Google Analytics and the __utm.gif file

Question

When using Google Analytics and using the newer ga.js file, is the __utm.gif file needed in your root directory of your web site?

I do see a call being made from my

Answer 1

I use the older urchin.js tracking mechansim and there are no requirements to host anything locally although you can put the .js file on your server for speed. There are four images that get requested to provide the tracking; __utma, __utmb, __utmc and __utmz which correspond to they cookies recorded of the same name.

From Google; When you first begin implementing tracking in Google Analytics website, you need to install the tracking code on your website pages. The generic tracking code snippet consists of two parts: a script tag that references the ga.js tracking code, and another script that executes the tracking code.