Referrer type
The ‘Referrer type’ dimension reports which generic channels visitors clicked through to arrive at your site. Adobe maintains the rules for each dimension item, unlike Marketing channels, where your organization maintains rules for each channel.
Populate this dimension with data
Adobe derives this dimension from the referrer of each hit, matching it against multiple lookup tables internal to Adobe. There is no variable to set. Because each value depends on the referrer, make sure that the referrer dimension and Internal URL filters are configured correctly.
Dimension items
Dimension items include the type of referrer of the hit. Specific values include the following:
- Typed/Bookmarked: No referrer data exists for the hit. This value includes visits from conversational AI tools that open links without a referrer.
- Search engines: The referrer came from a recognized search engine that includes a keyword query string.
- Conversational AI tools: The referrer came from a recognized conversational AI tool.
- Social networks:: Referrer data belonged to an Adobe-recognized social network.
- Other web sites: Referrer data did not belong to a search engine or social network that Adobe recognizes.
- No JavaScript: The referrer came from a browser that did not have JavaScript enabled.
- Hard drive: Referrer originated from a local copy of a web page on the visitor’s hard drive.
- Email: Referrer originated from a URL with a protocol of
imap://ormail://. Does not include online email services, as these typically usehttps://protocol.
Conversational AI tools
The following list references the ‘Conversational AI tools’ lookup table that Adobe uses. Adobe provides this list as a courtesy to Adobe Analytics customers. If you would like to recommend that Adobe adds a domain to this list, have a support delegate in your organization contact Customer Care.
https://chatgpt.comhttps://chat.comhttps://chat.deepseek.comhttps://chat.openai.comhttps://doubao.comhttps://duck.aihttps://gemini.google.comhttps://copilot.microsoft.comhttps://m365.cloud.microsofthttps://perplexity.aihttps://labs.perplexity.aihttps://playground.perplexity.aihttps://claude.aihttps://grok.comhttps://komo.aihttps://phind.comhttps://poe.comhttps://blackbox.aihttps://chat.mistral.aihttps://meta.aihttps://you.com
Include AI traffic that has no referrer
Some conversational AI tools, including ChatGPT, open links without sending a referrer. Adobe reports these visits under ‘Typed/Bookmarked’ instead of ‘Conversational AI tools’. AI tools can change how they open links at any time. If your ‘Conversational AI tools’ traffic drops, a tool might have stopped sending a referrer. The drop does not mean that Adobe Analytics lost data.
Instead of a referrer, some of these tools add a UTM query string parameter to the links that they open, such as utm_source=chatgpt.com or utm_source=perplexity. To get a fuller count of traffic from conversational AI tools, use the UTM parameter together with the ‘Conversational AI tools’ value:
- Capture the UTM parameter in a variable: Set an eVar to the
utm_sourcevalue of the landing page URL. Use thegetQueryParamplug-in, the URL parameter features in the Web SDK or Adobe Analytics extension, or a processing rule that reads the query string parameter. - Create a marketing channel for AI tools: Create a Marketing channel processing rule that matches if any of its conditions are true. Add the Referrer Is Conversational AI condition, and a Query String Parameter
utm_sourcecondition for each value that AI tools use, such aschatgpt.comorperplexity. - Create a segment: Create a segment that matches either ‘Referrer type’ equals ‘Conversational AI tools’ or your UTM eVar contains a value that AI tools use. Because the Page URL dimension includes query strings, you can also match Page URL contains
utm_source=chatgpt.com. This option works without implementation changes.
Some AI tools send neither a referrer nor a UTM parameter. You can’t identify traffic from these tools as AI traffic.
Social networks
The following list references the ‘Social networks’ lookup table that Adobe uses. Adobe provides this list as a courtesy to Adobe Analytics customers. If you would like to recommend that Adobe adds a domain to this list, have a support delegate in your organization contact Customer Care.
12seconds.tv4travel.jpadvogato.orgameba.jpanobii.comanswers.yahoo.comasmallworld.netavforums.combacktype.combadoo.combebo.combigadda.combigtent.combiip.noblackplanet.comblog.seesaa.jpblogspot.comblogster.comblomotion.jpbolt.combrightkite.combsky.appbuzznet.comcafemom.comcare2.comclassmates.comcloob.comcollegeblender.comcyworld.co.krcyworld.com.cndailymotion.comdelicious.comdeviantart.comdigg.comdiigo.comdisqus.comdraugiem.lvfacebook.comfaceparty.comfc2.comflickr.comflixster.comfotolog.comfoursquare.comfriendfeed.comfriendsreunited.comfriendsreunited.co.ukfriendster.comfubar.comgaiaonline.comgeni.comgo.bsky.appgoodreads.complus.google.complus.url.google.comgrono.nethabbo.comhatena.ne.jphi5.comhotnews.infoseek.co.jphyves.nlibibo.comidenti.cat.ifeng.comimeem.cominstagram.comintensedebate.comirc-galleria.netiwiw.hujaiku.comjp.myspace.comkaixin001.comkakaku.comkanshin.comkozocom.comlast.fmlikeshop.melinkedin.comlinkin.biolivejournal.comlnkd.inmeetup.comme2day.netmister-wong.commixi.jpmixx.commouthshut.commp.weixin.qq.commultiply.commumsnet.commyheritage.commylife.commyspace.commyyearbook.comnasza-klasa.plmatome.naver.jpnetlog.comnettby.nonetvibes.comnextdoor.comnicovideo.jpning.comodnoklassniki.ruok.ruorkut.compakila.jpphotobucket.compinterest.compinterest.co.ukplaxo.complurk.compo.streddit.comrenren.comskyrock.comslideshare.netsmcb.jpsmugmug.comsnapchat.comsonico.comstudivz.netstumbleupon.comt.163.comt.cot.hexun.comt.people.com.cnt.qq.comt.sina.com.cnt.sohu.comtabelog.comtagged.comtaringa.netthefancy.comthreads.comthreads.nettiktok.comtoutiao.comtripit.comtrombi.comtrytrend.jptuenti.comtumblr.comtwine.comtwitter.comuhuru.jpviadeo.comvimeo.comvk.comwayn.comweb-cdn.bsky.appweibo.comweourfamily.comwer-kennt-wen.dewordpress.comx.comxanga.comxing.comyammer.comyaplog.jpyelp.comyelp.co.ukyouku.comyoutube.comyozm.daum.netyuku.comzooomr.comzhihu.com
Search engines in the ‘Other websites’ dimension item
When you view specific domains in the ‘Referrer type’ dimension, there can be domains that you would expect under ‘Search engines’ listed instead under ‘Other web sites’. For example, you might see 'google.com' under ‘Other web sites’.
- Search engine domains in the ‘Search engines’ dimension item: The referrer met all criteria to classify as a search engine by Adobe. The referring domain is a valid search engine, and the referring URL contains a keyword query string parameter.
- Search engine domains in the ‘Other websites’ dimension item: The referring URL did not meet all criteria to classify as a search engine. Common examples include subdomains dedicated to other features besides search. For example,
mail.google.comorautos.yahoo.comare not search engines, but reside on a top-level domain commonly associated with search. These subdomains do not include a keyword query string, which is why they are included under ‘Other websites’ instead of ‘Search engines’.