Simultaneous Use of the Javascript and PHP Tracking Clients

General questions
1

QUESTION: Is there anything that would inhibit or even prohibit the use of the Javascript and PHP tracking clients simultaneously?

OBSERVATION: They both appear to point to the same tables in the Matomo database.

Roddy

2

Hi,

Nothing stops you from using both at the same time, but at the moment Matomo can’t merge the data, so I’d recommend you to setup a seperate website in Matomo for both.

One day (in the not so soon future) Matomo will support creating reports based on a combination of both data sources.

https://github.com/matomo-org/matomo/issues/9665

3

QUESTION: Are you stating that the data are not stored in the same place?

COMMENT AND QUESTION: It is my, perhaps false, but humble presumption that Javascript and PHP are two different methods of tracking and reporting the same data, stored in the same way, in the same data tables. Am I in error?

Roddy

4

Hi,

Of course all data is stored in the same tables.

But if you track both ways into the same “Website” in Matomo, you can’t differntiate the data and will have most visits twice in there.

5

OK. So the confusion only comes about with tracking, not with reporting. Is this correct?

Roddy

6

Well when you track all data in one bin (website), the report will also consist of a mix of both sources (and possible duplicates)

7

Yes, this makes good sense. However, except for rare occasions my intent is to track only with Javascript, and report with whatever is most convenient depending on my needs. Does this make good sense?

Roddy