Blog | G5 Cyber Security

Fix Browser Version 0.0 in Google Analytics

G5 Cyber Security

TL;DR

Your website is showing browser version ‘0.0’ in Google Analytics, meaning it can’t identify visitors’ browsers properly. This usually happens because of a missing or incorrect User-Agent string. We’ll fix this by checking your server configuration and making sure JavaScript isn’t blocked.

Fixing Browser Version 0.0

  1. Understand the Problem: The ‘0.0’ browser version indicates that Google Analytics can’t determine the visitor’s browser details. This impacts your reports and data accuracy. It often means the User-Agent header isn’t being sent correctly.
    • User-Agent Header: This is a piece of information sent by the browser to identify itself (browser type, version, operating system).
    • Impact: Incorrect data in Google Analytics can lead to flawed analysis and poor decision-making.
  2. Check Server Configuration: Your server might be stripping or modifying the User-Agent header.
    • Apache (.htaccess): If you use Apache, check your .htaccess file for any rules that modify headers. Look for lines like Header unset User-Agent and remove them if present.
    • Nginx: If you use Nginx, examine your server block configuration (usually in /etc/nginx/sites-available/your_site). Ensure there are no directives removing or altering the User-Agent header. 
      # Example Nginx Configuration snippet
proxy_set_header User-Agent $http_user_agent;
    • Other Servers: Consult your server documentation for instructions on managing headers.
  3. Verify JavaScript is Enabled: Google Analytics relies on JavaScript to collect data, including the User-Agent.
    • Browser Check: Ensure JavaScript is enabled in your browser settings.
    • Website Test: Use a tool like WhatIsMyBrowser to confirm JavaScript is running on your website.
  4. Check for Browser Extensions or Security Software: Some browser extensions or security software can block Google Analytics scripts.
    • Disable Extensions: Temporarily disable browser extensions one by one to see if any are interfering with Google Analytics.
    • Security Software Settings: Review the settings of your antivirus or firewall software to ensure it’s not blocking Google Analytics domains (e.g., google-analytics.com).
  5. Review Tag Implementation: Ensure your Google Analytics tag is correctly implemented on all pages.
    • Google Tag Manager: If using Google Tag Manager, verify the Google Analytics tag is firing properly on every page. Use GTM’s preview mode to check.
    • Direct Integration: If you’ve directly added the Google Analytics tracking code to your website, double-check that it’s present in the <head> section of all pages and hasn’t been altered. 
      <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=YOUR_TRACKING_ID"></script>
<script>
  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} 
  gtag('js', new Date());

  gtag('config', 'YOUR_TRACKING_ID');
</script>
  6. Check for Content Security Policy (CSP) Issues: A strict CSP might be blocking Google Analytics scripts.
    • Inspect Browser Console: Open your browser’s developer console and look for errors related to CSP.
    • Adjust CSP Header: If you have a CSP header, ensure it allows the necessary domains for Google Analytics (e.g., script-src 'self' https://www.googletagmanager.com). 
      # Example Content Security Policy header
Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'; script-src 'self' https://www.googletagmanager.com; img-src 'self' data:; style-src 'self'
  7. Test and Monitor: After making changes, clear your browser cache and test your website.
    • Real-Time Reports: Check Google Analytics’ Real-Time reports to see if visitor browsers are now being identified correctly.
    • Regular Monitoring: Continue monitoring your reports for any further discrepancies.
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