Set Up Open-source Analytics with Matomo on a Linux VPS

Matomo (formerly known as Piwik) is a powerful open-source analytics platform that provides valuable insights into website traffic while prioritizing data privacy and GDPR compliance. It’s a great alternative to Google Analytics for users who want full control over their data without relying on third-party services. This guide will walk you through installing Matomo on a Linux VPS.

Prerequisites

To set up Matomo on your Linux VPS, you’ll need:

1. A Linux VPS (Ubuntu 20.04 or newer is recommended)
2. Root access or an account with sudo privileges
3. LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)
4. A registered domain name (optional but recommended)

Step 1: Update Your Server

Start by ensuring your server is up-to-date with the latest packages.

				
					sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
				
			

Step 2: Install Apache Web Server

Matomo requires a web server to function. We’ll use Apache here, but you can also use Nginx if preferred.

				
					sudo apt install apache2 -y
				
			

Enable Apache to start on boot:

				
					sudo systemctl enable apache2
				
			

Step 3: Install PHP and Required Extensions

Matomo needs PHP (version 7.4 or higher) along with several extensions. Install PHP and the necessary extensions with the following command:

				
					sudo apt install php php-cli php-fpm php-mysql php-xml php-mbstring php-curl php-zip -y
				
			

To verify the PHP version:

				
					php -v
				
			

Step 4: Install and Configure MySQL Database

Matomo uses MySQL or MariaDB as its database. Let’s install MySQL and create a database specifically for Matomo.

Install MySQL:

				
					sudo apt install mysql-server -y
				
			

Secure MySQL Installation:.

				
					sudo mysql_secure_installation
				
			

Create a Database for Matomo:

				
					sudo mysql -u root -p
				
			

Inside the MySQL shell, run the following commands:

				
					CREATE DATABASE matomo;
CREATE USER 'matomo_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_secure_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON matomo.* TO 'matomo_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
				
			

Replace your_secure_password with a strong password. This creates a dedicated Matomo database and user with all necessary permissions.

Step 5: Download and Configure Matomo

Download the Latest Version of Matomo

				
					cd /var/www/html
sudo wget https://builds.matomo.org/matomo.zip
				
			

Extract the Matomo Files:

				
					sudo unzip matomo.zip
sudo rm matomo.zip
				
			

Set the Correct Permissions:

				
					sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/matomo
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/matomo
				
			

Configure Apache for Matomo:

Create a new configuration file for Matomo.

				
					sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/matomo.conf
				
			

Add the following configuration:

				
					<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@yourdomain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/matomo
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    ServerAlias www.yourdomain.com
    <Directory /var/www/html/matomo/>
        Options FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>
				
			

Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain. Save and close the file (press CTRL+X, Y, then ENTER).

5. Enable the New Site and Rewrite Module:

				
					sudo a2ensite matomo.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2
				
			

Step 6: Complete Matomo Web Installation

Now that Matomo is configured on the server, complete the installation through the web interface.

1. Open a browser and go to http://yourdomain.com (replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain or server IP).
2. Follow the setup wizard:
   • System Check: Matomo will check if your server meets the requirements.
   • Database Setup: Use the database name, username, and password created earlier (matomo, matomo_user, and your_secure_password).
   • Admin Account: Create an admin account for Matomo.
   • Site Setup: Enter details about your website for tracking.
   • Tracking Code: Matomo will provide a tracking code that you can add to the website pages you want to monitor.

Step 7: Enable SSL (Optional but Recommended)

To secure data between your server and users, enable SSL encryption.

Install Certbot:

				
					sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y
				
			

Generate an SSL Certificate:

				
					sudo certbot --apache -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com
				
			

Follow the prompts to configure the SSL certificate.

Step 8: Access Matomo Dashboard

Once installation is complete, log into your Matomo dashboard at http://yourdomain.com/matomo. Here, you can view insights on site traffic, user behavior, and other analytics.

To start tracking, add the provided tracking code to the <head> section of each page you want to monitor.

With Matomo installed, you now have a private, open-source analytics platform that respects user privacy and meets GDPR requirements. You can now track website traffic, user engagement, and more without relying on third-party analytics platforms like Google Analytics.

Matomo gives you full control over your data and powerful analytics tools tailored to your needs—all hosted securely on your Linux VPS.