Quick answers to the questions we hear most. For the full picture, see the documentation.
Does PAJ Statistics send my visitors’ data anywhere?
No. All tracking and reporting happens on your own server, and your data is stored only in your WordPress database. The plugin makes no external calls to render reports. The only optional feature that ever contacts an external service is the AI assistant — using your own API key, sending aggregate statistics by default (or, only if you explicitly enable per-visitor answers, pseudonymous visitor summaries — never IP addresses or names, which the plugin doesn’t store), and only when you use it.
Is it GDPR-friendly?
It’s built privacy-first: visitor IP addresses are never stored (they’re used for a location lookup, then discarded), identities are pseudonymous rolling hashes, retention is configurable with automatic pruning, and it integrates with the WP Consent API (e.g. Complianz). You stay the data controller, with the controls you need.
Why are my time-on-page numbers higher than other tools?
Because PAJ measures real engaged time — including the last page of a visit. Most analytics infer time from the gap between page loads, which counts every final page (and every single-page visit) as zero seconds. We think the honest number is the useful one. Read how it works.
How does it handle bots?
In layers. Known bots and headless browsers are filtered before they’re ever counted, and engaged time only accrues while a page is genuinely being used — so an automated browser parked on your article banks nothing. A daily behaviour scan then flags the sophisticated ones (real Chrome, rotating IPs, faked referrers) by the one thing they can’t fake: many sessions on one page without a single scroll, click or play. Flagged visitors get a 🤖 badge, and you hold the verdict — pardon them, or erase their entire history and have your past totals recalculated as if they’d never visited. See how bot defence works.
Does it work with caching plugins?
Yes. View tracking works alongside full-page caching.
Do I need WooCommerce?
No — everything else works on any site. WooCommerce reporting (revenue, funnel, conversion paths) is a Pro feature, and even in Pro those screens only appear when WooCommerce is active.
Do I need an account or API key for geolocation?
No. The free DB-IP Lite database works without an account, and Cloudflare’s country header is used automatically when present.
What does the AI assistant cost?
You bring your own provider key (Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini) and pay the provider directly per question — typically a fraction of a cent. Keys are encrypted at rest and never sent to the browser.
Where do I get support?
Via the WordPress.org support forum. Bug reports and feature ideas are always welcome.