ProofMEDIA

ProofMEDIA Funnel Analytics User Manual

UPDATE: This Funnel Analytics plugin is now part of the new ProofMEDIA Marketing Suite plugin (that also includes autoresponder,CRM, and popup creation). The operations described below for the independent plugin have not changed.

1. Overview

ProofMEDIA Funnel Analytics is a self-hosted funnel tracking and analytics plugin for WordPress.

It allows you to:

  • Track structured visitor journeys (funnels)
  • Measure step-by-step progression
  • Identify bottlenecks
  • Track external click-through steps
  • Assign and calculate completion values
  • View conversion rates between steps
  • Maintain GDPR compliance without storing personal data

This plugin works in conjunction with the ProofMEDIA Consent Plugin, which must be installed and active.

2. Requirements

  • Self-hosted WordPress installation
  • ProofMEDIA Consent Plugin (required)
  • Administrator access

If the Consent Plugin is not active, an admin notice will appear and Funnel Analytics will not run.

3. Privacy & GDPR Compliance

What It Does NOT Do

  • Does not store IP addresses
  • Does not store personal identifiers
  • Does not store names, emails, or form data
  • Does not share data with third parties
  • Does not use external analytics services

What It Does

  • Uses a short-lived session cookie (pfa_session_id)
  • Cookie expires after 30 minutes
  • Tracks only aggregated daily visit counts
  • Stores only funnel step counts and optional completion values

Cookie Purpose

The cookie exists solely to:

  • Understand step progression within a funnel
  • Prevent duplicate counting within a session

It contains:

  • A random session ID
  • No personal data
  • No cross-session tracking

Suggested privacy wording is available inside:
WordPress Admin → ProofMEDIA Funnel Analytics → GDPR Compliance Tab

4. Installation

  1. Upload the plugin to:
    /wp-content/plugins/proofmedia-funnel-analytics/
  2. Activate ProofMEDIA Consent Plugin
  3. Activate ProofMEDIA Funnel Analytics
  4. Go to:
    WordPress Admin → ProofMEDIA Funnel Analytics

Database tables are automatically created on activation or upgrade.

5. Creating a Funnel

Navigate to:
WordPress Admin → ProofMEDIA Funnel Analytics → Add Funnel

Step 1: Name the Funnel

Enter a clear descriptive name.

Examples:

  • Contact Form Funnel
  • Service Page to Checkout
  • Landing Page to External Booking

6. Adding Funnel Steps

Each funnel is built as a sequence of steps.

Click Add Step to create steps.

Each step can be:

1. Existing Post/Page

  • WordPress pages
  • WordPress posts

2. External URL

  • Third-party checkout
  • Booking platforms
  • External CRMs
  • Payment gateways

External steps are tracked using secure AJAX with nonce verification.

7. How Funnel Tracking Works

  1. Detects when a visitor lands on a step
  2. Checks their funnel progression
  3. Ensures steps are completed in sequence
  4. Prevents artificial inflation of later steps
  5. Allows automatic backfill for skipped external steps (when appropriate)

Important Logic Rules

  • Step 1 is always required to begin tracking
  • A later step cannot count unless prior steps were completed
  • External-only skipped steps may be backfilled
  • Progress expires after 12 hours (transient-based)

8. Completion Values (Revenue Tracking)

Each funnel includes a Completion Value.

  • Assigned at the funnel level
  • Applied only when the final step is reached
  • Aggregated daily
  • Fully editable inline from the Funnels list screen

Example uses:

  • Lead value (e.g. 25.00)
  • Sale value (e.g. 199.00)
  • Estimated contract value
  • Average lifetime value

Editing Completion Value

  • Edit the numeric field
  • Press Enter
  • Value saves via AJAX
  • Visual confirmation appears

9. Viewing Analytics

Click View on any funnel.

Funnel Visualisation

  • Total visits per step
  • % from previous step
  • % from step 1
  • Visual narrowing funnel bars

Date Filtering Options

  • All Time
  • Last 30 Days
  • Last 60 Days
  • Last 90 Days
  • Current Month
  • Last Month
  • Previous Month

Filtering affects:

  • Visit counts
  • Conversion rates
  • Aggregate completion totals

10. Aggregate Revenue View

On the main Funnels screen you’ll see:

  • Completion Value
  • Aggregate Total (based on selected date filter)

This total is calculated from:
SUM(total_value)

Stored per day per step.

No currency symbols are applied, allowing flexible accounting use.

11. External Click Tracking

  • JavaScript listener
  • navigator.sendBeacon() (when supported)
  • AJAX fallback
  • WordPress nonce verification

This ensures:

  • Secure logging
  • No page delay
  • No dependency on third-party services

12. Editing Funnels

  • Add steps
  • Remove steps
  • Reorder steps (by layout order)
  • Change step type
  • Modify URLs

When steps are removed:

  • Related statistics are automatically deleted
  • Data integrity is preserved

13. Duplicating Funnels

Click Duplicate to:

  • Clone the funnel structure
  • Copy all steps
  • Create a new editable funnel

Analytics data is NOT duplicated.

14. Deleting Funnels

Click Delete to permanently remove:

  • Funnel
  • Steps
  • All associated statistics

This action cannot be undone.

15. Database Structure (Technical Overview)

  • proofmedia_pfa_funnels
  • proofmedia_pfa_steps
  • proofmedia_pfa_stats

Data stored includes:

  • Funnel names
  • Step definitions
  • Daily visit counts
  • Aggregated completion values

Old legacy visit tables are automatically removed during upgrade for compliance.

16. Security Features

  • WordPress nonce validation for all AJAX
  • Capability checks (manage_options)
  • Sanitisation of all inputs
  • Prepared SQL statements
  • No raw user input stored
  • HttpOnly session cookie
  • Secure flag when SSL is enabled

17. Performance Considerations

  • Lightweight database structure
  • Aggregated daily statistics (not per-user logs)
  • No external HTTP requests
  • No SaaS dependencies
  • No tracking pixels
  • No external scripts

Designed for performance, continuity, and long-term client stability.

18. Troubleshooting

Funnel Not Tracking

  • Confirm Consent Plugin is active
  • Ensure steps are in correct order
  • Verify Step 1 is being visited
  • Confirm URLs match exactly for external steps
  • Check that the cookie is not blocked

External Click Not Logging

  • Ensure URL substring matches configured step URL
  • Check for JavaScript conflicts
  • Verify nonce is valid
  • Confirm browser allows sendBeacon or fetch

19. Best Practices

  • Keep funnels focused (3–6 steps recommended)
  • Start with a clear entry page
  • Assign realistic completion values
  • Review conversion drop-offs monthly
  • Avoid overly complex branching

20. Summary

ProofMEDIA Funnel Analytics provides:

  • Self-hosted funnel tracking
  • GDPR-compliant analytics
  • External click tracking
  • Conversion measurement
  • Revenue modelling
  • No personal data storage
  • No third-party dependencies

It is built specifically for professional WordPress builds where:

  • Data ownership matters
  • Compliance matters
  • Stability matters
  • Long-term client continuity matters

For more information about the ProofMEDIA Professional Plugin Suite:
https://proofmedia.uk

Save yourself a fortune in monthly costs. Get the ProofMEDIA Suite for your self-hosted WordPress site. Here’s what it does

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