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You can measure button clicks without analytics cookies by sending a named event to an analytics tool configured not to use those cookies. Plausible offers a low-code CSS-class method and a JavaScript method; Matomo supports event tracking alongside a disableCookies() setting. Cookie-free tracking is still tracking, so disabling cookies alone does not settle whether consent is required.
Choose how the click should be recorded
Start by deciding what you need to learn: a total count of clicks, a comparison between button placements, or a record of an action already known to your server. Give the event a stable, descriptive name, such as Button Click, and use only the details needed to answer that question.
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| Approach | Setup | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
| Plausible CSS class | Add a documented class to the button and create a matching custom event goal. | You want a low-code way to count a button interaction. |
| Plausible JavaScript | Call the event function, optionally with a small set of properties. | You need conditional or dynamic event behavior. |
| Matomo JavaScript | Disable analytics cookies and send a named event through the tracker. | You use Matomo and want its event and privacy controls. |
| Plausible Events API | Send the event from a server that already knows the action occurred. | The server-side action is the reliable place to record the event. |
These are implementation choices, not a universal ranking: the right fit depends on how your site is built, what reporting you need, and how you configure data collection.
Track a button with Plausible
Use a CSS class for a straightforward click
Plausible documents a class-based method for marking an element as an event. Add the class to the button:
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<button class="plausible-event-name=Button+Click">Sign up</button>The plus sign represents a space, so the event name is Button Click. Then create a custom event goal with that same name in the site’s Plausible settings. Sending an event does not, by itself, create a goal metric in the dashboard. Check the rendered button if a site builder modifies or normalizes class names. See Plausible’s custom event goal documentation.
Use JavaScript when behavior is conditional
For a click that depends on application logic, call Plausible’s event function when the relevant action occurs:
plausible('Button Click')You can add a broad placement property to distinguish otherwise identical buttons:
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plausible('Button Click', { props: { placement: 'header' } })As with the class method, configure a matching custom event goal to report the event as a goal. Keep properties useful and non-identifying; a placement such as header can answer where clicks happen, while a visitor’s name, email address, or form contents do not belong in an event name or property. See Plausible’s event setup guide and its custom event properties guidance.
Track an event in Matomo without analytics cookies
Matomo documents disabling cookies before page tracking and supports event tracking for clicks. A simplified tracker sequence is:
_paq.push(['disableCookies']);
_paq.push(['trackPageView']);
_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Button', 'Click', 'Sign up']);Here, Button is the event category, Click is the action, and Sign up is the label. Choose consistent values that help interpret reports, and test that the event appears in the Matomo reporting view you use. Matomo explains that disabling cookies does not stop JavaScript tracking: its cookieless configuration guide covers the setting, while its event-tracking guide describes event reports.
When server-side event delivery makes sense
If your server already records the action—for example, a successful server-handled signup—you can consider sending the event through Plausible’s Events API. This can be a better fit than relying on a browser click when the action only counts after server-side confirmation. It is not automatically privacy-exempt: consider what data is sent and retained. Plausible’s documentation identifies the User-Agent and X-Forwarded-For headers as important to unique visitor counting, so header handling affects how those counts work.
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“No cookies” does not mean “no tracking.” Matomo’s disableCookies() option disables its analytics cookies, but JavaScript tracking can continue and send data. Matomo documents separate consent controls: requireConsent prevents tracking requests and cookie use until consent, while requireCookieConsent allows tracking requests but withholds cookies until cookie consent. Those controls address different behaviors; choose based on the site’s obligations and intended collection. See Matomo’s tracking consent documentation.
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Cookie-free operation is not a blanket consent exemption. Matomo’s guidance says the rules that apply can depend on jurisdiction and whether personal data is processed; its consent FAQ discusses that distinction. The European Data Protection Board’s 2021 statement describes audience-measurement derogations as limited: they concern low-level analytics needed to analyze the requested service and provide statistics to its operator, without singling out or profiling users. Check the rules that apply to your visitors and implementation rather than treating cookie settings as a legal determination. Read the EDPB statement.
Verify the implementation before relying on the numbers
- Define the event. Pick a name that describes the action, and decide whether you need a placement property or another minimal, non-identifying detail.
- Configure the reporting destination. In Plausible, create the custom event goal with the exact event name; in Matomo, choose consistent event category, action, and label values.
- Apply the intended privacy settings. Confirm the analytics-cookie and consent behavior you want; do not assume that disabling cookies prevents tracking requests.
- Trigger a test click. Check that the event reaches the analytics report and that it is attributed to the expected event or goal.
- Check the collected fields. Ensure event names and properties contain no personal details, and review server-side headers and retained data if using an Events API.
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