How to track AI traffic in Analytics

How to Spot AI-Generated Traffic in GA4

Curious about how much of your traffic is coming from AI platforms like ChatGPT or Perplexity? Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you track AI-generated visits using Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Spoiler: it’s easier than you think—once you know where to look.

Why Bother?

AI is changing how people find your site. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are recommending content to users—and they’re clicking through. If you want to see who’s coming from these platforms, GA4 can show you. Here’s how to find the gold dust.

Step 1: Go to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition

This is your main dashboard for understanding where your site visitors come from. Think of it as your digital front door camera.

Step 2: Filter by Session Default Channel Group = Referral

Click “Add comparison” and choose "Referral" under session channel. This weeds out direct, email or organic visits—so you’re only seeing people who came from another site (like an AI chatbot).

Step 3: Add Session Source/Medium as a Secondary Dimension

This is the juicy bit. Add “Session source/medium” to see the exact sites sending you traffic. Look out for familiar AI names like:

chat.openai.com / referral
gemini.google.com / referral
perplexity.ai / referral
bard.google.com / referral

You can make this even sharper by using a regular expression filter. Here’s one that covers the usual suspects:

Step 4: Check Which Pages They’re Visiting

Head to Engagement > Pages and screens and apply the same filter. You’ll now see exactly which pages are catching the attention of AI-powered users. This gives you clues on what content resonates with these platforms—and where to double down.

Step 5: Compare Engagement

Are AI visitors just window-shopping or actually buying? Check session duration, bounce rate, and conversions. If this traffic is converting, it’s worth optimising your content to attract more of it.

Want Help Digging Into Your GA4?

If you’d like us to set this up for you or simply want a walkthrough of your current analytics setup—drop us a message. We can make sure you're capturing the right data and using it to fuel smarter decisions.