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Matomo: configure analytics for data minimisation

Self-hosted does not automatically mean anonymous. With a normal tracking request, Matomo first receives the full network address and offers several levels of data protection.

Requirements

You need administration access to Matomo and, for self-hosting, additional access to web server or proxy configuration.

Minimize IP in Matomo

Under Administration → Privacy → Anonymize data Activate IP masking. For particularly strict configuration, Matomo can save the address entirely as 0.0.0.0 . Geolocation should then not be carried out with the full IP beforehand.

Stricter: Tracker Proxy

Matomo's current tracker proxy can use $REMOVE_VISITOR_IP = true to remove the visitor IP before the tracking request reaches Matomo. Matomo then receives 0.0.0.0for normal tracking requests.

Treat web servers separately

Matomo itself points out that its IP anonymization does not anonymize the web server logs. Apache/nginx/Caddy before Matomo must therefore be configured separately to save data.

Test

Create a test visit and then check Matomo data, web server logs and, if necessary, proxy logs separately.

Dismantling

If required evaluations fail, only specifically reset the required settings and then check again which identifiers are actually processed or saved.

Other identifiers

Also check user ID, cookies, visitor ID, precise location data and long raw data retention. Simply masking the IP does not automatically make extensive tracking anonymous.

Basics of visitor recognition

For classification purposes, Cookieless is not automatically tracking-free and Use unique visitors without recognition . What is important is not just the presence of cookies, but also whether requests are merged via sessions, hashes, local storage or other features.

Related guides

• Matomo: Remove original IP before the tracker
• TYPO3: Configure IP anonymization and logs correctly
• hCaptcha: integrate data efficiently and recognize third-party connections
• Cloudflare Zaraz: server-side tagging is still third-party processing

Sources and verification

This guide is based on multiple current sources. Vendor documentation is not treated as proof that every concrete installation automatically follows the same privacy characteristics.

• Matomo: Privacy Settings
• Matomo: IP anonymization
• Matomo: Tracker Proxy without visitor IP

Important: IP processing is not IP storage

An IP address has to be processed to establish and deliver a network connection. Hosting providers, firewalls or DDoS protection may also process or retain it for a limited time for security purposes. No Logging distinguishes this security layer from unnecessary persistent visitor logging by the website, application and ordinary access logs.