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.
I’ve experienced the same after updating my website. Once the tracking code is there, the next step would be to see if matomo.php tracking requests are being sent, and getting a successful response in the browser’s Developer Tools (Network tab). Then I would check that the Site ID and Matomo URL used are correct, particularly if any templates/environment settings were changed during the update.
In case you are using Matomo Tag Manager, be sure to re-publish the container when the site changes and that the trigger is still working on all pages. Also, be sure to look if there is a new Content Security Policy, a caching plugin, or a JavaScript optimization/minification blocking or delaying the tracking script.
Last but not least, check the actual visitor report of Matomo vs. a real visit to your site. If the reports are not working even though the tracking is, then it might be a reporting and/or archiving problem, not a tracking problem. This strategy has worked for me in the past to help me hone in on issues that are similar.
Check the Real-Time Visitor Log first, then verify the tracking requests in your browser’s Network tab. If you’re using Tag Manager, confirm the container is published and triggers are firing correctly. Site updates can also affect consent settings or SPA pageview tracking, so those are worth checking too.