How to track WhatsApp and phone leads that came from ChatGPT
Short answer: A visitor from ChatGPT who taps your WhatsApp button or phone number leaves your website before you learn who they are, so the lead usually loses its source. Which AI Sent gives you three ways to connect them: a short reference code added to WhatsApp messages, matching a lead to a recent tap on your website, and asking “How did you first hear about us?”.
Why these leads go missing
With a form, the name, email and visit are captured together. With a tap, the visit ends on your website and the conversation starts in another app. The website knows “someone from ChatGPT tapped WhatsApp at 2:14pm”. Your phone knows “Maria messaged at 2:15pm”. Nothing joins the two.
For many local businesses most enquiries arrive this way, which means most of their AI leads are invisible.
1. A reference code in the WhatsApp message
Switch on WhatsApp leads in Settings. From then on, when a visitor taps a WhatsApp link on your website, the message that opens already contains a short line such as Ref: WAS-7K2QD. When they send it, you see the code. Type it in when you log the lead and it’s matched to that exact visit, including the AI assistant that sent them. A code match is the strongest kind: the lead is labelled Confirmed.
It’s optional and off by default, because it changes what your customers see in their message. Some customers delete the line, and that’s fine: use the next method for those.
2. Match the lead to a tap
When you log a lead by hand, the form shows recent taps on your phone and message links, each with its time and where the visitor came from. If Maria messaged at 2:15pm and there’s a WhatsApp tap from a ChatGPT visitor at 2:14pm, pick it.
Because this is your judgement and not a tracked link, the lead is labelled Assisted, not Confirmed. That keeps your Confirmed number strict. (What the labels mean: Confirmed vs Declared, explained.)
3. Ask
The oldest method still catches the most. Ask every caller and chat “How did you first hear about us?” and record the answer on the lead. Customers who say ChatGPT are labelled Declared. It also catches the people no tracking can see: those who asked an AI, then typed your number in by hand. More on this in the most valuable question you’re not asking.
Which to use
| Method | Label | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Reference code | Confirmed | Businesses that live on WhatsApp |
| Match to a tap | Assisted | Phone calls, and chats where the code was removed |
| Ask the customer | Declared | Everyone, always |
They work together. Most businesses switch on the question first, then add the code if WhatsApp is a big channel.
What about call tracking numbers?
Services that swap your phone number per visitor can attribute calls automatically, and they’re a good fit for businesses with high call volume and budget for it. They cost extra, change the number customers see, and don’t cover WhatsApp. The three methods above cost nothing more and work with the number you already have.
WhatsApp and phone leads
Can you track which WhatsApp chats came from ChatGPT?
Yes, in two ways. An optional reference code is added to the pre-filled WhatsApp message, which matches the chat to the visit exactly. Or you can match the lead to a recent WhatsApp tap on your website when you log it.
Does the reference code change my WhatsApp number or link?
No. Your number stays the same. Only the pre-filled message gets one short extra line, which the customer can see and remove.
Why are tap-matched leads labelled Assisted and not Confirmed?
Because the match is made by you from the timing, not by a tracked link. Keeping it separate means your Confirmed number stays strict.
Can Which AI Sent track phone calls?
It records taps on your phone number and where each visitor came from, and lets you match a call to a tap or record what the caller said. It does not record or listen to calls.
Stop losing the source of your calls and chats
Connect your website, switch on the question, and add the WhatsApp code if you need it.