Question

Alright! Let’s break it all down in a vivid, simplified setup guide for running Matomo Analytics

Answer 1

Alright! Let’s break it all down in a vivid, simplified setup guide for running Matomo Analytics with a:

• ✅ VPS (Virtual Private Server)

• ✅ cPanel

• ✅ WordPress (either in a subdomain or subfolder)

• ✅ Matomo in a way that you track all site activity (but keep full control of data)

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PART 1: VPS + cPanel Prep

1. Get a VPS with:

   • At least 1GB RAM

   • Apache or LiteSpeed

   • PHP 7.4+ or 8.x

   • MySQL/MariaDB

2. Install cPanel/WHM (you probably already have this).

   • cPanel makes life easier for managing domains, databases, and file uploads.

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️ PART 2: Create a Subdomain or Subfolder for Matomo

Choose ONE setup style:

OPTION A: Subdomain

Example: analytics.yourdomain.com

• Go to cPanel > Subdomains

• Create analytics.yourdomain.com

• It creates a new folder: /public_html/analytics

OPTION B: Subfolder

Example: yourdomain.com/analytics

• You already have a WordPress site in /public_html

• Just create a folder inside it: /public_html/analytics

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PART 3: Install Matomo

1. Download Matomo

Go to: https://matomo.org/download

Unzip and upload it into your chosen folder:

• /public_html/analytics (subfolder)

• OR /public_html/analytics.domain.com (subdomain)

You can use cPanel File Manager or FTP (FileZilla).

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2. Create a Database

In cPanel > MySQL® Databases:

• Create a new database: matomo_db

• Create a new user: matomo_user

• Assign the user to the database (ALL PRIVILEGES)

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⚙️ 3. Visit Matomo in Your Browser

Go to:

• analytics.yourdomain.com

• or yourdomain.com/analytics

Matomo will launch the setup wizard:

• Language: Choose your language

• System check: Let it run

• Database config: Use the DB info from above

• Create super admin: Choose username, password, email

• Setup site(s) to track

Done!

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PART 4: Add Matomo Tracking to WordPress

In WordPress:

✅ Option 1: Use Plugin

Install: Matomo Analytics – Ethical Stats. Powerful Insights.

• Directly integrates Matomo with your site

• No code needed

• Works with your self-hosted Matomo instance (just paste your URL + site ID)

✅ Option 2: Manual Code

• From Matomo dashboard > Admin > Websites > Tracking Code

• Copy the JavaScript tracking code

• Paste it in header.php of your WordPress theme (before </head>) OR

• Use a plugin like "Insert Headers and Footers"

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PART 5: Matomo SEO + Console Features (Optional)

Install the Search Engine Keywords Performance plugin (from Matomo Marketplace):

• Connect to your Google Search Console account

• You'll get keyword search reports and clicks/impressions like Search Console!

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BONUS: Cookie-less Tracking & GDPR

In Matomo:

• Go to Privacy > Anonymize Data

  • Enable anonymizing IPs

• Disable cookies (if you want):

  • Add window._paq.push(['disableCookies']); in the tracking code

This makes Matomo cookie-free and often no consent banner needed!

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Result:

• Matomo live at: analytics.yourdomain.com or yourdomain.com/analytics

• You track WordPress traffic with full privacy + ownership

• You can analyze users, sessions, goals, events, campaigns, and more

• No third-party Google tools involved at all