Google Analytics how to

I am having problems using the GA for my store.
I read the documentation that comes with GA and it is all babble to me. (I am not a computer guy, I am learning as I go.)
It says to place the code in any page you want tracked. OK. I think I can put it in the footer that I use with the template that I have (Dragon).
My questions is, where in the template do I place the code so that I don't corrupt the footer. I am assuming that I cannot just pkace it anywhere, and that there is an optimal place for it to be inserted.
Thank you in advance for any help with this, I really want to start knowing what my site is doing, and I currently have no clue.

Kirby Foster
https://www.downrightnatural.com

You can insert it in a copy for your template of tpl_main_page.php

You might post the code that you need to insert

There is also a plugin that takes some of the guess work out of the process... But where's the fun in that. :P

If I install on the main page, that will not track the internally generated pages. They say place in footer or header or something, and i am not sure of how I should do that.
Sorry, should have included what I was trying to insert in the beginning.
Here is the code:

My template has files:
XXXXX/includes/templates/dragon/tpl_ezpages_bar_header.php
XXXXX/includes/templates/dragon/templatestpl_ezpages_bar_header.php
XXXXX/includes/templates/dragon/common/tpl_footer.php
XXXXX/includes/templates/dragon/common/tpl_header.php

I am unsure as the where to place the code so that it works properly, and I don't kill my site.

Thank you guys for being here and providing all this help for a newbie like me.

Kirby
https://www.downrightnatural.com

You can insert it in a copy for your template of tpl_main_page.php
Get a copy from template_default/common and edit it and upload to your template/common area

This code is at the end of the file

// DEBUG: echo '<!-- I SEE cat: ' . $current_category_id . ' || vs cpath: ' . $cPath . ' || page: ' . $current_page . ' || template: ' . $current_template . ' || main = ' . ($this_is_home_page ? 'YES' : 'NO') . ' -->';
?>

Insert your code here...

</head>
<?php // NOTE: Blank line following is intended: ?>

There is normally a google-analytics.js file also - do you have it?
If so, rename it to jscript_google-analytics.js
Then upload it to your template /jscript folder - create it if you do not have one

The tpl_main_page.php file is expected to be loaded for each and every page. Not just the home/index page. Templates may modify that process, but overall it is expected. You could at the last line of the tpl_main_page (includes/templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/common/tpl_main_page.php) add the code from above surrounded by the php tags needed to ensure that the script is processed:

?>
<script>
(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),
m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)
})(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');

ga('create', 'XX-XXXXXXXX-X', 'auto');
ga('send', 'pageview');

</script>
<?php 

If the tpl_main_page.php file is not in the above directory (where YOUR_TEMPLATE is dragon) then copy

includes/templates/template_default/common/tpl_main_page.php
To
includes/templates/dragon/common/
So that you will now have:
includes/templates/dragon/common/tpl_main_page.php

And now modify that file.

I have tried the previous posts suggestions from Kobra, but in the tpl_main_page.php I cannot locate the section that he is suggesting in the file.
And I have copied the file structure mc12345678 suggested, but without being able to place the code, I will not be bale to get it to work the way it should.

Here is a copy of my tpl_main_page.php

<?php
/**
 * Common Template - tpl_main_page.php
 *
 * Governs the overall layout of an entire page<br />
 * Normally consisting of a header, left side column. center column. right side column and footer<br />
 * For customizing, this file can be copied to /templates/your_template_dir/pagename<br />
 * example: to override the privacy page<br />
 * - make a directory /templates/my_template/privacy<br />
 * - copy /templates/templates_defaults/common/tpl_main_page.php to /templates/my_template/privacy/tpl_main_page.php<br />
 * <br />
 * to override the global settings and turn off columns un-comment the lines below for the correct column to turn off<br />
 * to turn off the header and/or footer uncomment the lines below<br />
 * Note: header can be disabled in the tpl_header.php<br />
 * Note: footer can be disabled in the tpl_footer.php<br />
 * <br />
 * $flag_disable_header = true;<br />
 * $flag_disable_left = true;<br />
 * $flag_disable_right = true;<br />
 * $flag_disable_footer = true;<br />
 * <br />
 * // example to not display right column on main page when Always Show Categories is OFF<br />
 * <br />
 * if ($current_page_base == 'index' and $cPath == '') {<br />
 *  $flag_disable_right = true;<br />
 * }<br />
 * <br />
 * example to not display right column on main page when Always Show Categories is ON and set to categories_id 3<br />
 * <br />
 * if ($current_page_base == 'index' and $cPath == '' or $cPath == '3') {<br />
 *  $flag_disable_right = true;<br />
 * }<br />
 *
 * @package templateSystem
 * @copyright Copyright 2003-2007 Zen Cart Development Team
 * @copyright Portions Copyright 2003 osCommerce
 * @license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0
 * @version $Id: tpl_main_page.php 7085 2007-09-22 04:56:31Z ajeh $
 */

// the following IF statement can be duplicated/modified as needed to set additional flags
  if (in_array($current_page_base,explode(",",'list_pages_to_skip_all_right_sideboxes_on_here,separated_by_commas,and_no_spaces')) ) {
    $flag_disable_right = true;
  }


  $header_template = 'tpl_header.php';
  $footer_template = 'tpl_footer.php';
  $left_column_file = 'column_left.php';
  $right_column_file = 'column_right.php';
  $body_id = ($this_is_home_page) ? 'indexHome' : str_replace('_', '', $_GET['main_page']);
?>
<body id="<?php echo $body_id . 'Body'; ?>"<?php if($zv_onload !='') echo ' onload="'.$zv_onload.'"'; ?>>
<?php
  if (SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1 != '' && $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET1)) {
    if ($banner->RecordCount() > 0) {
?>
<div id="bannerOne" class="banners"><?php echo zen_display_banner('static', $banner); ?></div>
<?php
    }
  }
?>

<div id="mainWrapper">
<?php
 /**
  * prepares and displays header output
  *
  */
  if (CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL_AUTHORIZATION == 1 && CUSTOMERS_AUTHORIZATION_HEADER_OFF == 'true' and ($_SESSION['customers_authorization'] != 0 or $_SESSION['customer_id'] == '')) {
    $flag_disable_header = true;
  }
  require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_header.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'common'). '/tpl_header.php');?>

<table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="contentMainWrapper">
  <tr>
<?php
if (COLUMN_LEFT_STATUS == 0 || (CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL == '1' and $_SESSION['customer_id'] == '') || (CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL_AUTHORIZATION == 1 && CUSTOMERS_AUTHORIZATION_COLUMN_LEFT_OFF == 'true' and ($_SESSION['customers_authorization'] != 0 or $_SESSION['customer_id'] == ''))) {
  // global disable of column_left
  $flag_disable_left = true;
}
if (!isset($flag_disable_left) || !$flag_disable_left) {
?>

 <td id="navColumnOne" class="columnLeft" style="width: <?php echo COLUMN_WIDTH_LEFT; ?>">
<?php
 /**
  * prepares and displays left column sideboxes
  *
  */
?>
<div id="navColumnOneWrapper" style="width: <?php echo BOX_WIDTH_LEFT; ?>"><?php require(DIR_WS_MODULES . zen_get_module_directory('column_left.php')); ?></div></td>
<?php
}
?>
    <td valign="top">
<!-- bof  breadcrumb -->
<?php if (DEFINE_BREADCRUMB_STATUS == '1' || (DEFINE_BREADCRUMB_STATUS == '2' && !$this_is_home_page) ) { ?>
    <div id="navBreadCrumb"><?php echo $breadcrumb->trail(BREAD_CRUMBS_SEPARATOR); ?></div>
<?php } ?>
<!-- eof breadcrumb -->

<?php
  if (SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET3 != '' && $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET3)) {
    if ($banner->RecordCount() > 0) {
?>
<div id="bannerThree" class="banners"><?php echo zen_display_banner('static', $banner); ?></div>
<?php
    }
  }
?>

<!-- bof upload alerts -->
<?php if ($messageStack->size('upload') > 0) echo $messageStack->output('upload'); ?>
<!-- eof upload alerts -->

<?php
 /**
  * prepares and displays center column
  *
  */
 require($body_code); ?>

<?php
  if (SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET4 != '' && $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET4)) {
    if ($banner->RecordCount() > 0) {
?>
<div id="bannerFour" class="banners"><?php echo zen_display_banner('static', $banner); ?></div>
<?php
    }
  }
?></td>

<?php
//if (COLUMN_RIGHT_STATUS == 0 || (CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL == '1' and $_SESSION['customer_id'] == '') || (CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL_AUTHORIZATION == 1 && CUSTOMERS_AUTHORIZATION_COLUMN_RIGHT_OFF == 'true' && $_SESSION['customers_authorization'] != 0)) {
if (COLUMN_RIGHT_STATUS == 0 || (CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL == '1' and $_SESSION['customer_id'] == '') || (CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL_AUTHORIZATION == 1 && CUSTOMERS_AUTHORIZATION_COLUMN_RIGHT_OFF == 'true' and ($_SESSION['customers_authorization'] != 0 or $_SESSION['customer_id'] == ''))) {
  // global disable of column_right
  $flag_disable_right = true;
}
if (!isset($flag_disable_right) || !$flag_disable_right) {
?>
<td id="navColumnTwo" class="columnRight" style="width: <?php echo COLUMN_WIDTH_RIGHT; ?>">
<?php
 /**
  * prepares and displays right column sideboxes
  *
  */
?>
<div id="navColumnTwoWrapper" style="width: <?php echo BOX_WIDTH_RIGHT; ?>"><?php require(DIR_WS_MODULES . zen_get_module_directory('column_right.php')); ?></div></td>
<?php
}
?>
  </tr>
</table>

<?php
 /**
  * prepares and displays footer output
  *
  */
  if (CUSTOMERS_APPROVAL_AUTHORIZATION == 1 && CUSTOMERS_AUTHORIZATION_FOOTER_OFF == 'true' and ($_SESSION['customers_authorization'] != 0 or $_SESSION['customer_id'] == '')) {
    $flag_disable_footer = true;
  }
  require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_footer.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'common'). '/tpl_footer.php');
?>

</div>
<!--bof- parse time display -->
<?php
  if (DISPLAY_PAGE_PARSE_TIME == 'true') {
?>
<div class="smallText center">Parse Time: <?php echo $parse_time; ?> - Number of Queries: <?php echo $db->queryCount(); ?> - Query Time: <?php echo $db->queryTime(); ?></div>
<?php
  }
?>
<!--eof- parse time display -->
<!--bof- banner #6 display -->
<?php
  if (SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET6 != '' && $banner = zen_banner_exists('dynamic', SHOW_BANNERS_GROUP_SET6)) {
    if ($banner->RecordCount() > 0) {
?>
<div id="bannerSix" class="banners"><?php echo zen_display_banner('static', $banner); ?></div>
<?php
    }
  }
?>
<!--eof- banner #6 display -->
</body>

I did not notice that you are using ZenCart v1.5.1

So for your case get a copy of html_header.php

// DEBUG: echo '<!-- I SEE cat: ' . $current_category_id . ' || vs cpath: ' . $cPath . ' || page: ' . $current_page . ' || template: ' . $current_template . ' || main = ' . ($this_is_home_page ? 'YES' : 'NO') . ' -->';


?>
INSERT YOUR CODE HERE
</head>
<?php // NOTE: Blank line following is intended: ?>