What is the difference between « /index » and « / » in Page URL Reports?

In the Matomo Page URL reports, your website’s homepage is typically represented as either the root path / or /index, depending on the report structure: flat or hierarchical. Both entries refer to the same page but are displayed differently based on the report view. The appearance of the homepage URL depends on the selection in the report’s settings .

In a flat view, Matomo shows all pages at the same level and the homepage appears as a root path /.

In a hierarchical view, Matomo breaks down the report structure into nested paths to reflect the layout of your website. However, the homepage does not have a parent path to nest under, so for consistent hierarchical formatting, Matomo represents the homepage as /index. This indicates its the root page, while maintaining the format of the path-based structure.

This can help users navigate reports differently depending on whether they want to analyse grouped paths or individual URLs.

Note: This does not impact data accuracy. Both entries refer to the same tracked page and metrics like pageviews and bounce rate are still accurately recorded for the correct page.