Simple Analytics Integration

Track redirect clicks via Simple Analytics’ Events API. This is the most straightforward analytics integration — no API keys needed, just your domain name. Server-side tracking that bypasses ad blockers and works without JavaScript.

Requirements

• GT Link Manager 1.5+ installed and active
• A Simple Analytics account
• Your domain registered in Simple Analytics

Installation

• Add the snippet below to your theme’s functions.php or a site-specific plugin
• Replace example.com with the domain registered in Simple Analytics
• No API key required — that’s it!

The Code

<?php
/**
 * GT Link Manager - Simple Analytics Integration
 *
 * Tracks redirect clicks via Simple Analytics Events API.
 * Server-side — no JavaScript needed, bypasses ad blockers.
 *
 * Setup:
 * 1. Set GTLM_SA_HOSTNAME to the domain registered in Simple Analytics.
 * 2. That's it. No API key needed for the events endpoint.
 *
 * Event name: "link_click"
 * Metadata: link_name, link_slug, target_url, redirect_type
 *
 * @see https://docs.simpleanalytics.com/events
 */

defined( 'ABSPATH' ) || exit;

// ── Configuration ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
define( 'GTLM_SA_HOSTNAME', 'example.com' ); // Your domain in Simple Analytics
// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

add_action( 'gtlm_before_redirect', 'gtlm_sa_track_click', 10, 4 );

/**
 * Send an event to Simple Analytics when a redirect fires.
 *
 * @param array  $link       Link data.
 * @param string $target_url Destination URL.
 * @param int    $status     HTTP status code.
 * @param array  $headers    Response headers.
 */
function gtlm_sa_track_click( array $link, string $target_url, int $status, array $headers ): void {

	if ( GTLM_SA_HOSTNAME === 'example.com' ) {
		return; // Not configured yet.
	}

	$request_path = sanitize_text_field( $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] ?? '/' );

	$payload = [
		'type'     => 'event',
		'hostname' => GTLM_SA_HOSTNAME,
		'event'    => 'link_click',
		'path'     => $request_path,
		'metadata' => [
			'link_name'     => $link['name'] ?? '',
			'link_slug'     => $link['slug'] ?? '',
			'target_url'    => $target_url,
			'redirect_type' => (string) $status,
		],
	];

	$forward_headers = [
		'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
	];

	if ( ! empty( $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'] ) ) {
		$forward_headers['User-Agent'] = sanitize_text_field( $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'] );
	}

	wp_remote_post(
		'https://queue.simpleanalyticscdn.com/events',
		[
			'body'     => wp_json_encode( $payload ),
			'headers'  => $forward_headers,
			'blocking' => false,
			'timeout'  => 1,
		]
	);
}

How It Works

• Hooks into gtlm_before_redirect to capture every redirect event
• Sends a link_click event to Simple Analytics’ queue endpoint
• Forwards User-Agent for accurate device/browser detection
• Includes metadata: link_name, link_slug, target_url, and redirect_type
• Non-blocking request adds zero latency to the redirect

Configuration Notes

Events appear in your Simple Analytics dashboard under the Events tab. The event is named link_click and the metadata fields are available for filtering.

Simple Analytics is designed to be privacy-friendly and GDPR-compliant. No cookies are set, and no personal data is stored. This makes it an excellent choice if you need analytics without cookie consent banners.