Q09: What website analytics would you recommend for a dental clinic website in California that wants to limit tracking?

For a dental clinic that wants **useful traffic stats without following people around**, I’d start with **Plausible Analytics**. It offers aggregate page-view, referral, device, and campaign reporting without cookies or persistent visitor profiles. It can also measure simple goals—such as clicks on “Call” or “Get directions”—without needing to record what a visitor typed into a form. ([github.com](https://github.com/plausible/analytics?utm_source=openai)) **A sensible setup** - Track broad site usage and a few non-sensitive actions, like clicks to call the clinic or open directions. - Don’t send names, phone numbers, email addresses, appointment details, or other form contents to analytics. Keep patient portals and appointment workflows free of analytics scripts unless your privacy/security review approves them. - Check page URLs and campaign parameters: don’t let them contain patient identifiers or sensitive details. - Consider **Matomo** if you need more control or self-hosting, but it takes more configuration and maintenance. **Important caveat:** “Cookieless” doesn’t automatically mean legally compliant or safe for health information. HHS says tracking technologies can implicate HIPAA when they receive protected health information; it also notes that a 2024 court order vacated part of its guidance about IP addresses linked to visits to certain unauthenticated public pages. A privacy-focused tool is a good starting point, not a compliance guarantee. ([hhs.gov](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/hipaa-online-tracking/index.html?utm_source=openai)) For most clinics, I’d choose **Plausible for the public marketing site, with no ad pixels or session replay**, and have your privacy or compliance adviser review any online booking or patient-portal pages. Also, don’t assume a particular analytics setup removes all California privacy-law obligations; applicability depends on the business and what data it collects or shares. ([oag.ca.gov](https://www.oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa?utm_source=openai))