Skip to guide content

Start here

Getting started and installation

Add a website, choose one installation method and confirm your first tracked visit.

English guide · Updated

What you will learn #

Use this chapter to put Hitsteps on your website and verify the first visit. Start with one website and one installation method; a saved website record alone does not collect visits.

Before you begin #

  • Create a Hitsteps account at Register, or sign in to the account that should own this website. Registration is public; the current signup page describes a seven-day Pro trial and says a verified email and an eligible site are needed to remain on Free after the trial. Check current plans and limits before choosing a plan. Plan limits can change.
  • Have permission to edit the website, its CMS, shared template, or tag manager. For a plugin or app, use an account with the platform permissions needed to install it.
  • Decide which Hitsteps account should own the site. If a teammate manages setup, ask the account owner to add the site or grant only the access needed. Do not share the owner password or a site API key in a public ticket or document.
  • Choose one installation path per site: the full tracking snippet, a supported platform plugin/app, or Google Tag Manager. Do not stack them on the same pages; duplicate installations can count activity more than once.

Step by step #

Create and verify your account

  1. Open Register and complete the fields and human-verification step shown on the signup form. Use an email address you control.
  2. Read the signup result and check that inbox for the verification message. Open its verification link only if you requested the account.
  3. Return to Hitsteps and sign in. If verification remains pending, follow the message shown in your account or contact support; do not create duplicate accounts to bypass it.
  4. Check the plan and trial state displayed for your account, then add the website as described below.

Add your website

  1. Sign in and open My Sites. To add a site directly, open /stats/addsite.php.
  2. Choose the add-site action in My Sites. Enter the public website address, for example https://your-store.example. Enter a domain, not a page title, a URL with a deep path, or HTML code. If the form asks for a friendly site name, use one that your team will recognize. Submit the form to create the site.
  3. Save the site. If Hitsteps says the site is already in this account, select the existing site instead of creating a second copy. If it says the site belongs elsewhere, stop and ask the account owner or support to resolve ownership; do not try to bypass the check.
  4. Open that website's Settings, then Tracking Code. Each website has its own code. Keep the API code private. It identifies the site for integrations and should only be entered into the platform setup that needs it.

Expected result: The new site appears under My Sites and has its own settings and Tracking Code section. A site record alone does not mean tracking is installed or that visits are arriving.

Pick one installation method

Option A: HTML or a custom website

Use this when you can edit the site template, shared footer, or HTML pages.

  1. In the site's Settings → Tracking Code, copy the full tracking code. Do not paste only the API code into the page.
  2. Find the shared layout rendered on public pages, such as a global footer or site template. If there is no shared layout, add the snippet to each page that should be tracked.
  3. Paste the complete snippet immediately before the closing </body> tag. Keep the script and any accompanying noscript markup together; do not replace unrelated footer code.
  4. Save and publish/upload the template. Clear any page, CMS, server, or CDN cache that could keep serving the old HTML.
  5. Follow the HTML installation guide.

Option B: WordPress

For a self-hosted WordPress site, the public Hitsteps plugin guide documents the plugin path. WordPress.com requires a plan that permits custom code for code-based installation; check the current platform rules first.

  1. Add the WordPress site to Hitsteps and copy that site's API key from Settings → Tracking Code.
  2. In WordPress admin, open Plugins → Add New, find the Hitsteps visitor manager plugin, install it, and activate it.
  3. Open the Hitsteps plugin settings, enter the matching site's API key, and save.
  4. Visit a public page on your site, then check the Hitsteps live dashboard. Purge caching plugins and CDN cache if the page is still serving an older version.
  5. Follow the WordPress installation guide.

Do not also add the manual snippet or a GTM tag for the same pages. WordPress.com widget/custom-code options depend on the plan and may provide limited reporting; use the platform's current permissions and the linked guide rather than assuming every WordPress.com plan supports scripts.

Option C: Google Tag Manager

Use this when you have permission to edit and publish the correct GTM container.

  1. Copy the site's API Code from Hitsteps settings.
  2. Open the Hitsteps GTM installation guide and obtain the template described there.
  3. In GTM, import/create the Hitsteps template, create a Hitsteps tag, and paste the API Code into its field.
  4. Set the trigger to All Pages if the intention is site-wide tracking. Save, submit, and publish the container. A saved workspace or preview is not a published change.
  5. Visit a public page and check the live dashboard. In GTM preview, confirm that the tag fires on the page view; then confirm the published site too.

The tag template guide says its template omits the final five authentication characters from what it sends to the website. Treat the complete API Code as private all the same.

Other platforms and apps

Start at the Plugins and integrations directory and choose the exact platform guide. Use that guide's current instructions for Shopify, Wix, Joomla, Drupal, Blogger, Tumblr, PrestaShop, Zen Cart, or another listed platform. Shopify stores should use the Shopify app flow so installation and store lifecycle events stay connected; Wix's app flow may set up tracking for you. Do not copy a generic HTML snippet into an app-managed site unless that platform guide specifically tells you to. If your platform is not listed, use the HTML method only if you can safely add JavaScript to every public page, or ask your site administrator.

The Integrations and mobile chapter covers the broader set of platform and device options when available.

Verify the first visit

  1. Open a public page on your website in a separate browser tab. Use a normal browser profile where analytics scripts are not blocked. You can visit a second page to check that the installation is site-wide.
  2. Sign in to Hitsteps, open My Sites, and select the website you just installed.
  3. Open its live dashboard or Recent visitors. Look for the visit you just made and check that the page path and available device context make sense. If you do not see it, continue with the checks below.
  4. Open the website's Settings → Tracking Code and use Refresh activation status if that control is present. This checks whether the tracking script has been observed; the live visitor/report confirms a visit was received. These checks answer different questions.
  5. Once the test visit is visible, browse one or two more public pages and confirm the visit path continues. Then start with the dashboard and reports chapter to learn what the first reports mean.

A live visitor is an observed browser visit, not proof of a person's real-world identity. Location may be approximate, and available details depend on browser signals and privacy settings.

Worked example #

Suppose you manage your-store.example. Add that domain to the correct Hitsteps account, copy its code, install exactly one method across the public theme, clear the site's cache, and visit /about/ in a separate browser. In the dashboard, expect a recent/live visit with /about/ as its current or first page, plus whatever source and device information the browser makes available. A later visit to /products/sample/ should appear as a next page if the tracking code also runs there. Those are example paths only; they are not screenshots or captured customer data.

Controls and metrics #

Controls and metric definitions
Item What it means here Where to check
My Sites The account's list of websites and entry point to each site's dashboard/settings. Signed-in dashboard; /stats/
Website address The domain/website being tracked. Add a domain, not a page title or copied HTML snippet. Add website form; /stats/addsite.php
Tracking Code Site-specific installation area containing the full manual snippet and the API code used by integrations. Site Settings → Tracking Code
Full tracking code The complete browser-side snippet for direct HTML/template installation. Tracking Code section; HTML guide
API Code / API key Site-specific credential entered into integrations such as the WordPress plugin or GTM template. Keep it private. Tracking Code section
Activation status A status check for whether Hitsteps has observed the site's tracking script. It does not by itself explain every missing report. Tracking Code section, Refresh activation status
Live visitor / recent visitor A browser visit shown in live or recent activity after the tracker sends data. It is not a verified person unless your site has legitimately supplied identity. Site dashboard / Recent visitors
Pageview A tracked page load/page activity event. Multiple copies of a tracker can duplicate events. Reports and visitor journey
Plan limits Site, monthly pageview, history, and feature limits shown for the selected plan. Current plan comparison

Problems and fixes #

Work through these checks in order. After each change, reload a public page and check the dashboard again.

  1. Confirm the exact public page has code. View its source and search for hitsteps or edgecdnplus. The code should appear once, including on the page you tested. If absent, install it in the shared template or the correct platform location.
  2. Check the deployment path. For GTM, publish the container and confirm the correct container ID is on the site. For a CMS, confirm the plugin is active and its settings saved. A preview or an unsaved theme edit is not enough.
  3. Clear caches. Purge the CMS/plugin cache and CDN or page cache, then reload the public page and inspect its source again.
  4. Check blockers and consent. Browser extensions, tracking protection, network filters, or a consent manager may prevent the script or request from running. Test with an allowed, non-blocked browser session. Configure your consent tool according to your own obligations and policies; this guide does not determine legal requirements or grant consent.
  5. Check for duplicate or conflicting installs. Use only one installation method on each page. Remove accidental duplicate snippets/tags or a plugin-plus-manual combination, then retest. Duplicate installations can inflate activity.
  6. Check the site and key. Make sure you opened the correct Hitsteps site, copied its own complete code/key, and did not add spaces or truncate the key in an integration.
  7. Refresh activation status, then check live activity again. If the status says the code has not been seen, revisit code placement, publication, caching, and blockers. If it says the script was seen but no visit is visible, check visit exclusions, the selected site, and the dashboard's date/view before contacting support.
  8. Review browser/network errors. A restrictive Content Security Policy, JavaScript error, or failed network request can stop collection. Ask the site administrator to check the browser console and network panel; change security policy only with their approval and the vendor's documented host requirements.

If it is still empty, use Hitsteps Support and include the public site URL, platform, installation method, approximate test time, and the exact status text. Never send your password, complete API key, private customer records, or payment data.

Access, privacy and limits #

  • The site owner controls account ownership, site access, and plan selection. A sub-user's access is limited by the permissions granted to that login. Ask the owner to handle account-level actions; do not share the owner's credentials.
  • The public pricing table currently lists Free as one website and up to 2,000 pageviews per month, with an email verification condition after the trial. Other plan limits and feature access vary; use the live plan table rather than relying on this chapter for current limits.
  • Some integrations require publishing rights or paid platform capabilities. Platform availability and its own plan restrictions are separate from Hitsteps plan access.
  • Tracking data depends on the browser, network, consent choices, blockers, and the pages where the script runs. A missing event does not necessarily mean a person did not visit.
  • Do not place passwords, payment details, sensitive form values, or unnecessary personal information in URLs, labels, or analytics fields. Limit dashboard access to people who need it and follow your organization's privacy notice, consent, retention, and opt-out requirements. Hitsteps setup instructions are not legal advice.
  • This chapter does not promise that all features are enabled for every site or plan. Check the relevant guide and current plan/access gate before using heatmaps, chat, Experience, reports, or integrations.

Last checked #

Checked 8 November 2026 using product documentation and source, with public pages and safe sample screens where available. Account-specific access, provider controls and effective limits can differ; use the current message shown for your website. Examples are illustrative.

Back to top · Frequently asked questions