Overview
Chartbeat is a real-time content analytics platform designed for editorial teams at media and news organizations. It provides live dashboards showing story performance, reader engagement, and traffic patterns.
What This Script Does
The Chartbeat tracking script measures active time on page (not just page views), scroll depth, concurrent visitors, and traffic sources in real time. It sends frequent "ping" requests to Chartbeat's servers (typically every 15 seconds) to update live dashboards. The script identifies returning visitors using cookies and tracks engaged reading behavior—distinguishing between users who are actively reading and those who have the tab open in the background.
Consent & Compliance
Consent category: Analytics
Chartbeat is a content analytics tool. Under GDPR, the visitor identification cookies and behavioral tracking (active time, scroll depth) require opt-in consent. Chartbeat offers consent-mode configurations that reduce data collection before consent is granted. Under ePrivacy, the first-party cookies set for visitor identification require consent. Under CCPA, the behavioral data collection may require disclosure.
Should You Block This Without Consent?
Yes. Chartbeat tracks individual reader engagement behavior. Block until analytics consent is granted.
Consent Categories
Also Known As
Industries
Tracked Domains (2)
chartbeat.comMarketingchartbeat.netMarketingFrequently Asked Questions
Does Chartbeat require consent?
Yes. Chartbeat sets visitor identification cookies and tracks individual reader engagement including active reading time and scroll depth. This behavioral tracking requires analytics consent under GDPR and ePrivacy before Chartbeat's script loads and begins sending ping requests to its servers.
What makes Chartbeat different from standard analytics?
Chartbeat measures active engagement time rather than just page views, distinguishing users actively reading from those with the tab idle in the background. It sends ping requests every 15 seconds to power live editorial dashboards showing real-time story performance and concurrent readers.
How does ConsentStack handle Chartbeat?
ConsentStack classifies Chartbeat as an analytics vendor and blocks its tracking script until the visitor consents to analytics tracking. Once consent is granted, Chartbeat loads and begins reporting. ConsentStack records the consent event so you have an auditable trail for GDPR compliance.
Related Vendors
Manage consent for Chartbeat
ConsentStack automatically detects and manages Chartbeat trackers so your site stays compliant with global privacy regulations.