Tracker (A Web Analytics Platform)

A self-hosted, lightweight web analytics platform that lets you track page visits across your websites with a simple embeddable script no third-party cookies, no data sharing, full control.

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Overview

Tracker is a full-stack web analytics service built with a Node.js/Express backend and a React (Vite) frontend. It allows you to register your websites, verify domain ownership via DNS, embed a tracking script, and collect real-time page visit data all under your own infrastructure.

Think of it as your own lightweight alternative to Google Analytics.

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Features

• User Authentication Register, email verification, login with JWT access + refresh tokens
• Site Management Register multiple sites/domains under one account
• Domain Verification DNS-based verification for custom domains; trusted platform domains auto-verified
• Embeddable Script Get a <script> tag to drop into any website for instant tracking
• Page Visit Tracking Records page URLs, session IDs, and referrers per site
• Token Refresh Secure session management with short-lived access tokens and long-lived refresh tokens
• Health Check Endpoint Monitor server uptime and status
• React Frontend Landing page, signup, and login UI with toast notifications

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🛠️ Tech Stack

Backend

Layer	Technology
Runtime	Node.js
Framework	Express.js
Database	MongoDB (Mongoose)
Auth	JWT (jsonwebtoken), bcrypt
Email	Nodemailer (custom mailer)
DNS Verification	Custom DNS service

Frontend

Layer	Technology
Framework	React 18 (Vite)
Routing	React Router DOM
Styling	Tailwind CSS v4
Notifications	react-hot-toast

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Project Structure

tracker/
├── backend/
│   ├── controllers/
│   │   ├── analyticsController.js   # Track visits, serve scripts
│   │   ├── authController.js        # Register, verify, login, refresh
│   │   ├── healthController.js      # Health check
│   │   └── siteController.js        # Site CRUD + verification
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── analyticsRoutes.js
│   │   ├── authRoutes.js
│   │   ├── healthRoutes.js
│   │   └── siteRoutes.js
│   ├── models/                      # Mongoose models (User, Site, PageVisit, Session)
│   ├── middleware/
│   │   └── isAuthenticated.js       # JWT auth middleware
│   ├── services/
│   │   └── dnsService.js            # DNS TXT record verification
│   ├── mailer/
│   │   └── verifyEmail.js           # Email verification mailer
│   ├── utils/
│   │   ├── sanitizeDomain.js
│   │   ├── domainValidator.js
│   │   ├── tokenGenerator.js
│   │   └── trustedPlatform.js
│   └── public/
│       └── analytics.js             # Embeddable tracking script
│
└── frontend/
    ├── src/
    │   ├── pages/
    │   │   ├── LandingPage.jsx
    │   │   ├── Signup.jsx
    │   │   └── Login.jsx
    │   ├── components/
    │   ├── assets/
    │   ├── utils/
    │   ├── App.jsx
    │   └── main.jsx
    └── index.html

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js v18+
• MongoDB (local or Atlas)
• npm or yarn

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/Muhammad-Raheel04/tracker.git
cd tracker

2. Backend Setup

cd backend
npm install

Create a .env file in the backend/ directory:

PORT=5000
MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string

# JWT Secrets
SECRET_KEY=your_email_verification_secret
ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET=your_access_token_secret
REFRESH_TOKEN_SECRET=your_refresh_token_secret

# Script serving
SCRIPT_BASE_URL=http://localhost:5000

# Email (Nodemailer)
SMTP_HOST=smtp.yourprovider.com
SMTP_PORT=587
SMTP_USER=your_email@example.com
SMTP_PASS=your_email_password

Start the backend:

npm run dev

3. Frontend Setup

cd frontend
npm install
npm run dev

The frontend will run at http://localhost:5173 by default.

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API Reference

Auth Routes /api/auth

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/register	Register a new user
POST	/verify	Verify email with token
POST	/login	Login and receive tokens
POST	/refresh	Refresh access token

Site Routes /api/sites (Protected)

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/register	Register a new website
POST	/verify/:siteId	Trigger DNS domain verification
GET	/script/:siteId	Get the embeddable script tag
GET	/all-sites	List all sites for the logged-in user

Analytics Routes /api/analytics

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/version	Get tracker script version
GET	/analytics.js	Serve the loader script
GET	/analytics.v:version.js	Serve a versioned tracker script
POST	/track	Track a page visit

Health Route /api/health

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/	Server health check (uptime, timestamp)

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Embedding the Tracker

Once your site is registered and verified, add this to your website's <head>:

<script
  src="https://your-tracker-domain.com/api/analytics/analytics.js"
  data-token="YOUR_SITE_TOKEN"
  defer
></script>

The script will automatically track page visits and send them to your backend.

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Domain Verification

For custom domains, Tracker uses DNS TXT record verification:

1. Register your site you'll receive a unique token.
2. Add a DNS TXT record to your domain:

   Type: TXT
   Name: @  (or your subdomain)
   Value: tracker-verify=YOUR_TOKEN
   

3. Click Verify in the dashboard the backend checks your DNS record.

Platform domains (e.g., *.vercel.app, *.netlify.app) are auto-verified instantly.

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Security

• Passwords hashed with bcrypt (10 salt rounds)
• Email verification required before login
• Short-lived JWT access tokens (1 hour) + refresh tokens (7 days)
• Domain ownership verified before any tracking is allowed
• Token-based authorization on all tracking requests

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License

This project is open source. Feel free to fork, modify, and deploy for your own use.

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Author

Muhammad Raheel

• GitHub: @Muhammad-Raheel04