Issues with analytics showing webpages with data:text/css at the end of urls.

Understanding Unusual Analytics Reports: The Case of URLs Ending with data:text/css

In the realm of website analytics, accurate data collection is essential for making informed decisions. However, sometimes, unexpected anomalies can appear in reports, prompting questions and concerns among site owners and digital marketers. One such issue is the appearance of URLs ending with data:text/css in analytics data, which can be confusing and potentially skew insights.

What is data:text/css?

Before diving into the problem, it’s important to understand what data:text/css represents. It is a data URI scheme used to embed CSS directly within web pages or resources, rather than linking to an external stylesheet. When browsers encounter such URIs, they interpret them as inline data rather than traditional URLs, which can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior or misreporting in analytics tools.

The Issue: URLs Ending with data:text/css in Reports

Many website administrators have reported seeing their landing page URLs in analytics reports appearing as www.website.com/data:text/css. This anomaly appears across multiple pages and can be perplexing. Typically, these entries are recorded as if the webpage’s URL is being appended or replaced with the data:text/css content, which can distort traffic analysis and user behavior insights.

Potential Causes

Several factors could contribute to this unusual reporting:

1. Embedded Inline Styles or Resources:
   Some websites dynamically embed CSS or other resources using data URIs. If a tracking or analytics script inadvertently interprets these embedded resources as page URLs, it might record them in reports.

2. Incorrect Link or Redirect Configurations:
   Misconfigurations in site redirects or links that mistakenly use data URIs can cause analytics tools to log these URIs as page views.

3. Malicious or Suspicious Scripts:
   In some cases, malicious code injection or security vulnerabilities may introduce data URIs in ways that are picked up by analytics systems.

4. Analytics Tracking Code Issues:
   If the JavaScript tracking code is not properly configured, it could mistakenly interpret embedded inline resources as page URLs.

How to Address and Troubleshoot

• Review the Tracking Implementation:
  Diagnose your analytics setup to ensure the tracking code is correctly implemented and not picking up data URIs from inline resources.

• Inspect Page Source and Resources:
  Check your web pages for inline CSS or other embedded resources that use data URIs.