Google Analytics reporting data before tag is even up -

so i've been working on website while. ga account has been couple months waited website finished before putting actual js tag.

in meantime, website being http password restricted (basic authentication) isn't accessible unless know user/pwd combination.

to surprise, realized today ga has logged several hundred views root of website. paths things like:

• /

• /?from=http://social-widget.xyz/

• /?from=http://www.traffic2cash.xyz/

bounce% , exit% both @ 100% of them.

i realize looks referral spam, , there ways prevent it. came across upon googling: http://botcrawl.com/block-social-widget-xyz-referral-spam-in-google-analytics/

my question is: how can ga log anyway when no tag , website isn't accessible?

thank in advance

because it's spam. hit google analytics directly random ga codes , don't go through website.

ga can't tell if these real hits (from website visits) or fake hits (from spam bots hit ga directly calling same ode if on website). though arguably should more this.

massively annoying - particularly when first starting out can heavy proportion of "traffic".

it's easy set filter rule catch lot of filtering on hostname. randomly hitting ga , don't know website hitting ga for, don't set correctly. real traffic should come yourwebsitedomain.com add filter that.