gitwtfhub

wtf is user-tracking-demos?

ruanyf/user-tracking-demos — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-17 · repo last pushed 2019-04-15

91JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5DormantSetup · easy

TL;DR

A hands-on demo repo showing five different ways to send user behavior tracking data from a browser to a server, with tradeoffs for each.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Tracks user actions
      Five methods shown
      Server logging
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      Local server
      Browser events
    Use cases
      Build website analytics
      Compare tracking methods
      Learn browser networking
      Test unload behavior
    Audience
      Web developers
      Analytics builders
      Frontend learners
      Product engineers

Code map

Detail Auto

An interactive map of this repo's files and how they connect — its source is parsed live in your browser. Click Visualize to build it.

filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Compare five different ways to send user tracking data and see which is most reliable.

REASON 2

Learn how browsers handle network requests when a page is closing or unloading.

REASON 3

Decide which tracking method to use in your own website's analytics implementation.

REASON 4

Run local demo pages and watch server logs to see which methods actually capture events.

What's in the stack?

JavaScriptNode.js

How it stacks up

ruanyf/user-tracking-demosterkelg/skalerjimliu/baoyu-design
Stars919190
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Last pushed2019-04-152020-03-15
MaintenanceDormantDormant
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity2/51/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdevelopervibe coder

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 30min

Detailed technical explanations are only available in the author's Chinese-language blog post.

Open-source demo code you can freely clone and learn from, check the repo's license file for exact reuse terms.

Wtf does this do

This repository demonstrates different ways to track what users do on a website by sending that information back to a server. It's useful if you're building analytics, monitoring user behavior, or understanding how websites collect data about their visitors. The repo contains five different methods for accomplishing this tracking, each with tradeoffs. Some methods send data immediately when a user performs an action, while others wait or batch multiple events together. Some work even if the user closes the page mid-request. The goal is to show developers the pros and cons of each approach, for example, one method might be faster but less reliable, while another guarantees delivery but might slow down the page. To use it, you clone the repository, install its dependencies, and run a local server on your computer. Then you visit the demo pages in your browser, interact with them (clicking buttons or navigating away), and watch the server logs in your terminal to see which tracking methods actually captured your actions. It's hands-on learning: you immediately see what worked and what didn't. This would be valuable for anyone building a website or app who wants to understand the mechanics of user tracking, especially if you're trying to decide which method to use in your own project. It's also helpful for learning how the browser communicates with servers in different scenarios, like when a page is unloading or the connection is slow. The author included a blog article (in Chinese) with more detailed explanations of the technical concepts behind each method.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Walk me through running this demo locally and testing each of the five tracking methods.
Prompt 2
Explain the tradeoffs between the tracking methods shown in this repo, especially reliability versus speed.
Prompt 3
Which of these tracking methods still works when a user closes the page mid-request?
Prompt 4
Help me adapt one of these tracking approaches for my own website's analytics.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is user-tracking-demos?

A hands-on demo repo showing five different ways to send user behavior tracking data from a browser to a server, with tradeoffs for each.

What language is user-tracking-demos written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript, Node.js.

Is user-tracking-demos actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2019-04-15).

What license does user-tracking-demos use?

Open-source demo code you can freely clone and learn from, check the repo's license file for exact reuse terms.

How hard is user-tracking-demos to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is user-tracking-demos for?

Mainly developer.

View the repo → Decode another repo

This repo across BitVibe Labs

Don't trust strangers blindly. Verify against the repo.