The short answer
Open Traffic acquisition in GA4. Use Session default channel group to review Referral and AI Assistant separately, then add Session source / medium to identify the recorded sources. Google AI Overviews and AI Mode remain Organic Search; this report cannot isolate their visits.
How to see referral traffic in GA4
In Google Analytics, choose Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition. A customized property may place the report elsewhere or omit it. Editors and administrators can restore a missing report to the navigation.
Choose complete dates and record the property timezone. Use the table below to keep each question tied to the appropriate session dimension. First user source describes initial acquisition and answers a different question.
| Your question | Report setup | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Which websites sent referral visits? | Use Session default channel group, filter to Referral, and add Session source / medium. | Referring sources, Sessions, and Engaged sessions. |
| Which recognized AI assistants sent visits? | Review AI Assistant separately, with Session source / medium. | The recorded assistant sources and session counts. |
| How much traffic came from Google AI Mode or AI Overviews? | Review Organic Search for overall search traffic. | Keep AI-only visits unknown; this channel does not isolate them. |
- Save the date range, timezone, report dimensions, filters, and extraction time with the export.
- Inspect Referral separately for candidate assistant sources. Confirm each identity before classifying it; preserve the original source/medium.
- If the row or report is unavailable, record unavailable. A missing row alone does not establish zero visits.
Source: Google Analytics: Traffic acquisition report; Google Analytics: Default channel group
Start with the native channel
Google added the AI Assistant default channel on May 13, 2026. Recognized assistant referrers receive medium ai-assistant and campaign (ai-assistant). Use the current channel definition before maintaining your own list.
Google AI Overviews and AI Mode are excluded from this channel and remain Organic Search. An AI Assistant row therefore does not represent all traffic influenced by Google’s AI features.
Source: Google Analytics: AI Assistant channel release; Google Analytics: Default channel group
Does GA4 show Google AI Mode as a referrer?
Google AI Mode and AI Overviews belong to Organic Search in GA4’s default channel definitions, not AI Assistant. An Organic Search total does not isolate which visits came from those AI features.
Check the recorded source and medium, but do not relabel all Google organic sessions as AI traffic. Use the current default definitions and retain what the report cannot distinguish.
Pair GA4 with Search Console’s AI report
Search Console now provides a dedicated generative AI Search report for exposure in AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google marked the worldwide rollout complete on August 31, 2026. Read its AI impressions beside your overall Web clicks and GA4 acquisition data.
These are different measurements. The new report does not turn GA4 Organic Search into an isolated AI-traffic segment. For a fictional page with 40 AI impressions and six overall Web clicks, AI-driven visits remain unknown; six divided by 40 is not AI CTR. Use the related Search Console guide below for the review worksheet.
Source: Google Search Central: Generative AI performance reports
Reconcile a small report
This fictional 28-day example uses reserved example hostnames, not a list of services GA4 recognizes. The three rows represent disjoint sets of sessions. The third is assumed to have independent evidence that its source is an assistant.
The native channel has 32 recorded sessions. Three identifiable QA sessions leave 29. A separate Referral row has four sessions, including one known QA session, leaving three more for the reviewed assistant category. Report 29 native plus 3 reviewed referrals: 32 in total. Keep both components visible.
Only subtract QA when the report and a QA record support that exclusion. If your own visits cannot be isolated, label the period contaminated instead of estimating a deduction. Multiple sessions can belong to one person.
| Synthetic source / medium | Recorded | Known QA | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| assistant-a.example / ai-assistant | 20 | 2 | 18 |
| assistant-b.example / ai-assistant | 12 | 1 | 11 |
| assistant-c.example / referral | 4 | 1 | 3 |
Keep the useful outcome separate
Suppose the fictional inquiry log records one relevant professional inquiry linked to one reviewed session. Report one qualified inquiry with that evidence. A contact-link click alone would not establish that an inquiry was sent or qualified.
The worksheet includes evidence and unresolved-gap columns. Replace the example rows before using it. Keep private contact details and user-level analytics out of public reports.
Download the example, rules, and blank row (JSON)Investigate gaps without rewriting the history
Keep the native channel as the reference. If a verified assistant referrer lands elsewhere, record the hostname, supporting evidence, date checked, and original classification. A documented custom grouping can support a separate analysis when the gap warrants it.
Do not infer assistant origins from Direct traffic, use a crawler user-agent list as a referrer list, or combine a custom grouping with the same native sessions twice. Note any collection or classification change beside period comparisons.
State what remains unknown
Consent choices and missing referrers can leave visits unobserved or unattributed. Analytics sessions are a proxy for visits, not verified unique people. Crawler requests belong in request logs; citations belong in recorded answers with source links.
Compare complete periods only after reporting has settled. Keep known QA out of audience interpretation, preserve unresolved gaps, and read inquiry quality alongside session counts. None of these observations alone proves that publishing a guide caused an increase.
Sources & scope
Primary references checked for this edition. The notes below distinguish source-backed facts from the frameworks and examples proposed in this guide.
- Google Analytics: AI Assistant channel release ↗
Documents the May 13, 2026 AI Assistant channel and automatic medium/campaign classification for recognized referrers.
Checked September 6, 2026 - Google Analytics: Default channel group ↗
Defines the AI Assistant channel and excludes Google AI Overviews and AI Mode. Channel membership is not proof of a unique human or citation.
Checked September 20, 2026 - Google Analytics: Traffic acquisition report ↗
Documents session-scoped acquisition dimensions, report access, metrics, and secondary dimensions. The reconciliation method and all example counts are editorial illustrations.
Checked September 20, 2026 - Google Search Central: Generative AI performance reports ↗
Confirms the August 31 worldwide rollout, available dimensions, and inclusion within overall performance. It does not provide a traffic forecast.
Checked September 18, 2026
AI-assisted research and drafting. Provider-specific claims link to primary sources. Frameworks are editorial proposals; worked examples are illustrative and are not employer performance results.
Editorial policy & corrections ↗Cite this guide
George Kelly. How to find referral traffic in GA4, including AI iamgeorgekelly. Updated September 22, 2026. https://www.iamgeorgekelly.com/field-guide/ga4-ai-referral-traffic
Keep the source notes and example labels with an excerpt. For a provider requirement, follow the original documentation in Sources & scope.