After updating our website recently, I noticed a big drop in tracked visits inside Matomo. The site is still getting traffic according to other sources, so I’m trying to figure out whether this is a tracking issue or just a reporting problem.
I already checked that the tracking code is present on the pages, but I’m wondering what else you usually verify first. Do you check the browser network requests, Matomo logs, Tag Manager configuration, or something else?
I’m interested in hearing your troubleshooting process before I start changing settings randomly. What has helped you find the root cause when Matomo suddenly stopped reporting accurate data after a site update?
The first step would be to check for the tracking request in the network tab. If you see the tracking request (usually matomo.php), you can confirm tracking is working if the idsite in the request matches that in your instance.
Next use the comparison feature in the date selector and compare visits from prior to the tracking issue to the current tracking. Are there any missing pages or is the tracking dropped across the board? Perhaps a country is showing less visits. For any pages that do have a low count, visit those pages and check there aren’t any issues in the network tab for the tracking request.
I’d start with the browser’s Network tab and confirm that matomo.php requests are actually being sent and returning HTTP 200. Then use Matomo’s Real-Time Visitors view to see if your own visit appears. If it doesn’t, review your Tag Manager/container publish status, consent settings, and any recent cache or CDN changes, they’re common causes after site updates.