Create the equivalent Google Analytics Source/Medium report in Matomo

Google Analytics users can recreate the Source/Medium report in Matomo using Custom Reports with equivalent dimensions and metrics. The report will display each combination of referrer and channel type, allowing you to analyse traffic sources in a format similar to Google Analytics.

Before you start

Creating the equivalent Google Analytics report requires the Custom Reports feature in Matomo. This is available in Matomo Cloud while On-Premise users will need to install the Custom Reports plugin from the Matomo Marketplace.

Build a custom report

1. From the Matomo dashboard, navigate to Custom Reports > Manage Reports.
2. Click Create New report.
3. Provide a unique Name for the report and an optional description.
4. Select one or more websites that the report applies to.
   
5. Choose the Table option (default) for the Report type.
6. Select the Dimensions in this order:
   • Referrer Name (equivalent to Source in GA)
   • Channel Type (equivalent to Medium in GA).
7. Add any metrics you want to analyse, for example, Visits, Total Events, and Total Overall Revenue (if applicable).
8. Save the report.
9. Once the data is processed, view the report under Custom Reports.
   

To move the report to a different menu category, see How to manage Custom Reports in report categories.

Traffic Acquisition report

1. To view the equivalent GA traffic acquisition report in Matomo, go to
   • Acquisition > Overview and
   • Acquisition > Channel Types.
2. You can change the report visualisations, plot different metrics, and export data if required.
   

If you only need an overview of traffic acquisition by channel, you do not need to create a custom report. Matomo includes a built-in report, which provides a high-level summary of your traffic sources.

Use a custom Source/Medium report when you need a more detailed view that combines individual referrers with their corresponding channel type, similar to the Google Analytics report.