Standard and Privacy modes
Every Eventfox project runs in Standard mode or Privacy mode. Privacy mode stores no IP addresses and nothing on the visitor's device. Standard mode recognises returning visitors and can store more detail, and you choose exactly which details with per-project switches.
Which mode should I use?
- Privacy mode for public websites where you'd rather not ask visitors for consent. You still get page views, events, funnels, sources and countries.
- Standard mode for apps where people sign in, or sites where visitors have agreed to analytics. You get unique and returning visitors and city-level location.
You can run different projects in different modes. A marketing site in Privacy mode and the app behind it in Standard mode is a common setup.
What each mode stores
| Feature | Standard mode | Privacy mode |
|---|---|---|
| Page views, custom events and funnels | Yes | Yes |
| Pages, sources, UTM campaigns, browsers and devices | Yes | Yes |
| Unique and returning visitors | Yes | No, sessions instead |
| Location | Country and city | Country only |
| IP addresses stored | Yes | Never |
| Anything stored on the visitor's device | A random ID | Nothing |
| Session replay and heatmaps Planned | Optional, off by default | Not available |
Standard mode switches
In Standard mode, each project has its own switches under Project settings → Privacy. Anything switched off is removed before the event reaches the database, so it's never stored.
Standard mode, set the way you want it
Standard doesn't have to mean everything. Each project has its own switches, so you keep exactly what you need and drop the rest before it's stored. Privacy mode simply turns them all off.
- Store IP addresses
- City-level location
- Browser and system versions
- Recognise returning visitors
- Remove email addresses from events
- Session replay Planned
- Store IP addresses. Off by default for new projects. Only turn it on if you have a reason to keep them, such as spotting abuse.
- City-level location. On by default. Off means country only.
- Browser and system versions. On by default. Off keeps the name (Firefox, Windows) and drops the version.
- Recognise returning visitors. On by default. Off counts sessions only, like Privacy mode, but keeps the other details.
- Remove email addresses from events. On by default. Strips anything that looks like an email address from URLs and properties.
Changing a project's mode
Go to Project settings → Privacy, choose the mode and save. The change applies to new events straight away. Events already stored keep what they had. To remove older data, shorten the project's retention period or delete a visitor's events: see Retention and deletion.
Do I need a cookie banner?
In Privacy mode Eventfox stores nothing on the visitor's device, so most sites won't need a banner for analytics. Standard mode keeps a random ID in the visitor's browser when returning visitors are recognised, and can store IP addresses; that usually needs consent in the UK and EU. The rules depend on your country and your site, so check the guidance where you are.