Hotjar is a popular website analytics tool that helps you understand user behavior. While it offers valuable insights, you might find yourself needing to remove it from your WordPress site for various reasons – privacy concerns, performance issues, or simply because you've switched to a different analytics platform. This guide will walk you through the process of completely removing Hotjar from your WordPress website.
Understanding Hotjar's Integration in WordPress
Before diving into the removal process, let's understand how Hotjar typically integrates with WordPress. Usually, this involves adding a tracking code snippet to your website's header or footer. This snippet is responsible for loading Hotjar's scripts and tracking user interactions. Finding and removing this snippet is crucial for completely disabling Hotjar.
Identifying Where Hotjar is Implemented
There are several places Hotjar's code might be located:
- Your Theme's header.php file: Many themes allow you to add custom code snippets directly within the theme files. Check the
header.phpfile for the Hotjar tracking code. Caution: Modifying theme files directly can be risky if you don't know what you're doing. Consider creating a child theme to avoid potential issues. - A Plugin: You might have installed a plugin that automatically integrates Hotjar. This is the easiest method to remove it. Simply deactivate and delete the plugin.
- Using a Plugin for adding custom code: Plugins that allow adding custom code snippets to your header or footer (like Insert Headers and Footers) are common culprits. Review any plugins that manage custom code.
- Directly in the
<head>or<body>section: The Hotjar code might have been manually added to your website's<head>or<body>sections within the WordPress theme editor.
Steps to Remove Hotjar from Your WordPress Site
Here's a step-by-step guide to ensure a clean removal of Hotjar from your WordPress site:
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Deactivate and Delete Any Relevant Plugins: Begin by checking your list of installed plugins. If you used a plugin to integrate Hotjar, deactivate it first. Then, delete it. This often removes the tracking code automatically.
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Check Your Theme Files (With Caution!): If you haven't found the code through a plugin, carefully examine your theme's
header.phpfile. Look for the Hotjar code snippet, which usually looks something like this:<!-- Hotjar Tracking Code for [your site ID] --> <script> (function(h,o,t,j,a,r){ h.hj=h.hj||function(){(h.hj.q=h.hj.q||[]).push(arguments)}; h._hjSettings={hjid:XXXXXXX}; a=o.createElement("script"); a.async=1; a.src=t+h._hjSettings.hjid+j+r; o.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(a); })(window,document,"https://static.hotjar.com/c/hotjar-",".js?sv=","8"); </script>Replace
XXXXXXXwith your actual Hotjar site ID. If you find this code, carefully delete it. Remember to back up your theme files before making any changes. -
Inspect Your
<head>and<body>Sections: Access your theme editor (if enabled) and check the<head>and<body>sections of your website's pages directly. Manually remove the Hotjar code if present. Again, back up your theme files first! -
Clear Your Browser Cache: After removing the code, clear your browser's cache and cookies to ensure that the changes take effect. This will prevent your browser from serving an outdated version of the page that still contains the Hotjar code.
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Test Your Website: Thoroughly test your website to confirm that Hotjar is no longer active. You can use your browser's developer tools (usually accessed by pressing F12) to check if the Hotjar script is still loading.
Preventing Future Hotjar Issues
To avoid problems in the future, consider these best practices:
- Use a Child Theme: Modifying theme files directly can lead to issues when updating the theme. Using a child theme keeps your changes safe during updates.
- Avoid Manual Code Edits When Possible: If you need to add custom scripts, use a plugin designed for that purpose. This helps maintain organization and reduces the risk of errors.
By following these steps, you can effectively remove Hotjar from your WordPress website and regain control over your site's data and performance. Remember to always back up your files before making any changes.
