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Using Google Analytics in large robohelp project

New Here ,
Jun 01, 2009 Jun 01, 2009

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I want to use google analytics to track a large training and help website. Actually seperate sites but same material. Training just has a browse sequence turned on.

When I insert google analytics code via template to all pages, as suggested here, I get google reporting on the skin pages rather then the real pages, except for the initial welcome page.

What can I do to get google analytics to track each page and how do I insert the code properly so it doesn't catch extraneous pages?

I'm using robohelp 7 and did have it on roboserver, but it would never work properly for us.

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LEGEND ,
Jun 02, 2009 Jun 02, 2009

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I don't want you to think that we are all ignoring your query so I'll pipe up and say I doubt there is much expertise in these forums with Google analytics. Having said that now I suspect someone somewhere will pop up and answer your query . That said, as you stated the RH Server is the Adobe tool that does much the same thing and it does work. If upgrading to RH Server 8 is an option I'd strongly recommend it as it is a whizz to install and use and has some additional features over previous versions that are IMHO worth getting. In the meantime maybe some other forum may provide the answer.


Read the RoboColum(n) for mutterings on RoboHelp, Technical Communication Suite and technical communication.

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New Here ,
Jun 02, 2009 Jun 02, 2009

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Thanks Colum,

I know there is limited knowledge here regarding GA....as there is limited knowledge about Robohelp on the analytics forum.  I just hope that somehow between the two, I can get a resolution.

We have paid for the RH server 3 times and each upgrade has failed like those before. It conflicts with other items on the servers and we can just not get it to work properly.  Our techie has spent many hours with RH with no resolution.  The powers that be do not want to spend any more money on RH server since it has not worked for any of the upgrades.

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Community Expert ,
Jun 02, 2009 Jun 02, 2009

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There are a couple of good threads on RH Server 8 and the general opinion seems to be that RH8 is way better than any previous version. I don't work with it so I cannot say either way. Nevertheless, while understanding the feeling, it might just be you are abandoning just at the wrong moment.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

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LEGEND ,
Jun 02, 2009 Jun 02, 2009

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I'd certainly echo Peter's thoughts. I am a RH 8 Server user and found it an absolute wheeze to install and use. We got our own server, installed TomCat and the JRE, setup a database and away we went. Obviously I can't speak to the conflicts you have encountered in the past but it certainly seems like the latest version could provide some of your answers. Perhaps if you download the RH8 Server trial you'll be able to sell it to the bean counters. It may be worth trying rather than spending time getting info on RH8 and GA. Just a thought!


Read the RoboColum(n) for mutterings on RoboHelp, Technical Communication Suite and technical communication.

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New Here ,
Jun 02, 2009 Jun 02, 2009

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Thanks guys. Unfortunately I'm not the decision maker on this.  I know our technical guys have tried to work with support to resolve all the issues.  They have spent the money for each upgrade with the promise that it would improve and correct the issues.  I think they even asked for a free copy of RH Server 8 since we have spent so much money on non-working products and was met with resistance. Support was not impressive. Therefore, they have decided to move in another direction. Maybe it is a timing thing, but I'm not in control.  Now I must just work with what I have. Thanks again for the suggestions.

Hopefully someone here will have the answers I'm looking for.

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Valorous Hero ,
Jun 02, 2009 Jun 02, 2009

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Hi there

It would seem tha the answer for you is to edit each page to include the Google Analytics code.

Question here: Is there different analytics code for each page? Or is it generic code that can simply appear in pages and it does its thing?

I'm thinking that if it's generic, you might insert it into the Header or Footer of a Topic Template or Master Page, then appy that across all topics to rapidly deploy it.

Cheers... Rick

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New Here ,
Jun 02, 2009 Jun 02, 2009

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Thanks Rick,

It is a generic code, but is supposed to be inserted just prior to the close body code <\body>.  I've tried the template with it in the body, doesn't publish,  but I think I will try it in the header/footer.

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Guest
Jan 13, 2010 Jan 13, 2010

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Hi

I was just about to do the same thing. Did you get the code to publish in the end? I've tried putting it in the master page and it's not publishing.

Any tips appreciated.

Nick.

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LEGEND ,
Jan 13, 2010 Jan 13, 2010

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How about a find and replace in your output file?

You can replace every occurrence of the end body tag (&#60;/body &#62;) with the Google analytics code and the end body tag. If you don't want to do it ever time after publish, you could create a macro to do the find and replace.

Greet,

Willam

This e-mail is personal. For our full disclaimer, please visit www.centric.eu/disclaimer.

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Guest
Jan 13, 2010 Jan 13, 2010

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Hi,

Thanks for helping so quickly.

What do you mean when you say output file?

I've tried using RHs Find and Replace function but it seem to work with multiple lines of code.

What tool would you use to find and replace the code?

Nick.

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LEGEND ,
Jan 13, 2010 Jan 13, 2010

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Hi,

I mean the completed WebHelp in your output folder (normally ). You can also replace it in the project itself, but in my experience, RoboHelp doesn't always's look kindly to custom javascript.

As for a tool, you can use FAR (helpware.net) or BKReplace. BKReplace is free and FAR has a trial period. Try them both and then decide.

Greet,

Willam

This e-mail is personal. For our full disclaimer, please visit www.centric.eu/disclaimer.

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Guest
Jan 13, 2010 Jan 13, 2010

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Thanks - sounds logical will give it a go and let you know how I get on.

Nick.

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New Here ,
Apr 09, 2010 Apr 09, 2010

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Hi bigbrook,

I've gotten Google Analytics to work with my (AIR) browser-based Help project (on our company's intranet). I know you use RoboHelp 7 and publish to WebHelp (I use RoboHelp 8 and publish to [AIR] browser-based Help, which is just HTML files + some Flash), but below is the procedure I use. Perhaps you'll find it helpful. I think the main difference is that RoboHelp 8 uses master pages, which are like topic templates in RoboHelp 7, and that you can apply a master page when generating the Help.

  1. Open your RoboHelp project.
  2. Go to the Project Set-up pod.
  3. Right-click Master Pages and select  New Master Page.
  4. Give your master page a name. Google is a good  suggestion.
  5. Add the Google tracking code after the <?rh-region_start type="body"  ?> tag.

    The topic <body> should look like  this:

    <body>
        <?rh-region_start type="body"  ?>
             <p>&#160;</p>
        <?rh-region_end  type="body" ?>
    <!-- Google Analytics tracking code -->
        <script type="text/javascript">var gaJsHost = (("https:" ==  document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
        document.write(unescape("%3Cscript  src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js'  type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));</script>
        <script  type="text/javascript">try {
        var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("
    UA-xxxxxxxx-n");

        <!-- The following line allows you to track the Help on an Intranet that does not have a Fully Qualified Domain name (such as our SharePoint site. It is sharepoint.xyz.local and not sharepoint.com/.net/.org.)-->
            pageTracker._setDomainName("none");
            pageTracker._trackPageview();
            } catch(err) {}</script>

    </body>


  6. Save the master page.
  7. Open your Adobe AIR/browser-based Help/WebHelp Single Source  Layout.
  8. In the Content section, select Apply  to all Topics and select the master page you just created.
  9. Generate the Help.
  10. Upload the Help to the web server.

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    New Here ,
    Jun 22, 2010 Jun 22, 2010

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    Hi miauster,

    I saw your posting about using Google Analytics in RoboHelp.  I haven't used Google Analytics yet myself.  Can you tell me, since the URL for a RH project doesn't change regardless of the topic the user clicks on, is Google Analytics able to provide you with information about what topics users went to, how many times, etc.

    For others reading, I know RoboHelp Server does reporting but we won't be purchasing.  I am interested in finding other ways to capture information on what topics users are navigating to within my RH project and gain insights into possibly which topics are getting hits most often, etc.

    Any information would be appreciated.

    Thanks,

    Sue

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    LEGEND ,
    Jun 22, 2010 Jun 22, 2010

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    Hi Sue

    It is my understanding that one adds the Google Analytics tracking code to the topics that you wish to track. When the topics load into the frame of the frameset or into the browser, the code is then executed. So even if you don't see the URL changing in the address bar, it is still able to track things.

    Cheers... Rick

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    New Here ,
    Jun 22, 2010 Jun 22, 2010

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    Hi Rick,

    Thanks for the quick response.  Do you happen to know if it will work w/the great suggestion posted by miauster in thread #13 which will eliminate having to put it on every page I want to see.  Also, would we have to do this everytime we regenerate the project or would it just stay on the page?

    Again, thanks for the response.  Greatly appreciated.

    Sue

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    Participant ,
    Dec 31, 2013 Dec 31, 2013

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    Hi,

    I'm also curious to know how the great suggestion in post 13 works. I followed the instructions and generated my WebHelp output. I haven't yet asked the developer to upload the help to the web server until I understand more about this. After I generated the help, I viewed the page source code and I didn't see that the Google tracking snippet code in any of my help topic pages. Do I need to see this, or do we not see analytics code until or unless we upload the help to the web server?

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    Community Expert ,
    Jan 06, 2014 Jan 06, 2014

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    Nothing changes when you upload the generated files so if you don't see the code in them now, it will not be there.

    I am not clear how adding something to the body of a master page and applying that to existing topics would get the code in. Adding master pages to existing topics only applies the headers and footers. I am wondering if something Rick has posted in the past is how it was done. There is a sort of no man's land in a master page where body content does get added but I am not sure it would work here.

    @Rick. Do you think that could be it?


    See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

    @petergrainge

    Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

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    Community Expert ,
    Dec 05, 2014 Dec 05, 2014

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    If you do a Find and Replace on the RoboHelp files, where you replace </head> with <!tracking code></head> the change will persist into the generated files. Of course any new topics will need the tracking code added manually as well.

    Has anyone else had luck with the Master Pages or other methods?

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    Community Beginner ,
    Feb 19, 2016 Feb 19, 2016

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    LATEST

    I know this is from years ago but there is one last thing worth mentioning.

    Your page views won't register in Google Analytics if you're viewing the pages from the same computer at which you're carrying out the analytics.

    I thought it wasn't working for a long time until a colleague on another computer tried it out and it worked just fine.

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