3 in 4 AI built Irish websites have no Google Analytics. Their owners have no way to see who visits, where they came from or what they did. That is the main finding from our scan of Irish websites built with Lovable, Bolt and v0.
This is the first report in our State of Irish Websites 2026 series. Every number below comes from our own scan. The method and its limits are on this page so you can judge them yourself.
Key findings
- 289 AI built sites found. We swept 225,237 .ie domains on 30 and 31 October 2026 and confirmed 289 built with Lovable, Bolt or v0. 276 were live on 9 November 2026.
- 76% have no Google Analytics. 209 of 276 live sites.
- 69% have no tracking of any kind. 191 of 276 had no Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, Microsoft Clarity or Google Ads tag that we could detect.
- 57% show 2 or more AI design tells. 158 of 276. 15% show 4 or more.
- Only 1% use the purple everyone jokes about. 4 of 276. The common giveaways are gradients (26%), a badge over the headline (24%) and a dark page by default (22%).
- 1 in 3 cookie banners did not stop the tags. 72 sites show a cookie banner. On 23 of them, tags fired before anyone clicked accept.
- Most Google star ratings are true. 19 sites say their rating comes from Google. 12 match Google today, 1 does not, and 6 had no profile we could find.
Want the pictures? Download the infographic as a PDF. You are welcome to share it with a link back to this page.
What owners can’t see
A site with no analytics can’t answer basic questions. How many people visited last month? Did the Facebook post send anyone? Which page do people leave from?
| Tag found | Sites | Share of 276 |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics | 66 | 24% |
| Meta Pixel | 28 | 10% |
| Google Ads tag | 27 | 10% |
| Microsoft Clarity | 10 | 4% |
| Cookie banner | 72 | 26% |
The Google Analytics figure includes 12 sites where it loads only after cookies are accepted, which is the correct set up.
The AI tool is not at fault here. It builds what it is asked for. Nobody asked for tracking, so there is none. A web developer adds it without being asked, because a site you can’t measure is a site you can’t improve. Our guide to GA4 and the Meta Pixel explains what each one does.
Cookie banners that don’t stop the tags
On 23 of the 72 sites with a cookie banner, tracking tags fired before the visitor made a choice. The banner was on screen. The tags had already loaded.
The Data Protection Commission’s guidance says analytics and marketing cookies need consent before they are set. We report what loaded and when. We make no legal finding about any site. If you want to check your own, read website cookies explained and how to set up Consent Mode v2.
The real giveaways are not purple
We ran an open source scorer built by developer Adrian Krebs. It checks a page for 14 design patterns that AI tools produce when nobody gives them direction.
| Design tell | Sites | Share of 276 |
|---|---|---|
| Gradients | 72 | 26% |
| Badge over the headline | 67 | 24% |
| Dark page by default | 61 | 22% |
| 1, 2, 3 steps section | 58 | 21% |
| Glass effect panels | 57 | 21% |
| Templated font | 50 | 18% |
| Purple accent | 4 | 1% |
To be fair to these sites, 43% show 0 or 1 tell. Plenty of them look fine. A familiar layout is not a problem either. The problem is a site where nobody chose the colour, the words or the proof, so it could belong to any business.
Reviews and star ratings
77 sites (28%) show testimonials. 27 show a star rating or a review count. 19 say the rating comes from Google.
We compared those 19 with Google business data on 9 November 2026. 12 matched. 1 did not match the public profiles we found, which may simply be out of date. 6 had no Google profile we could find by name and town. That is not the same as false. Service area businesses can hide their listing.
We found no review we can prove is fake. Fake reviews are banned in Ireland under the Consumer Rights Act 2022, so it is worth making sure every review on your site is real and can be traced.
How we did it
- Which sites. A DNS sweep of 225,237 .ie domains on 30 and 31 October 2026. Confirmed means Lovable hosting, Lovable or Bolt code, or a v0 tag. That gave 289 domains and 286 unique sites. 10 were not live on 9 November, leaving 276.
- Tracking. We loaded each homepage in a real browser and recorded network requests after scripts ran. Where a cookie banner showed, we clicked accept and checked again.
- Design tells. Adrian Krebs’s open source scorer, 14 patterns, homepage only, desktop width. He estimates 5 to 10% false positives.
- Our spot check. 20 random sites, 36 tells flagged. 1 was clearly wrong in the visible screenshot.
- Trust claims. A text search for testimonials, ratings and review counts. A match means within 0.1 stars with no inflated review count.
What this report does not show
- 289 is a floor. We only counted .ie sites that still show their builder. AI built sites moved to other hosting, or on .com, are missed.
- Homepage only. Tags on other pages and server side tracking are not detected.
- No security testing. We did not test any site for security weaknesses.
- No business is named. The site by site data stays with us.
Check your own site in 5 minutes
- Do you have analytics? Ask whoever built the site for your Google Analytics login. If there is none, you have no visitor data.
- Does your cookie banner work? Open your site in a private window. Before clicking anything, look for the banner. If you run ads or analytics and there is no banner, get it checked.
- Count your tells. Gradient hero, badge over the headline, dark page, 3 identical icon boxes. 0 or 1 is fine. 4 or more is worth a rethink.
- Are your reviews real and current? If you quote a Google rating, make sure it matches Google today.
- Are your company details on the site? A limited company must show its name, registered number and registered office on its website under the Companies Act 2014.
The other half of the story is what Google and ChatGPT can read on these sites. We cover that in AI built websites look great. Here’s what Google and ChatGPT actually see.
Want yours checked? Book a free 15 minute call and we will go through it with you.
FAQ
How many Irish websites are built with AI?
At least 289 .ie websites showed a Lovable, Bolt or v0 fingerprint in our sweep of 225,237 domains in October 2026. The true number is higher, because sites moved off the builder’s hosting are not counted.
Does an AI built website come with Google Analytics?
Not unless someone adds it. 76% of the 276 live AI built Irish sites we checked had none.
Is an AI built website bad for my business?
Not by default. 43% of the sites we checked showed 0 or 1 design tell. The bigger risks are no tracking, a cookie banner that does not work, and a site nobody can edit or grow.
How can I tell if a website was built with AI?
Look for a gradient behind the headline, a small badge above it, a dark page with grey text, and a row of 3 identical boxes with icons. One on its own means little. Several together usually means nobody made the design decisions.
Do I need a cookie banner in Ireland?
If your site sets analytics or marketing cookies, yes. The Data Protection Commission’s guidance says those cookies need consent before they are set.
How to cite this report
Pixelated Bubble, State of Irish Websites 2026: AI built sites, November 2026. Sample: 276 live .ie websites confirmed as built with Lovable, Bolt or v0, checked on 9 November 2026.
Last updated: 14 November 2026. Download the infographic (PDF).
Sources
- Scoring Show HN for AI design, Adrian Krebs (the open source scorer we used)
- Summary of the Data Protection Commission’s cookie guidance, LK Shields
- New rights for consumers under the Consumer Rights Act 2022, CCPC
- Companies Act 2014, section 151, Irish Statute Book
- Information Society Statistics, Enterprises 2025: Artificial Intelligence, Central Statistics Office
- Improving frontend design through Skills, Anthropic (on the default look AI models produce)