Why Matomo Numbers Differ From Google Analytics and Search Console

How to fix it

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

1. 1. Compare like with like

   1. Use the same date range and time zone in both tools
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Check Matomo exclusions

   1. Review the excluded IPs and user agents in website settings
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Check tracking code placement

   1. Place the code before the closing </head> tag
   Did this fix it? Yes No

4. 4. Review referrer losses

   1. Check Visitors > Software to see how many privacy browsers you have, and keep links HTTPS to HTTPS
   Did this fix it? Yes No

5. 5. Expect some gap

   1. Matomo says blockers can mean 5-10% fewer visits than other platforms
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

Matomo shows fewer visits than Google Analytics, Search Console or ad networks.

Why it happens

• Search Console counts clicks, Matomo counts a visit within a 30-minute window
• Different time zones or date ranges
• Ad blockers, Do Not Track and consent limiting tracking
• IP and user-agent exclusions in Matomo
• Tracking code placed late or page closes before it runs
• Referrer stripping by Safari, Firefox and privacy browsers, and HTTPS to HTTP links

This guide also covers

• matomo vs google analytics numbers
• matomo fewer visits than google analytics

Other Matomo errors

• Matomo Shows No Data (There Is No Data for This Report)
• 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)
• How to Exclude Your Own Visits in Matomo
• Matomo 'Keyword Not Defined' (Missing Search Keywords)