Not all form submits equal a form conversion, for example: if a visitor has to correct form validation errors, a form may be submitted several times before converting. Matomo differentiates between form submits and form conversions and lets you define when a form should be considered converted. This is useful when you want to track conversion data accurately.

While form submits are detected automatically, form conversions need to be either configured in the administration or triggered manually in your website or application. To define when a form is converted, go to “Administration => Forms”. There you can specify for each form some simple rules to let Matomo know when this form is converted. You can choose from the following options:

  1. Whenever a form is submitted: This is the easiest option but it may provide inflated conversion metrics since it does not distinguish between successful and unsuccessful form submissions. If a visitor submits a form but encounters an error, the submission will still be counted as a conversion.

  2. When visitors view a conversion page: We recommend this option if you have a page that visitors land on after completing a form, such as a thank-you page. As soon as a visitor visits a page that matches at least one of the criteria, the form will be converted.

  3. Using Matomo Tag Manager or Direct JavaScript: This option provides the greatest flexibility but requires technical expertise. If your website does not forward the user to another page after submitting a form successfully, you may need to track a form conversion manually. When you implement a form conversion manually, make sure to track the conversion only when the form was submitted without any validation errors.

Note: “When visitors view a conversion page” option is selected by default and it does not automatically track any conversions, since it requires a URL in the input field.

Previous FAQ: In Form reports, why are all of my form submissions zero?