Google Analytics: deprecate feature

[jeherve]

Let's talk about the Google Analytics feature and its future in the Jetpack plugin and in the mu-wpcom plugin.

Now

History

Set up Google Analytics without touching a line of code.

This happens via Calypso Blue only:

It was introduced in #5603

Current features

The feature currently lives here, and is used on WordPress.com and self-hosted:

jetpack/projects/plugins/jetpack/modules/google-analytics.php

Line 1 in 6438a55

<?php

On WordPress.com Simple, the feature is loaded differently and gated to starter plans and above:
fbhepr%2Skers%2Sjcpbz%2Sjc%2Qpbagrag%2Szh%2Qcyhtvaf%2Snanylgvpf.cuc%3Se%3Qro76o7oo-og

The feature is not enabled by default on self-hosted sites.

We ship 2 different versions of Google Analytics:

• For folks using WooCommerce and having toggled an option in Calypso Blue, we load Jetpack_Google_Analytics_Universal. This class includes extra tracking code added to shopping events / pages.
• For most folks, we load Jetpack_Google_Analytics_Legacy.

In the future

I do not think any of those features belong in the Jetpack plugin at this time. At a time it made sense to ship those features in Jetpack because Jetpack was a good delivery mechanism for both WordPress.com simple and WoA sites. We now have the mu-wpcom plugin for that.

With that in mind, we could aim to do the following:

Tasks

Beta Give feedback

1. Introduce a Google Analytics package
2. Copy all code from the module to the new package
3. Require the package in both the Jetpack plugin and the mu-wpcom plugin
4. Update WordPress.com Simple to load the code from there.
5. Update Calypso so the interface supports the mu-wpcom plugin
6. Create a plugin, hosted only on GitHub, clearly marked as non-maintained, that loads the package. See https://github.com/automattic/minileven for an example.
7. Add deprecation notice displayed on self-hosted sites using the Google Analytics module. Point towards support doc explaining how to install the new plugin if necessary.
8. In a future Jetpack release, stop loading Google Analytics features from the Jetpack module and display notice that the feature is no longer active.
9. In a future Jetpack release, stop requiring the Google Analytics package and remove the module
10. https://github.com/Automattic/vulcan/issues/315
11. https://github.com/Automattic/vulcan/issues/308
12. https://github.com/Automattic/vulcan/issues/304
13. https://github.com/Automattic/vulcan/issues/303
14. https://github.com/Automattic/vulcan/issues/401
15. https://github.com/Automattic/vulcan/issues/359
16. https://github.com/Automattic/vulcan/issues/314
17. https://github.com/Automattic/vulcan/issues/313
18. https://github.com/Automattic/vulcan/issues/312
19. https://github.com/Automattic/vulcan/issues/366

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Internal references:

• Discussion: p1HpG7-rZc-p2
• PT: pfwV0U-4g-p2