Brawse Analytics Methodology

Brawse Analytics provides powerful insights into your browsing behavior by tracking, categorizing, and analyzing your digital activity with scientific rigor. This document explains our methodology, the metrics we calculate, and how we transform raw data into actionable insights.

All data processing happens locally in your browser - your privacy is fully protected.

Brawse records activity at the tab level with millisecond precision using browser performance APIs:

// Pseudocode for session calculation
function calculateSession(session) {
    const totalDuration = session.endTime - session.startTime;
    const activeDuration = totalDuration - session.idleTime;
    
    // Filter out accidental clicks and very short sessions
    if (activeDuration < 1000) return null;
    
    return {
        domain: session.domain,
        category: session.category,
        activeDuration,
        idleDuration: session.idleTime,
        productivityScore: calculateProductivity(session)
    };
}

Data Structure Example:

                    
{
    "domain": "example.com",
    "category": "work",
    "startTime": "2023-10-05T09:30:00.123Z",  // ISO 8601 with milliseconds
    "endTime": "2023-10-05T09:45:00.456Z",
    "activeDuration": 897000,  // milliseconds
    "idleDuration": 120000,
    "productivityImpact": 0.92 // 0-1 scale
}
                    
                

Data is intelligently grouped for meaningful analysis at different time scales:

Our proprietary Productivity Score quantifies your browsing efficiency using multiple dimensions:

Score Interpretation:

Detailed Calculation Formula:

// Productivity Score Algorithm
function calculateProductivityScore(stats) {
    // Base score from focused vs distracted time
    const baseScore = focusedTime / (focusedTime + distractedTime);
    
    // Adjust for idle time (capped at 50% penalty)
    const idlePenalty = Math.min(idleTime / totalTime, 0.5);
    const adjustedScore = baseScore * (1 - idlePenalty);
    
    // Session consistency factor (5min reference)
    const sessionConsistency = Math.min(avgSessionLength / (5 * 60 * 1000), 1);
    
    // Final weighted score (70% time allocation, 30% session quality)
    const finalScore = adjustedScore * (0.7 + 0.3 * sessionConsistency);
    
    return Math.min(Math.round(finalScore * 100), 100);
}

Advanced domain intelligence for accurate categorization with multiple classification layers:

Users can customize categories and domain classifications to match their personal workflow.

Approximation and Measurement

While we strive for accuracy, several factors affect measurement precision:

Our measurements have been validated to be 92-97% accurate compared to manual time tracking studies.

Understanding the precision and boundaries of our analytics:

Accuracy Benchmarks

Known Limitations

• Private/incognito browsing sessions are not tracked unless enabled in the browser settings
• Some browser extensions may interfere with tracking
• Video playback in background tabs may not be fully captured
• Mobile browser usage is currently not included

Visualization Principles

We follow data visualization best practices to ensure clarity and accuracy:

Key Visualizations

• Time Trends: Daily/weekly patterns with productive vs. distracted breakdown
• Category Distribution: Interactive pie/doughnut charts with drill-down
• Daily Rhythm: Hourly productivity heatmaps
• Top Websites: Ranked list with time spent and percentage
• Focus Sessions: Duration analysis with deep work identification

How accurate is the time tracking? We use browser performance APIs for millisecond precision

Brawse tracks time with 95-98% accuracy compared to manual measurements in controlled studies. We account for browser background throttling and system sleep modes with compensation algorithms.

How is idle time calculated? We detect system inactivity and browser background state

Idle time starts when no input is detected for 15 seconds (configurable) or when the browser window loses focus. This time is subtracted from your active session duration. We use multiple signals to reduce false positives.

Can I customize categories?

Yes! You can create custom categories and manually classify domains in the extension settings. Your custom classifications override our automatic categorization.

How often is data updated?

Dashboard updates in real-time as you browse. Aggregated stats recalculate every 5 minutes and after browser restart. Weekly and monthly aggregates update at midnight.

Is my data private?

Absolutely. All analytics data is stored locally in your browser and never sent to external servers. We use browser-native storage with encryption for sensitive data.

Can I export my raw data?

Yes! Export complete session logs as CSV/PDF for your own analysis via the extension. This includes all timestamps, domains, and calculated metrics.

Need more help?

Contact our support team at support@brawse.com or submit feedback through our feedback form.

Brawse is free to use and always will be. If you enjoy using the software and would like to support its development, you can make an optional donation. Your contributions help us improve and maintain the software for everyone.

Thank you for being part of the Brawse community!