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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:
- A Linux VPS (Ubuntu 20.04 or newer is recommended)
- Root access or an account with sudo privileges
- LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)
- 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).
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.
- Open a browser and go to
http://yourdomain.com(replaceyourdomain.comwith your actual domain or server IP). - 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, andyour_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.