Set up Matomo by creating a site in your Matomo web interface, adding its tracker to pages you control, and verifying a test visit before relying on reports.
Define the measurement property
Decide what one Matomo site represents before you create it. A single website with one canonical host is easier to interpret than several duplicate properties, while genuinely separate products may need separate sites. Record the host name, time zone, and reporting currency you want the team to use consistently.
Create the site in the web interface
- Open the site or property settings in your Matomo web interface and enter the public address.
- Choose the tracking method supported by your Matomo version, normally the JavaScript tracker for pages you control.
- Copy the generated tracker configuration and place it in the page template or tag-management process that serves those pages.
- Publish a small change, visit a test page, and check that the request reaches the Matomo endpoint.
Check privacy choices
Configure consent, IP handling, retention, and visitor preferences to match your organisation's policy and the rules that apply to your audience. Do not treat a default setting as a legal conclusion. Explain the measurement purpose to site owners, document the choices, and revisit them when the project changes.
Make reports useful
Test a page view first, then add goals or events for actions that matter. Use campaign parameters consistently, exclude known internal traffic only when you can identify it reliably, and compare a short test window with the expected page activity. A report that receives no visits may indicate a placement, consent, or property mismatch rather than a Matomo fault.
If pages are rendered by a shared template, place the tracker there so the same configuration is applied consistently. If different sites use different templates, verify each one separately. Keep a short record of the property name and tracker location so a future editor can diagnose missing visits without changing several pages at once.
Check the current project guidance
The opensource.hosting map names Matomo as an open-source analytics alternative. Use the Matomo documentation for the version you operate to confirm update steps, backup options, transport security, and monitoring choices. These details depend on the project and your configuration; verify them before relying on a workflow. Read the alternative map for the comparison.
Managed open-source operation also includes the project's funding context: read why ten percent goes upstream and compare the managed application plans before choosing who will operate the Matomo instance.
Continue carefully
When you need an account-specific answer, use the support ticket form. To review the managed app entry point, visit the products page.