Allow the feedback widget when not using Google

[JC5]

Context

I want to add the feedback widget to my documentation website. I do not want to use Google Analytics. I can't find a way to use provider: custom and the feedback widget.

Description

See above. If I set "provider: google" I get a feedback widget. If I set "provider: custom" it disappears. I can't make it appear when I set "custom". When I set it to google I get unwanted Google Analytics code that I can't get rid of.

I can hack something together but I don't want to.

Related links

• Requesting a change

Use Cases

Seems obvious from the context, thanks.

Visuals

YAML

extra:
  analytics:
    provider: google
    property: custom_property
    feedback:
      title: Was this page helpful?
      ratings:
        - icon: material/emoticon-happy-outline
          name: This page was helpful
          data: 1
          note: >-
            Thanks for your feedback!
        - icon: material/emoticon-sad-outline
          name: This page could be improved
          data: 0
          note: >-
            Thanks for your feedback! Help us improve this page by
            using our <a href="..." target="_blank" rel="noopener">feedback form</a>.

Changing provider: google to provider: custom makes the feedback form disappear.

I can handle the events just fine. I need the form to be visible.

Before submitting

• I have read and followed the change request guidelines.
• I have verified that my idea is a change request and not a bug report.
• I have ensured that, to the best of my knowledge, my idea will benefit the entire community.
• I have included relevant links to the documentation, related issues, and discussions to underline the need for my idea.

[squidfunk]

Thanks for suggesting. It can definitely be customized to not use Google Analytics, since the feedback widget as such does not include any reference to Google. I'm converting this to a discussion, so others can help you ☺️

[JC5]

Sure. How do I make it visible?

[JC5]

Nice. So debugging the template show that the form is in the html, but hidden by God knows which JS code. I have disabled all plugins but still nothing.

This is the result on the page:

Based on this basic debug code.

A
{% if config.extra.analytics %}
B
{% set feedback = config.extra.analytics.feedback %}
{% endif %}

C
{% if page.meta and page.meta.hide %}
D
{% if "feedback" in page.meta.hide %}
E
{% set feedback = None %}
{% endif %}
{% endif %}
F
<!-- Was this page helpful? -->
{% if feedback %}
G
[..]
{% endif %}

So again: How do I make it visible except by setting provider: google?

[JC5]

Oh look when you set provider: google suddenly code appears that makes the feedback form visible.

<script id=__analytics>function __md_analytics() {
        function n() {
            dataLayer.push(arguments)
        }

        window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [], n("js", new Date), n("config", "custom_property"), document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function () {
            document.forms.search && document.forms.search.query.addEventListener("blur", function () {
                this.value && n("event", "search", {search_term: this.value})
            }), document$.subscribe(function () {
                var a = document.forms.feedback;
                if (void 0 !== a) for (var e of a.querySelectorAll("[type=submit]")) e.addEventListener("click", function (e) {
                    e.preventDefault();
                    var t = document.location.pathname, e = this.getAttribute("data-md-value");
                    n("event", "feedback", {page: t, data: e}), a.firstElementChild.disabled = !0;
                    e = a.querySelector(".md-feedback__note [data-md-value='" + e + "']");
                    e && (e.hidden = !1)
                }), a.hidden = !1
            }), location$.subscribe(function (e) {
                n("config", "custom_property", {page_path: e.pathname})
            })
        });
        var e = document.createElement("script");
        e.async = !0, e.src = "https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=custom_property", document.getElementById("__analytics").insertAdjacentElement("afterEnd", e)
    }</script>

[squidfunk]

Yes, the feedback form is invisible by default. Why? Because JavaScript might not be available, so it is only enabled when the Google provider script, or a custom script shows it. Without JavaScript, the feedback form makes no sense, because we need JavaScript to send the selected rating. It is unhidden here:

mkdocs-material/src/templates/partials/integrations/analytics/google.html

Lines 75 to 76 in 9b98c77

	/* Show feedback */
	feedback.hidden = false

You just need to write a custom provider by copying the Google Provider and throwing everything out that is Google, adding your own custom logic for where you want to store ratings. Our documentation should help here.

[JC5]

Yes I know all of this. I'm surprised I had to drag it out of you. Back to my original request:

I can hack something together but I don't want to.

Your answer is "hack something together anyway". Great!

[squidfunk]

I'm surprised I had to drag it out of you. [...] Your answer is "hack something together anyway". Great!

Sorry, but I'm not sure I understand. You're asking me for how to achieve a custom integration. I'm very sorry, but you have to understand, that I cannot invest time to build a custom integration for you. I can only pinpoint you in the right direction. I've converted this to a discussion, so that other users can share their knowledge on this, so we can all gravitate towards a solution. I'm also not a know-it-all, so I try to help where I can, but I hope you understand that maintaining this project, I cannot help everybody individually to achieve custom goals. That's just not economical.

[squidfunk]

I can hack something together but I don't want to.

Are you expecting me to hack something together for you?

[JC5]

You don't need to do anything. But the fact that the feedback form is hidden by default is documented absolutely nowhere, and the fact that the analytics plugin unhides it is insane. All I need is for the form to show and be a dead end, I can handle that.

The current setup is very counterintuitive, sorry.