Chartbeat: What It Is and How It Tracks Your Browsing
Understand what Chartbeat is, who operates it, how it collects browsing data, and why ad blockers block it.
Drafted by automation from the sources listed at the end of this page, and reviewed before publishing. The sources are the part that matters: check them.
What is Chartbeat?
Chartbeat is a technology company that provides real-time analytics to online publishers. Founded in 2009 by Betaworks in New York City, the company was spun off in 2010 and acquired by Cuadrilla Capital in 2022. Its main product is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) that websites integrate to monitor visitor behavior.
Who operates Chartbeat?
Chartbeat is currently operated by Cuadrilla Capital, an investment firm that bought the company in July 2022. Prior to that, Chartbeat went through several funding rounds and leadership changes. The current CEO is John Saroff, who took over in 2016. The company has also made recent acquisitions: in 2023, it acquired Tubular Labs and Lineup Systems; in 2025, it acquired FatTail.
How Chartbeat collects data?
Chartbeat provides a JavaScript code that publishers insert into their websites. This code tracks every visit, collecting information such as time spent, pages viewed, scroll depth, clicks, and geolocation data. This data is sent to Chartbeat’s servers, where it is processed to generate real-time metrics. Publishers use these metrics to understand what works and what doesn’t, adjusting content and layout to increase engagement.
What is the data used for?
The data collected by Chartbeat is mainly used for audience and engagement analytics. Publishers can see how many people are online, which articles are most read, where visitors come from, and how they interact with the page. This allows them to make decisions about what content to publish, when to promote it, and how to optimize user experience. Additionally, Chartbeat offers tools for monetization, such as measuring the performance of sponsored content.
Why is Chartbeat blocked by privacy tools?
Chartbeat is blocked by ad blockers and privacy tools for several reasons. First, tracking is done without explicit user consent in most cases, which violates privacy laws like GDPR in Europe. Second, the code is third-party, meaning it’s not from the site you’re visiting, which constitutes cross-site tracking. Third, the data collected can be used to build user profiles, even if not sold directly, they may be shared with advertisers.
Limitations of DNS blocking
It’s important to note that DNS blocking, as offered by many ad blockers, has limitations. It can prevent the browser from resolving the domain chartbeat.com, which prevents the code from being downloaded. However, if the site serves the code from the same domain as the content (self-hosted), DNS blocking will not work. Additionally, DNS blocking does not hide your IP from the site’s server; it only prevents connection to the blocked domain. In some cases, blocking may break site functionality, such as read counts or dynamic content that relies on Chartbeat.
Final considerations
If you care about your privacy, blocking Chartbeat is a reasonable measure, as it reduces third-party tracking. However, remember that many sites rely on analytics to improve their content, and blocking all analytics tools can impact experience. Solutions like HAD09 offer more comprehensive tracker blocking and can be an option for those seeking more control.