Matomo setup
Track AI assistant traffic in Matomo
Matomo has an AI Assistant channel type: Matomo Cloud first, and Matomo On-Premise from version 5.5.0. It recognises ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude, Le Chat, Meta AI, iAsk and Perplexity. To isolate the visits, add the segment condition Channel Type Is ai. It applies only to data collected after the update.
Last checked · How we check
Copy the filter for Matomo
Hostnames
Only hostnames with a test or a vendor source.
UTM variants
For hand-made tags such as utm_source=chatgpt.
9 values for matomo.
Channel Type Is ai
Add this condition in the segment editor.
referrerUrl=@chatgpt.com,referrerUrl=@perplexity.ai,referrerUrl=@claude.ai,referrerUrl=@gemini.google.com,referrerUrl=@copilot.microsoft.com,referrerUrl=@grok.x.com,referrerUrl=@chat.deepseek.com,referrerUrl=@www.meta.ai,referrerUrl=@chat.mistral.ai
=@ means contains, a comma means OR. Because it is a contains match, it also hits lookalike hosts such as notchatgpt.com. It misses visits that only carry a utm_source.
Syntax partly documented9 values
- The native channel is documented by Matomo; the referrerUrl segment follows Matomo's segment syntax and is our recipe, so test it in the segment editor.
- The native channel only applies to data collected after the update; earlier visits keep their old channel.
- The list holds exact hostnames. A www. variant (for example www.chatgpt.com) is recognised by the referrer checker but is not in this pattern; add it if your reports show it.
Built from the referrer list (checked ). Settings are not saved; the page works offline once loaded.
Versions and what changed
| Matomo | AI Assistant channel type | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud | Available after the Cloud update is applied; the FAQ gives no date | Use the native segment |
| On-Premise 5.5.0 and later | Available | Use the native segment |
| On-Premise before 5.5.0 | Not documented in the FAQ we read | Update, or use the referrerUrl segment below |
Assistants named in Matomo's FAQ: ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude, Le Chat, Meta AI, iAsk and Perplexity. Grok, DeepSeek and You.com are not named there.
Segments
In the segment editor, add the condition Channel Type Is ai (documented by Matomo). For older versions, or to check a single hostname, the generator also prints a referrerUrl=@hostname segment. That form follows Matomo's segment syntax (=@ means contains, a comma means OR); it is our recipe, not a line from Matomo's FAQ, so test it in the segment editor first. Because it is a contains match, it also hits lookalike hosts such as notchatgpt.com.
- Open the segment editor and create a segment.
- Add the condition Channel Type Is ai, or paste the referrerUrl expression from the generator.
- Apply it to the Referrers report and look at the visits per source.
- Compare the numbers of both segments. The referrerUrl segment misses visits that only carry a utm_source.
Retroactivity
Matomo says the new channel type only applies to data collected after the Cloud update is applied. Earlier visits stay under their original channels, such as Referral or Direct, and the detailed channel reports and row evolution are not available for historical data. The FAQ adds that the AI Assistants report may still show past data, based on internal filtering of known AI referrers. The practical reading: do not compare the AI channel across the update date.
Follow-up questions
Is the Matomo list the same as GA4's?
No. Matomo names eight assistants including Le Chat, Meta AI and iAsk; GA4's sources differ. See the GA4 comparison.
Does a utm_source make a visit an AI Assistant visit?
Matomo's FAQ describes a channel type based on recognised AI referrers. We found no statement on tags; use the referrer checker to see what a tag-only visit looks like to a referrer-based rule.
Sources
Read on . Links lead to the original pages.