How to track AI traffic in Google Analytics 4

This pattern matches the main AI assistants' domains. Add new ones as they appear:

^(.*\.)?(chatgpt\.com|chat\.openai\.com|openai\.com|perplexity\.ai|claude\.ai|gemini\.google\.com|bard\.google\.com|copilot\.microsoft\.com|meta\.ai|chat\.deepseek\.com|grok\.com|you\.com|phind\.com|chat\.mistral\.ai)$

1. In GA4, open Admin → Data display → Channel groups.
2. Copy the Default channel group (you cannot edit the default) and name it, for example "Channels with AI".
3. Click Add new channel, name it AI assistants.
4. Set the condition Session source · matches regex · paste the pattern above. Save.
5. Reorder so AI assistants sits above Referral. GA4 assigns each session to the first channel that matches.
6. Save the group. In Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition, switch the primary dimension to your new channel group.

Custom channel groups apply to historical data, so you can see AI traffic from before you set this up.

Create a Free-form exploration with Session source and Landing page + query string as rows, Sessions, Engaged sessions and Key events as values, and a filter on session source matching the regex. This shows which of your pages are being cited and clicked, and whether those visitors convert.

• AI Overviews and AI Mode clicks come from google.com and are counted as organic search. Use Search Console and manual checks instead; see Google AI Overviews.
• Apps that strip referrers. Some desktop and mobile apps open links without a referrer, so visits land in Direct.
• Delayed visits. A reader who sees your brand in an answer and later types your URL or searches your name counts as Direct or organic. Track branded search impressions in Search Console as a proxy.
• Mentions without links. Being recommended in an answer without a click is invisible to analytics. That is why checking the answers themselves matters.