Frequently Asked Questions

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Common Questions About Hardal

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1. What is Hardal?

Hardal is an in-house web page visit tracker that collects and sends visitor data directly to a server-side Google Tag Manager (sGTM) container. It helps monitor website traffic efficiently without relying on third-party tracking services.

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2. How does Hardal track website visits?

Hardal captures visitor interactions on your website, such as page views, and sends this data to your sGTM endpoint. From there, the data can be processed, enriched, and forwarded to various analytics tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or other custom endpoints.

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3. Does Hardal store visitor data?

No, Hardal acts as a data forwarding tool rather than a storage solution. It collects and immediately sends visit data to your sGTM setup, which then processes the data as per your configured rules.

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4. How does Hardal improve tracking accuracy?

By using server-side tracking, Hardal helps:

• Reduce the impact of ad blockers, which often block traditional client-side tracking scripts.
• Improve data security, as tracking requests are handled on your own infrastructure.
• Enable custom data enrichment, allowing you to modify and enhance the tracking payload before sending it to third-party services.

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5. What technologies does Hardal use?

Hardal likely operates using:

• JavaScript (or TypeScript) for client-side tracking.
• Node.js (or another backend framework) to handle incoming tracking events.
• Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, or self-hosted servers to run sGTM.

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6. Can Hardal track user behavior beyond page views?

Yes, if configured properly, Hardal can track events like:

• Button clicks
• Form submissions
• Scroll depth
• Video interactions
• Custom e-commerce events (e.g., add to cart, purchase)

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7. How is Hardal different from Google Analytics or other trackers?

Unlike Google Analytics, Hardal:

• Gives you full control over data collection and processing.
• Reduces dependency on third-party analytics providers.
• Works better with privacy-focused implementations, since data stays within your controlled environment.

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8. Can Hardal be integrated with external tools?

Yes, since Hardal forwards data to sGTM, it can integrate with tools like:

• Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
• Facebook Pixel (Meta Ads tracking)
• ClickHouse, BigQuery, or your own data warehouse
• Any third-party marketing or BI tools via APIs

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9. Is Hardal GDPR-compliant?

Hardal itself does not store data, but compliance depends on how you configure sGTM and your data processing pipeline. If required, you can:

• Anonymize IP addresses.
• Collect only necessary data.
• Provide users with an opt-out mechanism.

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10. Can I modify Hardal for custom tracking needs?

Yes! Since it’s an in-house tool, you can modify it to fit your tracking needs, whether that means adding new event types, integrating with new platforms, or customizing data processing rules.