4. Scroll down to "Choose available to public view stats" and uncheck each stat that you'd like to make private.
5. Click "save changes"

I've setup password protection on my stats but I still see them! why?

The chances are that you have not logged out. Look for the link to log out in the main options menu and even on the viewstats page. If you have logged out and you still see the stats make sure that your password protection option is set and also try accessing your stats using a different computer or browser (if you have access to them). Finally, if you still cannot get it working send us an email with your username and URL.

How do I block my Computer from my Stats?

To Block your Computer and/or IP:
1. Go to "Edit site profile"
2. Click [+].
3. You have two options:
4A.Entering your IP into the field "Block count from your ip" or
4B.Click "yes" under cookie based blocking.
5. Click "Save Changes".

What do these different metrics/measures mean?

Here are the main deifinitions:

Hits/Page Views:

any time a page is loaded/viewed

Hosts:

any unique computer or network

Visitors:

any single person visiting your site.

Sessions:

A period of time where a visitor visits pages in your site without a break longer than 15 minutes.

I'd like to edit my site, however my HTML editor is not very friendly. Can you help?

We sure can help, just let us know what problem you are having. If you would like to upgrade to a better HTML editor, please see this list of HTML editing software

Bonus tip: If you are looking for free quality (WYSIWYG - What you See is What You Get) HTML editors, please consider these: Download Amaya (Made by the W3C geared toward standards compliance)
Kompozer HTML editor (Our Favorite)
SeaMonkey HTML editor plus other utilities (Reminds us of "Netscape")

I would like to be able to click on GoStats and have it open in a new window but when I use the target="_blank" it still opens in the current window. Is there something I can do to change that? I don’t want to leave the page I am working on to view the GoStats page.

There currently is no option to open GoStats in a new window. In the future, GoStats will offer the option to install code opening it in a new browser automatically. Until then, try to hold down shift key when opening the link for GoStats, or use the middle mouse button to open the page in some browsers (Firefox, Opera).

How can I contact the people who visit my website?

There is no way for GoStats can assist you in contacting the people visiting your website. You can encourage people to contact you by placing text, or a link to your email address on your website.

Which code should I use to install GoStats on my blog?

We have several instruction sheets to assist you in installing GoStats onto your blog:
The GoStats for Wordpress plug-in
To install GoStats on a Wordpress hosted blog
To install GoStats on Yahoo Groups
To install GoStats on a Blogger Blog
To install GoSTats on a Xanga blog
To install GoStats on a LiveJournal Blog
To install GoSTats on a Xanga blog
To install GoStats on LiveJournal

I have noticed that my site is marked as "not suited for minors". Why? There is nothing on this site inappropriate for a minor.

It could be that you edited your profile to be unsuitable for minors by accident. To change this go to “My Sites”, “Edit Site Profile”, and “Is your site suitable for minors?”. Don’t forget to save your changes.

How do I change the number on my counter?

To change the number on your counter do the following:
1. In your login go to “My Sites”
2. Click on “Edit Site Profile”
3. You can change the "page views", "IP hosts", "Unique visitors" and "Unique sessions" by entering a new number into the text box.
4. Click on “Save Changes”

I registered my site a while ago and I’ve forgotten my user ID. How do I retrieve my user ID?

If you cannot find your original sign-up email from GoStats in your email history, then please email Support with your URL. We will then email the user name to the email we have affiliated with that particular URL.