Start free

Tagged links count as the right source

A link tagged ?utm_source=chatgpt, ?ref=hn or ?source=linkedin counts as ChatGPT, Hacker News or LinkedIn, even when the browser sends no referrer.

Dashboard & reportsFeature page: Tagged links count as the right source
Tagged links count as the right source: example screenshotTagged links count as the right source: example screenshot
Example screenshot with made-up data, not a real customer’s numbers.

What it does

When a visit arrives with no referrer (apps, AI assistants, email clients and many in-app browsers strip it), quietstats reads the utm_source, ref or source tag on the landing link and maps well-known values to the real site: chatgpt becomes chatgpt.com, fb becomes facebook.com, gmail becomes mail.google.com. The visit then lands in the right channel (AI, Social, Search or Email) instead of Direct.

Why it matters

AI assistants and apps often send no referrer, so their visits hide in “Direct”. If you tag the links you share, the tag tells the story the browser would not.

How to use it

  1. Add ?utm_source=, ?ref= or ?source= to links you share where browsers drop the referrer (apps, PDFs, some AI tools).
  2. quietstats counts the visit under that source when there is no referrer.
  3. Unknown tags still show in UTM campaigns.
HTML
https://quietstats.co.uk/?utm_source=chatgpt
https://quietstats.co.uk/?ref=hn
https://quietstats.co.uk/?source=linkedin

Replace YOUR_SITE_ID with the ID shown on your site’s Manage page.

How it works

How a visit gets its source and channel1. The browser sends a referrer. quietstats keeps only its host, such as google.com. 2. No referrer? A known ?utm_source=, ?ref= or ?source= tag (over 100 mapped) stands in for it. (otherwise: Unknown tag: shown as a UTM source) 3. Known lists put the host in a channel: Search, AI, Social or Referral. 4. UTM medium decides Email and Paid. No referrer and no tag = Direct. 5. Sources, Channels and the AI report show the totals.1The browser sends a referrer.quietstats keeps only itshost, such as google.com.2No referrer? A known?utm_source=, ?ref= or?source= tag (over 100 mapped)stands in for it.Unknown tag:shown as a UTMsource3Known lists put the host in achannel: Search, AI, Social orReferral.4UTM medium decides Email andPaid. No referrer and no tag =Direct.5Sources, Channels and the AIreport show the totals.
From the collector and channel code. A real referrer always wins over a tag.

Privacy

Limits

Plans

Every plan, including Free. quietstats is free during launch: the Free plan covers 1 site and 5,000 pageviews a month, and no card is needed. See pricing.

Questions

What if the link has a referrer and a tag?

The referrer wins. The tag still shows in the Campaigns card.

Can I add my own mappings?

Not yet. Unknown tags still appear as UTM sources, so nothing is lost.

Related