Fix fatal error from undefined AjaxTracker::isUserAgentAIBot() method

[jspicher]

Summary

After updating to 5.8.0, our site started returning HTTP 500 on every frontend page. AIBotTracking::is_doing_ai_bot_tracking_this_request() calls AjaxTracker::isUserAgentAIBot(), but that method doesn't exist in the shipped AjaxTracker or its parent MatomoTracker. Fresh re-upload of 5.8.0 files didn't help -- the method just isn't there.

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Moved the is_ai_bot_tracking_enabled() / is_tracking_enabled() settings check above the isUserAgentAIBot() call in is_doing_ai_bot_tracking_this_request(). The track_ai_bots setting defaults to false, but the old code hit the undefined method before it ever checked the setting, so the fatal error fired even with the feature turned off.
• Added a method_exists() guard around the isUserAgentAIBot() call. If somebody does enable AI bot tracking but the bundled tracker library still doesn't have the method, the code skips tracking instead of crashing the site.

🔧 Technical details

The call chain is: wp_footer hook -> do_ai_bot_tracking() -> is_doing_ai_bot_tracking_this_request() -> crash at line 209. The AIBotTracking class is instantiated unconditionally in WpMatomo.php (no guard on the setting), and register_hooks() always adds the wp_footer action. So every frontend page load hits the broken code path.

Error:

Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined method WpMatomo\AjaxTracker::isUserAgentAIBot()
in classes/WpMatomo/AIBotTracking.php:209

🔬 Test Plan

• Confirm site no longer returns HTTP 500 on frontend pages
• Confirm AI bot tracking still works if the method gets added to MatomoTracker in a future update
• Verify no regressions in standard Matomo tracking

📝 Additional Notes

This is a minimal, non-breaking fix. The settings check was already in the method -- it just needed to run earlier. The method_exists() guard is there as a safety net so this kind of thing can't take down a site again.

The longer-term fix is probably shipping the isUserAgentAIBot() method in the bundled matomo-php-tracker library.

🔗 Related Issues

• Closes Fatal error in AIBotTracking.php - undefined method AjaxTracker::isUserAgentAIBot() #1380

[diosmosis]

Hi @jspicher, this method does exist in the MatomoTracker shipped with this plugin, see: https://github.com/matomo-org/matomo-for-wordpress/blob/develop/app/vendor/matomo/matomo-php-tracker/MatomoTracker.php#L2075

Are you using another plugin that also includes the matomo-php-tracker?

[jspicher]

Hi @jspicher, this method does exist in the MatomoTracker shipped with this plugin, see: https://github.com/matomo-org/matomo-for-wordpress/blob/develop/app/vendor/matomo/matomo-php-tracker/MatomoTracker.php#L2075

Are you using another plugin that also includes the matomo-php-tracker?

Hello @diosmosis we ran an update through wp-admin and it broke our site because of this.
Matomo Analytics - Ethical Stats. Powerful Insights. Privacy friendly, GDPR compliant and self-hosted. Matomo is the #1 Google Analytics alternative that gives you control of your data. Free and secure.
Version 5.8.0

I even tried downloading a fresh copy of the files and uploading to our plugins folder but the problem persists.

[diosmosis]

@jspicher Hi, can you answer my question: are you using another plugin that also includes the matomo-php-tracker?

Can you check the file I linked above in your server and see if the method is there?

[diosmosis]

Closing due to lack of response.