Domain-level tracking tells you how long you were on a site. It doesn't tell you where on that site you spent the time. Path analysis in SiteKeeper fills that gap: it shows you how much time you spent on each part of a website—each sub-path—so you can see work vs. play on the same domain and adjust your habits.
This guide explains what path analysis is, how to use it, and how to get the most out of it.
What Is Path Analysis (Sub-path Analysis)?
Path analysis in SiteKeeper is sub-path analysis: it tracks and visualizes how much time you spend on different URL paths within a single website.
For example, on github.com you might have:
/dashboard— 45 min/your-org/repo-name— 2 h/your-org/repo-name/issues— 30 min/explore— 20 min
So instead of only seeing “3h 35m on github.com,” you see exactly which sections (repos, issues, explore, etc.) got that time. The same idea applies to any site: docs vs. feed, course pages vs. homepage, one project vs. another.
Why Sub-path Analysis Matters
- Same site, different purposes: One domain can mix work (e.g. docs, tickets) and distraction (e.g. feed, trending). Path analysis separates them.
- Honest picture: You might think “I only use this site for work,” but the paths can show most time on non-work sections.
- Smarter limits: You can set limits or blocks based on path data (e.g. limit feed, keep docs unlimited) when combined with other features.
- Better decisions: Seeing time per path helps you rebalance—e.g. more time on learning pages, less on infinite scroll.
How Path Analysis Works
What Gets Tracked
For each website where you’ve enabled path analysis, SiteKeeper records:
- URL path (pathname + query), e.g.
/repo/issues,/docs/getting-started - Time spent on that path
- Visit count (how often you opened that path)
- Path segments for a hierarchical view (e.g.
/repo→/repo/issues→/repo/issues/123)
Only sites you explicitly enable are tracked at path level. Other sites are still tracked at domain level only.
Enabling Path Analysis for a Site
- Open the SiteKeeper extension (popup or options).
- Go to Settings and find Path Analysis (or the website/time-restriction section where path analysis is configured).
- Add the site(s) you want (e.g.
github.com,notion.so). Path analysis is then enabled for that host only.
Free accounts can enable path analysis for a limited number of sites; Pro users can enable it for all sites they care about.
Where to See Your Path Data
- In the extension: Open the Path Analysis view (e.g. from the popup or sidebar). Choose a site and date range to see the path tree and time per path.
- In the web dashboard: If you use the SiteKeeper dashboard, open the path analysis view for a site to see the same tree and time breakdown.
You’ll see a tree of paths: top-level segments (e.g. /repo) with nested segments (e.g. /repo/issues), each with time and visit counts so you can tell at a glance where your time went.
Understanding the Path Tree
- Nodes represent URL path segments (e.g. a folder or section). Deeper levels are more specific paths.
- Time is shown per path so you can compare e.g. “docs” vs “feed” on the same site.
- Grouping: Optional path patterns (e.g. grouping all “Jira ticket” URLs) can simplify the tree; many users stick with the default grouping.
Example
On a learning platform you might see:
/courses— 10 min/courses/intro-to-js— 1 h 20 min/courses/intro-to-js/lesson-1— 45 min/feed— 35 min
So you can see that most of your time was in one course and one lesson, plus a chunk on the feed—useful for deciding where to set limits or focus.
Use Cases
Developers
See time on docs vs. GitHub vs. Stack Overflow at domain level, and per repo or per project on GitHub (or similar) with path analysis. That tells you where your coding hours actually go—e.g. one repo vs. another, or issues vs. code.
Researchers and Knowledge Workers
On a single domain, distinguish learning (e.g. course pages, documentation) from distraction (e.g. feed, trending). Use that to limit the right parts and protect the rest.
Project-based Work
Track time per client or tool path (e.g. different Trello boards, Notion workspaces, or Jira projects). Use the path breakdown for capacity and reporting.
Tips for Using Path Analysis Well
- Enable it for key sites where “where on the site” matters (work tools, learning platforms, social/news sites).
- Review weekly to spot patterns (e.g. too much time on feed, too little on docs).
- Combine with time limits and tags so you can set limits or productivity tags based on path data where the product supports it.
- Use the tree view to drill from broad sections to specific pages and rebalance time.
Common Questions
How far back does path analysis go?
Path data is available for the past 30 days (about 30 days of history per site). Use that window to compare weeks or spot trends.
Does path analysis work in private or incognito mode?
Path analysis runs wherever SiteKeeper is active. If the extension is allowed to run in private/incognito windows, path tracking works there too for enabled sites.
How accurate is path analysis?
It tracks browser activity where SiteKeeper is installed and path analysis is enabled for that host. It’s accurate for the tabs and pages the extension can see; it doesn’t include other applications or devices.
Does path analysis slow down my browser?
No. Path analysis runs in the background with minimal impact on performance.
Can I group or exclude certain paths?
You can add custom patterns to group similar URLs (e.g. all Jira tickets) or exclude paths you don’t care about. This is optional; many users use the default grouping.
How It Fits With Other SiteKeeper Features
- Time limits: Use path data to see which parts of a site consume the most time, then set or adjust limits.
- Website blocking: Combine path insights with blocking so you can block or limit specific sections if the product supports it.
- Tags and productivity score: Tag sites (or paths where applicable) so your productivity score and analytics reflect how you use different parts of a site.
Conclusion
Path analysis in SiteKeeper is sub-path analysis: it shows you how much time you spend on each part of a website, not just the domain. That helps you tell work from play on the same site, rebalance your time, and set smarter limits.
- Paths show where time goes — Per-path data makes “where on this site?” visible.
- Enable it for the right sites — Use it on work, learning, and distraction sites where the breakdown matters.
- Use the tree — Drill from high-level sections to specific pages to spot patterns.
- Combine with limits and tags — Use path insights to refine limits and productivity settings.
Start by enabling path analysis for one or two key sites and review the path tree to see where your time actually goes.
Next steps: Learn how to set website time limits or understand your analytics dashboard to get the full picture of your digital habits.