Matomo for e-commerce
In an online shop, tracking decides the budget. Which campaign sells, where do customers drop off, which products work? I implement e-commerce tracking in Shopware, Shopify and custom shops, with Matomo Tag Manager or Google Tag Manager, and pass conversions cleanly to Google Ads and Meta.
Sound familiar?
- 01Revenue in Matomo does not match the shopOrders are missing, counted twice or arrive without tax, shipping and discount.
- 02Which campaign really sells?There are plenty of visits, but which channel brings orders and which only clicks?
- 03Drop-offs between cart and checkoutWhere do you lose customers on the way to the purchase, and at which step?
- 04Google Ads learns from wrong dataConversions do not reach the ad platform, arrive twice or without the right consent.
- 05Half is missing after a shop updateA new theme or plugin, and suddenly cart events stop arriving.
- 06Consent and measurement in conflictNothing promotional should load before consent, everything should count reliably after it.
What is measured in the shop
- Product and category views with SKU, name and category
- Cart: add, remove, cart value and abandoned carts
- Orders with revenue, tax, shipping and discount
- Site search, filters and sorting
- Campaigns and channels up to the order, also across several visits
Shopware, Shopify and custom shops
Whether Shopware, Shopify or custom shop software: I connect the tracking so that it survives theme and plugin updates. Depending on the system via a plugin, Matomo Tag Manager, Google Tag Manager with a clean data layer, or server-side when orders should arrive reliably even without the browser.
Conversions for Google Ads and Meta
Ad platforms optimise for conversions. With the Conversions API from feinwerk.io, Matomo passes orders and goals server-side to Google Ads, Meta or LinkedIn. Where the platforms’ tags are needed, I set them up cleanly in the Tag Manager, connected to the consent tool and without double counting.
Channels and paths to purchase
Hundreds of sources help nobody. With your own channel groups you see at a glance whether search, newsletter, social or price comparison sells. And you see which pages, channels and goals visitors actually take to the order.
Clean numbers in the shop
Bots, test orders and internal visits distort revenue and conversion rate. I filter them out and set up monitoring that reports when orders or cart events suddenly stop arriving, for example after a shop update.
Matomo and GA4 in the shop
Many shops use GA4 for Google Ads and Matomo for reliable numbers in-house. I set up both so that they know the same events, count orders the same way and differences stay explainable.
Projects for, among others
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does Matomo work with Shopware and Shopify?
Yes. There are ways to connect Matomo to both: via plugins, the Tag Manager or custom code. Which one fits depends on your theme, extensions and consent solution. Custom shops I connect via a data layer or server-side.
Can Matomo report conversions to Google Ads?
Yes, server-side with the Conversions API from feinwerk.io or classically with the Google Ads tags in the Tag Manager. I set up either so that every order counts only once.
Why does revenue in Matomo differ from the shop?
Usually because of missing or duplicate orders, cancellations and returns, test orders or orders without consent. In an audit I find the cause and reconcile the numbers with the shop.
Can Matomo record orders server-side?
Yes, via the Matomo Tracking API. Orders then arrive even if an ad blocker prevents tracking in the browser or the confirmation page does not load completely.
Do we still need GA4 if we use Matomo?
That depends on how much you use Google Ads. Many shops keep GA4 for the ad platform and use Matomo for reliable, privacy-friendly numbers in-house. I set up both so that differences stay explainable.
Sounds like your project?
In an intro call we'll clarify where you stand and what comes first.
Your contactPeter Boehlke, Matomo consultant from Munich, 17 years in the Matomo team