If ChatGPT links to your site, you’d want to know - and see it in your analytics. In this post, we explain the UTM parameter that ChatGPT adds to outbound links and how to use Google Analytics 4 to filter for those sessions. You’ll learn which pages ChatGPT has cited and how users engage with them.

Does ChatGPT tag its links with UTM parameters?

Yes, but only under specific conditions. ChatGPT adds ?utm_source=chatgpt.com when:

• You’re using ChatGPT with internet access (e.g. GPT‑4 with browsing) or ChatGPT Search, and
• The link is surfaced as a citation in the AI output - not simply presented as part of a generic answer or user-requested URL.

All such citation links seem to receive the UTM tag, though search-result-style links often do not.

If a user clicks one of these auto-generated citation links, the UTM parameter ensures the visit appears in your analytics with the correct attribution rather than as “direct” traffic.

How to find this traffic in GA4

It’s worth noting that GA4’s navigation can differ by property settings, user permissions and the objective‑based shortcuts on your home or Reports page. Google also experiments with its menu layout, so two properties (even within the same account) might not match exactly.

A reliable way to view ChatGPT traffic is through the Traffic acquisition report. Because its location in the side menu can vary, the quickest path is to use the search bar at the top of the page and type “Traffic acquisition”. Depending on your setup, it may appear under:

• Reports > Business objectives > Generate leads > Traffic acquisition
• Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition
• Reports > Lifecycle > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition

Once the report loads, enter chatgpt.com in the search field above the table to filter for ChatGPT sessions.

Advanced GA4 users may prefer to build custom explorations to track AI‑driven sessions over time.

Why tracking this matters

1. Visibility: If you see chatgpt.com as the source, your content is being cited by ChatGPT as a direct answer. That indicates your structure, clarity and format are AI-friendly. 
2. Performance insight: Review engagement metrics to see which pages resonate with users clicking from ChatGPT.
3. Strategic focus: If certain content gets cited often, it may be worth expanding similar topics or refining your structure for better AI comprehension.

Recommended next steps

• If using GA4, identify which posts are being cited by ChatGPT
• Analyse those pages for clarity, structure and precision
• Publish more content that meets the same standards
• Keep refining the AI-friendliness of your site so it stays ingestible

Conclusion

Once you can see which pages AI systems are linking to, use engagement metrics to understand what resonates. Let that guide your content strategy: publish more of what works, and keep your pages ingestible for both humans and machines.