Many Matomo instances measure a lot and answer little. Usually it is not the technology that is missing but the agreement: which decision should a number support? Which events belong to a goal? What are campaigns called so they can still be analysed in a year? A tracking concept answers these questions before any code is written, and it is the contract between those who need numbers, those who deliver them technically, and privacy.
The building blocks of a tracking concept
1. Questions and decisions
It starts not with tags but with questions: what do you want to know, and which decision depends on it? A question without a decision is usually curiosity; a KPI without a question is usually ballast.
| Question | Decision | KPI |
|---|---|---|
| Which channels bring enquiries? | Shift budget between channels | Enquiries per channel and campaign |
| Where do prospects drop out of the form? | Shorten or rebuild the form | Share of submitted forms |
| Which content leads to an enquiry? | Choose topics for new content | Enquiries by entry page |
2. Goals and KPIs
The questions become goals in Matomo, such as an enquiry, a newsletter sign-up or a purchase, and the KPIs you measure them by. A few clearly defined goals are worth more than many whose meaning nobody knows.
3. The measurement plan
The measurement plan is the table the implementation follows. For each measurement it states what triggers it, what it is called in Matomo and what it is for:
| Measurement | Trigger | In Matomo | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact form submitted | form successfully sent | event Form / Submitted / Contact, goal “Enquiry” |
enquiries per channel |
| Newsletter confirmed | confirmation page viewed | goal “Newsletter” | list growth |
| Page type | every page | custom dimension “Page type” | reports by guide, service, blog |
How events are structured and how goals are built from them is covered in Event tracking.
4. Naming conventions
Consistent names are the most inconspicuous and at the same time most important part of the concept. They apply to events (category, action, name), to custom dimensions and above all to campaigns. An example for campaigns from month, channel and topic: 2026-10_newsletter_matomo-without-cookies. Lower case, no spaces, always in the same order. How campaign links are built is covered in Campaign tracking and the URL builder.
To make naming rules hold up day to day, I rely on Feinwerk Campaigns, the tool of our sister brand: the naming convention is built into the link builder, and landing pages are checked before launch. More at Feinwerk Campaigns for companies.
5. The data layer specification
Much of what should be measured is only known to the website: the page type, the language, a product in the cart, whether a form was really sent. The data layer specification defines field by field what the website writes into the data layer and when. It is the contract with development, and the Tag Manager only reads what is in there:
// on every page, before the container
window._mtm = window._mtm || [];
window._mtm.push({
pageType: 'guide', // guide | service | blog | home
pageLanguage: 'en'
});
// after a successfully sent form
window._mtm.push({ event: 'form_submit', formName: 'contact' });Each field comes with its name, allowed values, timing and an example. What a data layer is and how the Tag Manager reads it is covered in Matomo Tag Manager.
6. Privacy from the start
A good concept only measures what is needed. Personal data such as email addresses or names belongs neither in events nor in addresses or dimensions. The concept also settles whether measurement happens with or without consent and what is only added after consent. What is not measured does not have to be deleted later. More in Matomo and privacy.
7. Acceptance and tests
Every measurement in the plan gets a test case: what to do and what must then arrive in Matomo. Testing happens before launch in the Tag Manager preview and the real-time report, and after launch once more in the reports.
| Measurement | Test step | Expected in Matomo | Result | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact form submitted | send the form with test data | event Form / Submitted / Contact, goal “Enquiry” in the visits log |
passed | 12 Nov, container version 14, name |
| Page type | open a guide | dimension “Page type” = guide |
passed | 12 Nov, version 14, name |
The acceptance is documented: who checked what and when, with which container version and with which result. If numbers look odd later, this record shows what was still right at launch. After every change, the affected part is accepted again.
8. Ownership and upkeep
A concept needs an owner who approves changes, and a fixed path for adding new pages, forms and campaigns. Every change gets a new version with a date, and what is published in the container matches that version.
How to create a tracking concept
- Inventory: what is measured today, what of it does anyone use, what is misnamed?
- Workshop: questions, decisions and goals with everyone who needs numbers. Two to three hours are usually enough.
- Draft: KPIs, measurement plan, naming and privacy decisions.
- Data layer: agree the specification with development.
- Implementation: a container in Matomo Tag Manager following the measurement plan.
- Acceptance: go through the test cases and document the result.
- Handover: documentation and a short training for everyone working with the numbers.
- Upkeep: changes along the same path, regular reviews.
A concept that holds
- Thought from questions Every KPI supports a decision.
- Little, but reliable Ten events everyone trusts.
- Fixed names Campaigns, events and dimensions follow one rule.
- Accepted and maintained With a record, an owner and a current version.
Typical pitfalls
- Measuring everything A hundred events nobody analyses.
- Names by gut feeling Newsletter, newsletter and NL are three campaigns.
- No data layer The Tag Manager reads text from the page and breaks at the next relaunch.
- A PDF in the drawer After a year, the website measures something other than what it says.
How I develop and implement tracking concepts with teams is covered in the service Consulting & tracking concept.
Sources
As of 13 November 2026