AI traffic tracking: how every AI assistant shows up in your analytics
A reference for ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI and the rest: the hostname each one sends, whether it adds a UTM, and where it lands in GA4.
The reference table
| Assistant | Referrer hostname(s) | Adds a UTM? | Referrer reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | chatgpt.com, chat.openai.com | Often: utm_source=chatgpt.com | Good on web, poor in the mobile apps |
| Gemini | gemini.google.com (older: bard.google.com) | No | Mixed: often stripped from the Android assistant and Google apps |
| Perplexity | perplexity.ai | Not reliably | Good on web and mobile |
| Claude | claude.ai | No | Good on web; app links can arrive without one |
| Microsoft Copilot | copilot.microsoft.com, copilot.cloud.microsoft | No | Mixed; Copilot inside Windows and Edge varies |
| Grok | grok.com | No | Varies; Grok inside X may show as x.com or t.co |
| DeepSeek | chat.deepseek.com | No | Varies |
| Meta AI | meta.ai | No | Meta AI inside WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger usually arrives without it |
| Mistral, You.com, Phind, Poe | chat.mistral.ai, you.com, phind.com, poe.com | No | Varies |
| Google AI Overviews / AI Mode | google.com | No | Indistinguishable from Google organic |
These are the hostnames Which AI Sent matches, including subdomains. See them as a daily dashboard with AI referral analytics, or copy them as a ready-made regex for GA4, Tag Manager or Looker Studio from the AI referral regex generator.
Claude
Claude links out when it searches the web or when someone asks for sources. Visits arrive from claude.ai. Claude’s audience skews toward professionals and technical buyers, so even small volumes can be high value for B2B, software and professional services. Allow ClaudeBot, Claude-SearchBot and Claude-User in robots.txt if you want to be cited.
Microsoft Copilot
Copilot shows up in Windows, Edge, Bing and Microsoft 365, so the same recommendation can reach your site through several doors. Visits with a Copilot referrer come from copilot.microsoft.com or copilot.cloud.microsoft. Some Copilot answers inside Bing look like Bing search traffic. Copilot leans on Bing’s index, so Bing Webmaster Tools and a verified Bing Places listing help.
Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI and smaller assistants
Individually small, together worth watching. Which AI Sent groups them as Other AI so they don’t get lost in Referral. The catch is Meta AI and Grok used inside social apps (WhatsApp, Instagram, X). Those visits usually look like social or Direct traffic.
What to do with the traffic you can’t see
Across every assistant, a share of AI-driven customers never click a link. They get a name, then search for it or phone. Analytics can’t see them. Asking “How did you first hear about us?”, on the form and on the phone, is the only reliable way to count them. Which AI Sent adds that question and labels those customers as Declared, separately from Confirmed tracked visits. More in AI search attribution and the “How did you hear about us?” guide.
AI traffic tracking questions
Which AI assistant sends the most traffic?
For most websites, ChatGPT, by a wide margin, followed by Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot. It varies by industry and audience, which is why it’s worth measuring on your own site.
Is AI traffic counted as referral or organic?
AI assistant clicks with a referrer are referral traffic by default. GA4 now moves recognised assistants into an AI Assistant channel. Google AI Overviews and AI Mode are counted as organic search.
How much AI traffic ends up as Direct?
It depends on the assistant and on how many of your visitors use mobile apps. Treat every AI traffic number as a minimum.
Do I need to block or allow AI crawlers?
If you want AI assistants to recommend and cite you, allow their search crawlers (for example OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot, Claude-SearchBot) in robots.txt.
See what AI is already sending you
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