HOW TO Stop Google Analytics "Ghost" Spam

How to stop Google Analytics "Ghost" Spam using a well curated list of spam referrer domains and web sites. Simple and easy to use with visual instructions for creating Segments in Google Analytics using my google-exclude files.

Version: V1.2019.1411

Bad Referrer Count: 6402

• Created by: https://github.com/mitchellkrogza
• Copyright Mitchell Krog [email protected]

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What is "Ghost" Spam?

Spam in Google Analytics (GA) is becoming a serious issue. Due to a deluge of referral spam from social buttons, adult sites, and many, many other sources, people are starting to become overwhelmed by all the filters they are setting up to manage the useless data they are receiving. Referrer spam produces corrupt analytics data and on many sites a good 70% of what you may be seeing as hits to your sites are actually spam referral traffic.

They are called ghosts because they never access your site. As unusual as it sounds, this type of spam doesn't have any interaction with your site at all. You may wonder how that is possible since one of the main purposes of GA is to track visits to our sites. They do it by using the Measurement Protocol, which allows people to send data directly to Google Analytics' servers. Using this method, and probably randomly generated tracking codes (UA-XXXXX-1) as well, the spammers leave a "visit" with fake data, without even knowing who they are hitting.

Instructions to stop "Ghost" Spam on On Analytics

Follow the simple step by step visual instructions below to add these google-exclude files as segments to your web site.

When you see what difference this makes for you

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The Information Sources

The referrer domains contained in this repository comes from over a year's worth of curation from my Nginx Referrer Spam and Bot Blocker and Apache Referrer Spam and Bot Blocker Projects. These lists are carefully moderated and curated and also constantly updated.

Stop Bad Bot and Bad Referrers from gaining access to your web sites.

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Contributors

• Nissar Chababy - https://github.com/funilrys/funceble (Excellent script for checking ACTIVE, INACTIVE and EXPIRED Domain Names)

Some other awesome free projects

• https://github.com/mitchellkrogza/nginx-ultimate-bad-bot-blocker
• https://github.com/mitchellkrogza/apache-ultimate-bad-bot-blocker
• https://github.com/mitchellkrogza/Badd-Boyz-Hosts
• https://github.com/mitchellkrogza/Stop.Google.Analytics.Ghost.Spam.HOWTO
• https://github.com/mitchellkrogza/fail2ban-useful-scripts
• https://github.com/mitchellkrogza/linux-server-administration-scripts
• https://github.com/mitchellkrogza/Travis-CI-Nginx-for-Testing-Nginx-Configuration
• https://github.com/mitchellkrogza/Travis-CI-for-Apache-For-Testing-Apache-and-PHP-Configurations
• https://github.com/mitchellkrogza/Fail2Ban-Blacklist-JAIL-for-Repeat-Offenders-with-Perma-Extended-Banning
• https://github.com/funilrys/funceble
• https://github.com/funilrys/dead-hosts

Help Support this Project

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Get your web site fixed or cleaned or get help with any Linux security problems.

if you ever need help with implementing this or with any other web site related queries. I can help you secure your site, stop it getting hit by bad bots and referrer spam and implement many security solutions on all distributions of Linux. I am for hire and I support clients worldwide.

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