Practical guide · Search topic: website traffic sources analytics report
How to read a website traffic source report
A traffic-source report is only as useful as its dimensions. Source names the referrer or platform, medium describes the broad acquisition type, and a channel groups sources under a rule. The precise definitions depend on your analytics product.
What the query can—and cannot—measure
Start from raw session source and medium values, then review channel groupings. Add the landing page and date range to learn what a source delivered. Keep direct, unknown and unassigned traffic visible instead of folding missing information into a channel that looks more certain.
A practical way to do it
Check UTMs on links you control and preserve raw fields in exports. When a channel rule changes, document the date and apply the same rule when comparing periods.
A useful checklist
- Inspect raw source and medium before channel totals.
- Break down by landing page and date.
- Audit UTM naming and missing-source rows.
Limits to keep in mind
Attribution is limited by referrer privacy, redirects, cross-device journeys and tool-specific rules.
Questions
What is source versus medium?
Source identifies the origin; medium classifies how the visit arrived, subject to tool conventions.
Why does direct traffic rise?
It can reflect missing source data, bookmarks, typed URLs, apps or measurement changes.
Sources and further reading
Related pages
Sources and channels · quietstats cookie-free analytics UTM campaigns · quietstats cookie-free analytics Methodology: how quietstats counts visitors, visits, bounce rate and duration
Put your traffic in context
Explore the product, its measurement method and pricing before choosing a tool.