How to track ChatGPT and Perplexity traffic in Google Analytics 4
A simple GA4 setup to see visits and leads from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and Claude: a custom channel group, the referrer list, and what GA4 can't see.
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Rank on Google
Blue links, snippets and maps — and the base layer AI reads from.
AEO
Named by assistants
Cited in the answers ChatGPT, Perplexity and Copilot give.
GEO
Synthesised by AI
The source Google AI Overviews and Gemini build their answer from.
One shared foundation: crawlable, structured, trustworthy content — run as a single program.
If AI assistants send you visitors, Google Analytics 4 already records most of them. By default they're mixed into "Referral", so nobody notices. A custom channel group fixes that in about ten minutes.
The referrers to look for
- chatgpt.com, and the older chat.openai.com
- perplexity.ai
- gemini.google.com
- copilot.microsoft.com
- claude.ai
ChatGPT also often adds utm_source=chatgpt.com to the links it shows, so some of its visits arrive tagged.
Create an "AI assistants" channel
- 1In GA4, go to Admin, then Data display, then Channel groups.
- 2Create a new channel group, or copy the default one so you keep the standard channels.
- 3Add a channel named AI assistants.
- 4Set the condition to Source matches regex, with: (chatgpt\.com|chat\.openai\.com|perplexity\.ai|gemini\.google\.com|copilot\.microsoft\.com|claude\.ai)
- 5Move the new channel above Referral in the list, because GA4 applies the first rule that matches.
- 6Save, then use the new channel group in your acquisition reports.
It works on past data too
GA4 applies custom channel groups to your historical data as well, so once you save it you can look back at AI visits from previous months.
Connect it to leads
Visits are useful; enquiries are what matter. Mark your enquiry form submission as a key event in GA4, then look at key events by the AI assistants channel. Pass the source into your CRM as well, so you can see which AI-referred leads turned into deals.
What GA4 can't see
- Visits where the referrer is stripped, which show up as Direct.
- People who read your name in an answer, then search for you on Google later. They appear as organic or direct visits.
- Mentions that never produced a click.
Add a question to your enquiry form
Analytics undercounts AI influence, so add a simple field to every enquiry form: "How did you hear about us?" Include "AI assistant (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot)" as an option, next to search, referral, social and events. Pass the answer into your CRM.
After a few months, compare the two numbers: AI-referred visits that converted, and leads who said they heard about you from an assistant. The second is usually higher, because many people see your name in an answer and then search for you directly.
A simple monthly view
- AI assistant sessions, from the custom channel.
- Key events, such as enquiries, from that channel.
- Leads who selected "AI assistant" on your form.
- Deals from those leads, from your CRM.
That's why we pair analytics with two other measures: a "How did you hear about us?" field on forms, and a weekly check of the buyer questions themselves. Our AI visibility audit sets up all three.
Frequently asked questions
- Does ChatGPT show up in Google Analytics?
- Yes, usually as referral traffic from chatgpt.com. Many links also carry utm_source=chatgpt.com. A custom channel group makes it visible as its own channel.
- Why is my AI traffic so low in GA4?
- Some visits lose their referrer and appear as direct, and many people who see you in an AI answer search for you later instead of clicking. Analytics undercounts AI influence.
- Can I track AI mentions that don't produce clicks?
- Not in GA4. Track a fixed set of buyer questions in the assistants themselves each week, and ask new leads how they found you.
AI VisibilityAEOGEO
M
Magathi
AI Visibility specialist at Edthi · SEO, AEO & GEO
Leads AI Visibility programs at Edthi, helping companies get found and recommended across Google and the AI engines. Writes about how AI search actually decides who to cite.
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