Counting and privacy

What's counted

Every download is counted twice: for the version, and in the download's total. The total is in the Downloads column of the list (click it to sort) and in the Download link box; each version's count is in the Versions box.

Counts are increased in the database in one step, so two downloads at the same moment are both counted.

Not counted:

• bots, crawlers and link previews (search engines, social networks, chat apps, uptime monitors), recognised by their user agent, as long as Don't count downloads by search engines, crawlers and link previews is ticked under Downloads → Settings;
• the later parts of a resumed download (only the start counts);
• requests that only ask for the file's details (HEAD).

Repeat downloads

Set Repeat downloads to a number of minutes to count the same visitor downloading the same version only once in that time. Someone who clicks the button three times in a row then counts once. 0 (the default) counts every download.

Privacy

Fileline keeps no personal data:

• counts are plain numbers, not linked to anyone;
• for the repeat check, it keeps a scrambled code made from the visitor's IP address and browser (a salted one-way hash) for the minutes you set, then it's deleted automatically. It can't be turned back into an address;
• it sets no cookies.

So there's nothing to export or erase with Tools → Export / Erase Personal Data. Fileline adds a suggested paragraph to Settings → Privacy → Policy Guide that you can copy into your privacy policy.

Fileline Pro's email gate does keep personal data (the addresses visitors give); it adds its own export and erase tools.

Behind a proxy or CDN

If your site is behind a reverse proxy or a CDN, every visitor may seem to come from the same IP address, which makes the repeat check count too few. Return the real address from your proxy's trusted header with the fileline_client_ip filter (see Hooks).