AI traffic analytics starts with one plain question. Are people clicking through to your site from ChatGPT, Gemini, or similar tools? Google Analytics 4 can now answer part of that on its own.
This guide shows where AI visits appear in GA4. It covers what the built-in channel misses. It also walks through a custom channel group that catches more.
Reporting note: We checked this guide against Google Analytics Help on November 4, 2026.
Key takeaways
- GA4 added an AI Assistant channel on May 13, 2026
- It counts clicks from tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude
- Visits without a referrer can still land in Direct
- Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode count as Organic Search
- A custom channel group can catch tools Google hasn't mapped
What changed in GA4 for AI traffic?
On May 13, 2026, Google added an AI Assistant channel to GA4's default channel group. Its What's new page says it tracks clicks from ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. You don't need to set anything up.
When a visit's referrer matches a recognized assistant, GA4 labels it for you. The medium becomes "ai-assistant" and the campaign becomes "(ai-assistant)". The visit then shows up in the AI Assistant channel.
Google's channel definitions name more sources too, like Deepseek, Copilot, and Grok. The same page says the channel excludes Google's own AI Overviews and AI Mode. Those clicks count as Organic Search.
On June 11, 2026, Google also added a Source group field. It tidies messy source names into groups. Google says it includes built-in grouping for ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Where to find AI traffic analytics in GA4
Start with the Traffic acquisition report. It shows new and returning visitors by channel. Here's the path Google lists:
- Open Reports, then Acquisition, then Traffic acquisition
- Set the table's first column to Session default channel group
- Look for a row named AI Assistant
- Switch the column to Session source to see each tool by name
- Pick dates after May 13, 2026, when the channel arrived
If you don't see the row, there may not be enough AI visits yet. Check again after a few weeks. A small number still tells you something.
What can't the AI Assistant channel see?
The channel depends on the referrer. That's the note a browser sends about where a visit came from. If the note is missing, GA4 can't tie the visit to an assistant.
Those visits will likely show as Direct instead. Here's what the channel tends to miss:
- Answers that mention your business but get no click
- Links copied from a chat and pasted into a browser
- Apps that don't pass a referrer
- AI tools that aren't on Google's list yet
- Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, which count as Organic Search
So treat the AI Assistant number as a floor, not a full count. It shows clicks you can confirm. It can't show every time an assistant mentioned you.
Scroll sideways to read the full table.
| Where the visit starts | Likely GA4 channel |
|---|---|
| A link in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Copilot | AI Assistant |
| An AI tool not on Google's list yet | Referral, until you add it |
| Google AI Overviews or AI Mode | Organic Search |
| A copied link or a missing referrer | Direct |
For Google's own AI features, look in Search Console instead. Our guide to the Generative AI report covers what Google shows there.
How to build a custom AI channel group
The built-in channel is a good start. A custom channel group can catch tools Google hasn't mapped yet. It also keeps the list under your control.
Google's channel group help page says you need Editor access or higher. Standard properties can add two custom groups, with up to 50 channels each. Custom groups can also apply to past data.
- Open Admin, then Data display, then Channel groups
- Click Create new channel group to copy the default group
- Give it a clear name, like AI tools
- Add a channel with a Source condition set to matches regex
- Paste a pattern of AI domains, like the one below
- Click Reorder and drag the new channel above Referral
- Click Apply, then Save group
Order matters here. GA4 puts each visit in the first channel it matches. If Referral sits higher, it claims your AI visits first.
These domains are examples to start from, as of November 4, 2026:
- chatgpt.com and chat.openai.com
- perplexity.ai
- gemini.google.com
- copilot.microsoft.com
- claude.ai
Joined into one pattern, that reads: chatgpt\.com|openai\.com|perplexity\.ai|gemini\.google\.com|copilot\.microsoft\.com|claude\.ai. AI tools change their domains. So test the list against your own Session source values.
Which pages do AI visitors land on?
The count is only half the story. The pages AI visitors land on show what assistants send people to read. That can point to the content worth improving next.
Use a free-form exploration for this. Google's Explorations help page explains the setup. Start a blank one, then add these pieces:
- Rows: Landing page + query string
- Filter: Session default channel group set to AI Assistant
- Values: Sessions, Engaged sessions, and Key events
If you built a custom group, filter on that instead. Explorations only reach back as far as your data retention setting. Google sets it to two months by default, and you can change it in Admin.
How to read AI traffic without overreacting
When counts are small, they jump around. One busy week can look like a trend. Look at a few months before you draw a conclusion.
- Compare AI visits with Organic Search over the same dates
- Check engagement, not just the number of sessions
- Watch which pages AI visitors land on most often
- Note big content changes next to the dates
None of this proves an assistant recommends you. It shows confirmed clicks, which is useful on its own. Pair it with an AI search audit to see how tools describe your business.
Keep personal data out of your AI reports
Google's rules bar sending personal data, like names or emails, into Analytics. That covers page addresses and their query strings too. Check thank-you pages and site search URLs before you build reports.
GA4 offers data redaction for web streams. It can strip email addresses on a best-effort basis. It can also remove query parameters you name.