tracking traffic from ChatGPT and so on.

Hello,

Does anyone know how to track the traffic coming from Perplexity or ChatGPT? I have checked several tools but they are quite expensive, some cost hundreds. Are there any free options available?

Tracking traffic from Perplexity or ChatGPT is still a challenge because these AI tools often don’t send identifiable referral data to websites. Since they act more like intermediaries or content surfaces rather than traditional browsers, standard analytics platforms (like Google Analytics) may not show them clearly as referrers. Currently, there are no widely available free tools that specifically isolate traffic from these sources. However, you can monitor unusual spikes in direct traffic or use UTM parameters in shared links to help track engagement. As AI search grows, more analytics platforms may start offering affordable or even free solutions tailored to AI-generated traffic.

Tracking traffic from AI tools like Perplexity and ChatGPT is challenging because they don’t always send clear referral data, and traditional analytics rely on JavaScript, which AI crawlers often bypass. However, Perplexity often provides clickable source links in responses that appear as referrals in analytics. ChatGPT, especially its search-enabled version (ChatGPT Search, which is powered by the Bing API), may also send referral traffic when users click on referring links, although this is less consistent. Free tools can capture this referral traffic and indirect signals, but they don’t track AI crawler activity, which requires a paid, server-level solution like Writesonic’s AI Traffic Analytics

You can try using UTM parameters with Google Analytics to track traffic sources like ChatGPT or Perplexity. It’s free and works well for basic tracking.