Backends

Ruby on Rails

Rails analytics with Stickybeak starts by adding its script to your rendered pages; this guide shows you where it belongs and how to track page views, goals and purchase revenue. It is a lighter alternative to Google Analytics for Rails, with live visitors, goals and revenue attribution in one script.

#Add the script

1. #Configure the site ID for production

   Copy the ID from Settings in the dashboard and set it as STICKYBEAK_SITE_ID where your app runs (Kamal secrets, Heroku config vars and so on).

   config.x.stickybeak_site_id = ENV["STICKYBEAK_SITE_ID"]

2. #Add it to your layout

   Put this before </head>:

   <script>window.stickybeak = window.stickybeak || function () { (window.stickybeak.q = window.stickybeak.q || []).push(arguments); };</script>
   <% if (stickybeak_site = Rails.configuration.x.stickybeak_site_id).present? %>
     <script
       defer
       data-site="<%= stickybeak_site %>"
       data-domain="example.com"
       src="https://app.usestickybeak.com/_cfw/s.js"
     ></script>
   <% end %>

#Check it's working

Publish first, then follow Verify your install.

#Track goals

Give any button or link a data-goal attribute. Extra data-goal-* attributes become properties. See Custom goals.

<%= link_to "See pricing", pricing_path, data: { goal: "view_pricing", goal_from: "hero" } %>

#Fire a goal after a redirect

When a controller action saves something and redirects, put the goal in the session. A small helper takes it out again when the next page renders.

class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
  helper_method :stickybeak_goal

  private

  def track_goal(name, props = {})
    session[:stickybeak_goal] = { "name" => name, "props" => props }
  end

  def stickybeak_goal
    @stickybeak_goal ||= session.delete(:stickybeak_goal)
  end
end

def create
  @user = User.new(user_params)
  if @user.save
    track_goal "signup", plan: @user.plan
    redirect_to dashboard_path
  else
    render :new, status: :unprocessable_entity
  end
end

<% if stickybeak_goal %>
  <script>window.stickybeak(<%= raw stickybeak_goal["name"].to_json %>, <%= raw (stickybeak_goal["props"] || {}).to_json %>);</script>
<% end %>

#Track purchases

track_goal "purchase", revenue: order.total.to_s, currency: order.currency, order_id: order.number
redirect_to order_path(order)

See Revenue.

#Page changes

Turbo counts different-path visits and Back or Forward. It excludes replace, query-only changes and ordinary Frames; data-turbo-action="advance" can promote a Frame visit. See Turbo, htmx and friends.

#If it isn't working

• Keep the head tag identical between pages. CSP nonces must cover inline calls, with Stickybeak allowed in script-src and connect-src.

See Troubleshooting.