Does Matomo Need a Cookie Banner? Consent and GDPR Setup

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Decide whether you need consent

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   1. Use Matomo's CNIL self-assessment table and configuration guide if you target France
   2. Elsewhere check your regulator, since only a few have narrow exemptions
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Connect a consent manager

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   1. Use a CMP that integrates with Matomo (Matomo has guides for several, for example Tarte au Citron, CookieScript, GetTerms)
   2. Matomo waits for consent when requireConsent is in the code
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Check why tracking stopped

   1. If tracking is missing, check for requireConsent in the code and test with consent granted
   Did this fix it? Yes No

4. 4. Do not remove consent blindly

   1. Removing requireConsent starts tracking immediately, which may be non-compliant where consent is required
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

Tracking is missing because it waits for consent, or you are unsure whether a banner is required.

Why it happens

• _paq.push(['requireConsent']) is set so nothing is tracked until opt-in
• The CNIL exemption is strict and France-specific
• Features such as e-commerce analytics go beyond the exemption
• CNIL retired its list of approved tools in 2026, so compliance is self-assessed

This guide also covers

• matomo cookie consent
• matomo gdpr banner
• matomo cnil exemption

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• Matomo Reports Not Updating (Archiving Cron Not Working)
• Matomo for WordPress Not Showing Statistics
• Matomo 'Oops... There Was a Problem During the Request' Error
• Matomo Archiving Slow or Out of Memory on Large Sites
• Matomo Blocked by Ad Blockers (Undercounting Visitors)
• Why Matomo Numbers Differ From Google Analytics and Search Console
• How to Exclude Your Own Visits in Matomo