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Page-view counting without cookies

Update to sections 6–8 · Effective 10 September 2026

I use a small first-party counter to understand which pages people read. It runs independently of analytics-cookie choices. Its request body contains only the page path, such as /post/berlin-station-exits, and a format version. It does not send the query string, referring page, screen size, language, email address or booking details. The counter sets no cookies and stores no tracking identifier in your browser.

Like any web request, the connection makes an IP address and the browser's user-agent information available to the receiving server. To estimate different browsers within one Berlin calendar day, the server combines these with a random daily value and stores a temporary hash alongside the day and page path. Raw IP addresses and user-agent strings are not written to the counter's database. This is a daily browser estimate, not an exact count of people. It is not used to connect visits across days or linked to bookings, forms or advertising.

The daily random value and temporary hash records are scheduled for deletion in the next morning's cleanup at 02:15 UTC (04:15 in Berlin during summer time; 03:15 during winter time). After cleanup, the counter retains daily totals for the site and each page. A failed cleanup can delay deletion until it is successfully rerun.

Service providers: Vercel processes the counter requests in Frankfurt, and Neon hosts its database in Frankfurt. These services are used for my own counter and first-party tools. Infrastructure providers may also process connection data in their own operational or security logs; the database limits above describe this counter, not every provider log.

Legal basis and objection: I rely on Article 6(1)(f) GDPR for my legitimate interest in understanding how this website is used. You can object by switching this counter off below or contacting info@berlinwalk.com. Browsers that send the Global Privacy Control signal are not counted by this script.

Switch page-view counting off · Switch it on again

The off switch saves only your opt-out preference in this browser's local storage; the script reads that preference to honour your choice. It is not a tracking identifier. Switching on removes it. Clearing site data also removes the preference, so switch the counter off again afterwards. The preference needs browser storage to work and applies separately in each browser. These controls affect this counter only.

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