Switching from GA4 to Matomo

Why a planned switch

GA4 and Matomo count differently: sessions, events, channels and conversions are defined differently. If you only swap the code, you end up comparing apples and oranges. That is why the switch starts with what you analyse in GA4 today and translates it into goals, events and reports in Matomo.

What is transferred

• Events and conversions become events and goals in Matomo
• Custom definitions become custom dimensions
• E-commerce products, cart and orders with revenue
• Channels and campaigns your own channel groups, utm parameters keep working

Bringing over historical data

With the Google Analytics Importer, your existing reports from Google Analytics come over to Matomo. Comparisons across years remain possible, even after GA4 is switched off. What is imported are finished reports, not individual visits. Segments on the old data are therefore not possible, the familiar overviews are.

Parallel run and switch-off

Both systems run side by side for a few weeks. I compare the key figures, explain differences and document them. Only when the numbers make sense is GA4 switched off and removed from the tag manager and the consent tool.

Result

Matomo measures what you used to analyse in GA4, with comparable numbers, the historical reports and a team that can read the new reports.