How to Set Up Matomo Analytics in WordPress

Ready to set up Matomo? First, let’s do a quick system check!

Your WordPress site needs to be running WordPress version 4.8 or higher, along with PHP 7.2 or higher. Additionally, you’ll need MySQL 5.5 or higher, and we recommend that you have at least 128 MB of available memory.

When you browse the WordPress plugin repository, you will see many Matomo plugins.

For this guide, we’ll be using Matomo for WordPress . It’s an all-in-one solution that runs directly on your WordPress site, so you don’t need to create an external account or manage separate servers.

 

It’s the easiest way to get started, especially if you’re new to the subject. It’s maintained directly by the Matomo team, so you’ll get top-notch support and the latest features.

In the following sections, we will show you how to set up Matomo on WordPress.

Step 1: Installing Matomo Plugin for WordPress

The first step is to install and activate the Matomo plugin for WordPress . Go to Plugins » Add New Plugin in your WordPress dashboard.

On the next screen, you can use the search feature to quickly find the plugin. Just type “Matomo for WordPress” and press Enter.

Once you get the result, you can proceed and click on the “Install Now” button.

Next, you will need to click on the “Activate” button.

For more detailed instructions, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin .

Step 2: Enabling Matomo Tracking on Your WordPress Site

After activating Matomo, you will be redirected to the Matomo Analytics ” Get Started ” page .

From there, follow the setup wizard to configure the basic settings. You’ll need to complete two steps: updating your privacy policy page and enabling Matomo Analytics tracking. The plugin will then save and apply your new settings.

Now, let’s look at each step individually.

Update your privacy policy

The first step is to update student database your Privacy Policy page.

Here, Matomo asks you to ensure that your Privacy Policy page reflects a commitment to user privacy and compliance with regulations such as GDPR and ePrivacy.

This means including an option for users to opt out of tracking, which can be added using the shortcode [matomo_opt_out]or the “Matomo opt-out” block.

So if you don’t already have a “Privacy Policy” page, you’ll need to create one.

Simply go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Settings » Privacy .

In the drop-down menu, WordPress will tell you if there is already a privacy policy page for you. You can simply click the “Use this page” button to make it active.

If you want to create a new one, just click the “Create” button.

WordPress will create a draft for you.

On the other hand, if you have already used this pattern and want to make adjustments, just click the “Edit” button.

This will open the Privacy Policy page in the block editor, ready for you to edit.

For details, see our guide on how to add a privacy policy in WordPress .

Enable Matomo Tracking

Once you’ve updated your privacy sending needs you can measure the results of policy, you should be ready to enable Matomo tracking on your WordPress site.

On the “Get Started” page, click the “Enable tracking now” button to begin the process.

Once activated, you will see a green checkmark along with a success notification.

That said, Matomo needs a bit of time to start collecting data.

So don’t worry if you don’t see the analytics right away – you can come back in a few hours to see the stats for your first visitor.

 Note: If you’re using a caching solution (either through a caching plugin or your hosting provider), you’ll need to clear your cache for tracking to work properly. For details, see our tutorial on how to clear cache in WordPress .

Step 3: Navigating the Analytics Dashboard

Now that you’ve set up Matomo, let’s take a look at the dashboard. This is where you’ll find all the important data about your burkina faso business directory website , including who’s visiting, what they’re doing, and how your site is performing.

In this section, we’ll look at three main areas: Overview, Reports, and Tag Manager. Each of these offers different insights and tools to help you monitor your site’s activity.

Summary

The “Summary” section gives you a quick overview of your website’s performance right in your WordPress admin area .

Simply go to Matomo Analytics » Summary to access this report.

Once on the “Summary” page, you can immediately track key visitor metrics such as visits, countries, devices, and user actions.

You can also choose a time period that works best for you. It could be today, this week, this month, this year, and so on.

As you scroll down, you will see more reporting widgets.

Some focus on user details like device screen resolution, operating system, browser, landing pages, and exit pages. Others are conversion-related, showing data on goals, visits per hour (based on your site’s time zone), and exit links .

If you have an online store , you can track its performance in the “Ecommerce Orders” section.

For example, you can view general statistics about your online store , including total orders, visits with conversions, and products purchased. In addition, there are more specific data points, such as tax calculations, shipping, and discounts.

Reports

If you’re looking for deeper insights, the “Reports” section is where you’ll find all the details you need.

To access it, go to your WordPress admin area and navigate to Matomo Analytics » Reporting .

This will take you to Matomo’s full analytics interface, where you can explore detailed reports for different parts of your website, including:

• Visitor Data – Gain insights into who is visiting your website and where they are coming from.
• User Behavior – See how visitors interact with your posts and pages.
• Ecommerce – Monitor sales performance, order tracking, and customer journey .
• Marketing Insights – Analyze acquisitions, conversion goals, sales funnels , and form tracking.
• Media Performance – Measure engagement with images, videos, and other media content.
• A/B Testing – Compare different versions of pages to optimize performance.
• Heatmaps and session recordings – Visualize how users navigate your website.

Each of them has its own dedicated panel that you can explore.

For example, in the image below, the submenus are only in the “Visitors” section.

This page has detailed visit logs with real-time flows and maps. It also provides insights into user locations, devices, software, IDs, and more.

This detailed analysis can help you make informed decisions to increase the effectiveness of your website.

Tag Manager

Matomo comes with its own tag manager.

Similar to Google Tag Manager , it simplifies the process of adding and managing tracking codes on your WordPress site. It allows you to set up analytics scripts and ad pixels on your site without touching a single line of code.

But Matomo’s Tag Manager takes this a step further, allowing you to configure and monitor multiple analytics and marketing tools from a single, centralized platform.

It also makes it easy to incorporate features from both your own and third-party applications.

To access the “Tag Manager” reports, simply go to Matomo Analytics ” Tag Manager in your WordPress admin rea.

This will take you to the “Tag Manager” tab in the Matomo dashboard.

Once inside, you can switch between containers using the dropdown menu. Containers are collections of tags, triggers, and variables that help you organize and manage your tracking setup efficiently.