NotebookBloom: Shipping analytics without collecting user content
I needed a real activation funnel for a Chrome extension that works around research notes. The easiest implementation would have been to attach whatever context was available to every event. I chose a much smaller boundary.
The extension sends event names such as panel_open, feature_selected, action_started, action_success and action_failed. Parameters are limited to extension version, feature, method, mode and item counts.
It does not send search queries, URLs, notebook names, flashcard text, citations or document content.
A random anonymous session ID lasts 30 minutes. Its only job is to connect steps from the same short visit so the funnel can be calculated. It is not an account ID and is not used to build a long-term profile.
I also kept the previous success event names while adding the new funnel. That avoids breaking historical GA4 reports during the transition.
The design rule was: collect enough to decide what to improve, and nothing merely because it is available. “Which feature failed in version 1.1.2?” is actionable. “What exactly did this person search for?” is not necessary for the current product decision.
Analytics quality is not proportional to payload size.
