Shynet

Run Shynet when you want to operate website statistics for several sites and colleagues yourself. Its Django-based application uses Apache 2.0 terms and can run with PostgreSQL or SQLite. It records hits, sessions, referrers and visitor environment details, with a tracking-pixel fallback when JavaScript is unavailable.

Set up the first site

1. Deploy the application using its installation guide, configure the database and create the local administrator account.
2. Log in with those credentials and choose + Create Service. A service represents the site you want to measure.
3. Create the service, then open Manage on its analytics page to obtain the tracking script.
4. Add that script to the pages you want to measure and check that activity reaches the service before relying on its reports.

A small organization can keep one service per public site and share access with the appropriate users. Preserve Shynet's distinction between hits and sessions when explaining changes: repeated page activity is not the same measure as a browsing session.

The software does not update itself. Server operation, backups and release upgrades remain with your team, and release notes can require configuration changes.