Sergio S.

Hello again, @togir.

I have just uploaded a new version, with the feature you requested.

Please update the plugin on your site and let me know if it works as expected.

Kind regards,
@sergiorcs

PS: I’m sorry for your loss.

Hello again, @b-smark,

As promised, i have just released an update to this plugin, to address the issue you reported.

Thank you for your help. If you find any other issue or have any suggestions for possible improvements, just let me know.

Kind regards,
@sergiorcs

Hi, @batteriesinc ,

It’s been a while, i know.

I’ve had time to give this some deeper consideration over the last few weeks. Here is my trail of thought:

• “If i were to include the proxy PHP file alongside the plugin’s files, it might be blocked by security measures, like the ones from Sucuri.”
• “Ok, then perhaps i could do like Wordfence and have my plugin install a file at the root of the website, on demand. But not all servers may allow this kind of thing, and i’d have to write a lot of extra code.”
• “Maybe i can just check for the presence of a file named “piwik.php” at the root of the website, then. By default, the plugin would display a disabled checkbox on the dashboard; but when said file is present, the option becomes available. That would be simple enough and it could work.”
• “Then again, though i’d very much like to include this feature on my plugin, very few people have requested it. Plus, i’d like to keep things as simple as possible.”

I’ve been juggling this in my head. Then, yesterday it hit me: there’s one fairly easy way to have my plugin use the piwik.php proxy, without me having to add any extra feature! Have a look at these here steps:

1. Follow these steps to create a piwik.php proxy file. (I strongly suggest that you set the config options directly inside piwik.php, to keep everything in one single file.)
2. As described in the guide, put the PHP file at the root of the website to track.
3. Ensure that you can access the file on the site, by opening it on your browser. (Don’t expect much of a result. Just see that it’s not a 4xx or 5xx server error page.)
4. Open the WordPress Dashboard on said site. Browse to my plugin‘s settings page.
5. Set the “Address” option to the same domain as the website you wish to track. (You should be able to just copy and paste it directly from the browser’s address bar, at that moment.)

Yup, it’s that simple! (Or not, depending on what you were expecting.)

Now, if you’re thinking something like “I knew that! I was just hoping for a better solution!” or “Thanks, Captain Obvious. That’s what i’ve been doing.”, that’s just because it’s the simplest, most efficient way to use a proxy with this plugin.

@batteriesinc, i’m going to mark this as resolved, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep exchanging ideas on this subject. I can even lend you a hand in implementing this on any of your websites, if you like. (I haven’t tested this procedure as thoroughly as i’d like. Any feedback is welcome.)

Let me know what you think.

Cheers,
@sergiorcs

PS: If you’re also thinking “How come it took you all this time to reach a solution that seems so simple and obvious?”… well… “i ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed”. 😀

(Perfect. 😀 )

Thanks, @batteriesinc !

Hi, @batteriesinc !

Thanks for the review! (Perhaps you meant to write it here, though?)

Interesting request. I didn’t know one could do that with Piwik, but i totally agree it’s something important. (The documentation you refer to is here and here, right?)

There is another feature request i plan to implement as soon as possible. I’ll see if i can implement the proxy feature too. I just ask that you be patient, as i have a lot on my plate right now – it may take weeks before i can look into this.

Thanks for the feedback!

Cheers,
@sergiorcs

It is i who thank you for the kind words, @nadeistos ! (And yes, i can read French. 😉 )

PS: In case you’re wondering, if you add the tracking code to the header and the user’s browser doesn’t support deferring, not only will the pages take longer to load but also the visit may not be tracked properly.