Categories: Technology ServicesWeb Analytics

Extras: Technical Details – RUGA pt. 11

Are we here already? We’re done with the main aspects of the utm.gif and on to the tail end of RUGA. The “extras” section, if you will. These are the loose odds and ends that Google Analytics collects for technology reports. These are all pretty simple, and so this will be a short post.

The sequence for collecting this information is much the same as what we’ve already covered. The GATC executes on page load, javascript collects a bunch of data about the clients system, and those are then reported to Google Analytics through a utm.gif request. This doesn’t write into cookies, it just goes straight into the query request.

Below is an example of the utm.gif call that is made when you load cardinalpath.com:

http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?
 utmwv=4.9.4
 &utms=3
 &utmn=426445686
 &utmhn=www.cardinalpath.com
 &utmcs=UTF-8
 &utmsr=1680x1050
 &utmsc=32-bit
 &utmul=en-us
 &utmje=1
 &utmfl=10.3%20r181
 ...

You can see here:

utmwv = tracking code version
utmcs = character encoding
utmsr = “Screen Resolution”
utmsc = “Screen Colors”
utmul = “Language (lang|lang-CO|-)”
utmje = “JavaScript Enabled? (0|1)”
utmfl = “Flash version”

Sometimes you’ll also get utmjv, which tells your JavaScript version.

This data is processed on Google’s side, populated into reports and made available to you. You can find most of it under “Visitors > Technology” in the V5 interface.

And that actually concludes this series (at least for now).

Kent Clark

Some have compared him to the Dalai Lama, others to Kublai Kahn. When he isn't teaching third world children how to purify water with nothing more than a plastic bottle and a garden hose, he is creating mad waves for surfers off the west coast with little more than a paddle. Some say there is a boat involved, others that he walks on water. Little is known about his background. he appeared from nowhere 15 years ago and claims heritage from a land with neither want not need. He makes little comment, stating only that it was a pretty cool place. Fire does not burn him, cold does not hurt him. Words could... but they don't. When he passes, pedals fall off branches. When he speaks, hair tugs at skin, pulling just slightly in his direction. He does not sleep but he does dream. He has muscled his way into the lives of the famous and whispered his way into their hearts. And in the wee hours he plays oboe softly, as if to sooth the night to sleep.