Article Summary:
AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, and others increasingly cite sources and send visitors to websites. Many organizations are not measuring this traffic in Google Analytics (GA4). This article shows how to identify AI-driven visits in GA4 using two simple workflows. First, use the Traffic acquisition report and add a filter where Session source exactly matches selected AI referrers to see which tools send sessions and how those visits perform. Second, apply the same filter in the Pages report to learn which pages receive AI referrals and to review engagement and conversions at the page level.
What is AI Traffic
AI traffic refers to human visits with a recognizable referrer from an AI assistant or AI-powered search interface. Examples include Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini, and CoPilot. This is different from bot activity that GA4 filters, Google AI Overviews impressions that do not result in a click, and LLM crawlers that do not show up in GA4. Understanding AI referrals helps you see which topics currently earn citations, how people arrive, and where to improve engagement and conversion.
Prepare a Source List
Add filter on the dimension Session source using the match type Exactly matches. Because GA4 stores the referrer as it appears in your property, select the exact sources you see in your data. Start with a short list such as chatgpt.com, gemini.com, perplexity.ai, copilot.microsoft.com, poe.com, and you.com. Add or remove items over time based on what appears in your reports and server logs.
Method 1: Traffic Acquisition report
Goal: identify which AI Platforms send sessions and evaluate quality.
Open GA4, then go to Reports, Acquisition, Traffic acquisition. Set the primary dimension to Session source or Session source/medium. Click Add filter, set Dimension to Session source, set Match type to Exactly matches, then select each AI source from the dropdown. If your UI requires multiple values, add additional Include filters with the OR operator until all selected sources are included. Apply the filter to view only AI referred sessions.
Review Sessions, Users, Engaged Sessions, Average Engagement Time, and Conversions. If you want to see where visitors start, add a secondary dimension for Landing page + query string. Leadership can then compare AI referrals with Organic, Paid, and other channels across time periods. This supports budget decisions with clearer attribution.
Method 2: Top Pages Report
Goal: see which content receives AI traffic and how that traffic performs.
Open GA4, then go to Reports, Engagement, Pages and screens. Use Page path + query string or Page title as the primary dimension. Add the same Include filter you used above. Choose Session source, set Match type to Exactly matches, and select the same AI sources. Apply the filter to view top pages by AI referred sessions.
Add a secondary dimension for Session source to connect each page with the specific AI referrer. Sort by Engaged sessions, Average engagement time, and Conversions to find pages that attract engaged visitors. Pages that get AI referrals often include definitions, comparisons, step by step content, and original data. If a page draws traffic but converts poorly, consider clearer summaries, visible CTAs, and improved readability.
To save these filters for quicker access, click on customize report in the top right corner. Then add the filters and save the report. Custom reports can be found in your Library on the left-hand menu.
Make AI referrals Visible in Dashboards
The workflows above work well for analysis, but leadership often needs a consistent view. Consider creating a custom channel grouping in GA4 that classifies the same list of domains as AI Referrals. This places AI alongside Paid, Organic, and Direct in standard reports.
A Looker Studio dashboard can include tiles for AI Sessions by Source, Top AI Landing Pages with conversions, trend over time, and contribution to assisted and last click conversions. At Webolutions, we pair this with our True Attribution™ ROI System and Real Time Performance Intelligence Dashboards to connect channel activity with revenue outcomes.
Interpreting the Results
When AI assistants favor certain topics or pages, expand coverage with related FAQs, short definitions, and clear takeaways near the top of the page. If engagement is strong but conversions are weak, test above the fold CTAs, improve page speed, and add structured data where relevant. If you see little or no AI traffic, publish content that AI models commonly cite such as concise definitions, methodology pages, comparison guides, and original statistics.
Caveats to Keep in Mind
Some apps and mobile environments strip referrers, which can make sessions appear as Direct. GA4 filters many bots, but monitor pages with very low engagement to confirm quality. Google AI Overviews will not always produce a click, so your content strategy should include being a credible cited source even when visits are not guaranteed. Update your source list regularly. If your domain list includes subdomains such as copilot.microsoft.com, you will need to select that exact value. If you see variants such as chat.openai.com in your reports, include those as separate selections.
How Webolutions Can Help
At Webolutions, we understand that adopting AI in your marketing stack is about more than just technology. It is about building smarter and more effective strategies that deliver real business results. Whether you need to audit your current AI tools, launch a new AI-driven campaign, or optimize your marketing workflows, our team is ready to guide you through every step of the process.
We work closely with your team to evaluate existing data workflows and identify opportunities for automation and improvement. We help set up transparent and actionable reporting dashboards, so you always have clear visibility into what is working. Additionally, we provide hands-on support and training to ensure your team feels confident and capable using new AI tools.
With a combination of 30 years of digital marketing experience, Webolutions empowers you to harness the full potential of AI while maintaining your brand’s reputation and strong customer relationships.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Webolutions serves clients nationwide from our offices in Denver, Colorado.
- How to Spot AI Traffic in Your Website Analytics - October 2, 2025
- Top 7 AI Tools for Marketing in 2025 - July 16, 2025
- Ethical AI in Digital Marketing - April 30, 2025
