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Firstly, while stackOverflow has helped me many times before, this is my first ever posted question. Thus, please be gentle (I'm still new to coding) and provide any suggestions if I am doing something wrong in regards to stackOverflow protocol :-)

My issue:

I am trying to w3c validate my code using the Nu Html Checker and I keep running into a similar issue in many pages and can't yet find a solution.

It has to do with issues with my Google Analytics Event Tracking using onclick.

Here are the repeated error messages I am getting from the validator:

  • Error: No space between attributes.
  • Warning: Attribute ; is not serializable as XML 1.0.
  • Warning: Attribute false; is not serializable as XML 1.0.
  • Error: Attribute ; not allowed on element a at this point.
  • Error: Attribute return not allowed on element a at this point.
  • Error: Attribute false; not allowed on element a at this point.

ALL these errors are occurring on Line 174.

Here is the Line 174 code I am using:

<h2><b><a href="free.html" onclick="ga('send','event','outbound','click', 'foundations')" target="_self"; return false;>Click Here to Access</a></b> for <b>Free</b>.</h2>

Now, I know in theory that I could probably solve this by removing ; return false; but I'm concerned this will kill my Event Tracking in Google Analytics (as as far as I am aware you need return false; to trick link click events, especially when they take you to an external site (which some other pages with similar errors do).

So:

  • How do I solve these w3c Validation errors,
  • While still tracking Google Analytic Events?

Thanks for any and all help, Axel

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5
  • what kind of doctype are you using?
    – lucas
    Commented Jan 11, 2016 at 10:12
  • I think I have found a simple solution (which also makes me look a little stupid): I think I CAN just remove ; return false; and everything still works as planned. Valid HTML, Event was tracked & link worked fine. Thanks @lucas for your response, you put me at ease after my first question! Just a bit silly that I finally get the courage to post a question (after spending hours trying to solve this), and it gets solved within 30-mins by doing the thing that I originally said couldn't be done :-/ Thanks all!
    – Axel
    Commented Jan 11, 2016 at 10:36
  • The better solution would be not to use inline javascript code at all, but attach a click event handler to the links via a javascript function (no problems with the doctype plus if you need to change anything in your tracking you can change it for all your links at once).
    – Eike Pierstorff
    Commented Jan 11, 2016 at 11:07
  • Thanks @EikePierstorff, that sounds like it would be preferable. I don't know 100% how to do it yet (I'm still at the early stages of teaching myself), but I'm sure it's nothing that a Google Search and a tutorial or two couldn't handle. I'll try it :-) Thanks again
    – Axel
    Commented Jan 11, 2016 at 11:24
  • W3Schools came up as Search Result #1 "click event handler to the links via a javascript function". Thanks again.
    – Axel
    Commented Jan 11, 2016 at 11:27

1 Answer 1

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maybe more like so, without the semicolons between attributes and the return false inside the onclick 

<h2><b><a href="free.html" onclick="ga('send','event','outbound','click', 'foundations'); return false" target="_self">Click Here to Access</a></b> for <b>Free</b>.</h2>
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2
  • Thanks for the answer, @lucas. This two-thirds worked ...actually you solved the questions I asked (1) Validation was perfect (2) Events were tracked. But there was just one problem: the link didn't take me through to the free.html page, it kind of acted like a dead link.
    – Axel
    Commented Jan 11, 2016 at 10:26
  • It would appear that your return false is blocking the redirect to the free.html page. You could alternatively use a callback function as outlined here: support.google.com/analytics/answer/1136920?hl=en
    – nyuen
    Commented Jan 11, 2016 at 18:00

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