Canvas Analytics: How to show Link/Website access in Analytics

[LNSiefert]

I have an instructor that uses both PDFs and links to websites for students to access and read.  The analytics will show if they downloaded the PDFs but not if they accessed the links.  Is there a way to get analytics to document student access to websites when they click the link.  Pic of a section of the page -- I circled how a link is added.

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[mzimmerman]

Hi @LNSiefert 

No, there's not currently a way to have this included in the analytics, at least as external links currently work in Canvas.

When the student downloads a PDF from Canvas, that involves a connection back to the Canvas server, which can be recorded.   On the other hand, when the student clicks a link to an external web page, the browser connects directly to that web page, without making any kind of additional connection to Canvas, so Canvas does not have a way to record it.

[AnandaGanguly]

I understand the reply, and it makes sense. 

But does anyone have any experience with any way to address this externally?

For example, I record my videos on Camtasia and store them on Techsmith's "Screencast.com" hosting website.  As a new Canvas user, I am now linking to URLs on Screencast.com.  This must be common knowledge to those using Umami (or the old Google Analytics, etc.) but as a newbie, can someone help me figure out the easiest way to get at the same issue that the OP posted via an analysis of who's viewing which of my videos, for how long, when, how many times, etc.

Not quite a Canvas-technical question, I admit, but many might benefit from help on this as a "workaround" for this functionality.