ai-traffic-tracking

When the user wants to track AI search traffic in GA4 or GSC. Also use when the user mentions "AI traffic," "ChatGPT referral," "Perplexity traffic," "AI Ove...

Security Scan

The skill's instructions, requirements, and scope are consistent with its stated purpose (tracking AI-driven search traffic in GA4/GSC); it is an instruction-only skill that does not request credentials, installs, or unrelated privileges.

Purpose & Capability

Name/description (AI traffic tracking for GA4/GSC) align with the SKILL.md content. The skill is instruction-only and does not request unrelated credentials, binaries, or config paths, which is proportionate for this purpose.

Instruction Scope

Instructions stay on-task: they guide how to build GA4 explorations, channel groups, custom reports, and recommend regex for AI sources. They do not instruct reading local files, accessing unrelated env vars, or sending data to external endpoints. Note: using these steps requires GA4/GSC account access/permissions (expected but not requested by the skill).

Install Mechanism

No install spec and no code files — lowest risk. The skill only provides prose instructions to be executed by a human in the GA4/GSC consoles or by an agent with appropriate access.

Credentials

The skill declares no environment variables or credentials. This is appropriate; however, practical use does require appropriate GA4/GSC permissions (admin/editor) in the target accounts — the skill does not request or explain obtaining those credentials.

Persistence & Privilege

always is false and there is no install or persistent agent modification. The skill does not request system-wide privileges or modify other skills' configs.

Assessment

This skill is instruction-only and appears coherent for its purpose. Before installing/using: ensure any agent or person who follows these steps has legitimate GA4/GSC access (admin/editor) — the skill itself won't request credentials but the consoles will. Review and test the provided regex against your actual traffic (it may overmatch or miss domains); update it for your observed sources. Be cautious about granting automated agents browser access to your analytics accounts — that is outside the skill and could expose data. If you need programmatic access (APIs), expect additional credentials/permissions not covered here; verify any related skill that asks for API keys or tokens before connecting them.

Analytics: AI Traffic

Guides tracking of AI-driven search traffic in Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Scope

• AI search traffic: Track in GA4 and GSC; separate AI sources from organic referral
• Google AI Overviews: AI summary box in Google search (formerly SGE)
• AI-driven search: Traffic from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, etc.

Why Track Separately

• AI traffic is growing but GA4 often groups it as Referral, Organic, or Direct
• AI visitors may have stronger intent and higher conversion
• Separating AI Overviews from organic helps assess AI impact

GA4: AI-Driven Search

Option 1: Exploration Report (Recommended)

1. Explore →Free form
2. Dimensions: Session source (or Session source / medium)
3. Metrics: Sessions, Engagement rate, Event count, etc.
4. Filters: Add filter →Session source Matches regex →use regex below
5. Configure table, save report

Regex (common AI sources):

chatgpt\.com|openai\.com|openai|perplexity\.ai|perplexity|doubao\.com|chat\.qwen\.ai|copilot\.microsoft\.com|copilot\.com|(business\.)?gemini\.google|chat\.deepseek\.com|deepseek\.com|poe\.com|anthropic\.com|claude\.ai|bard\.google\.com|edgeservices\.bing\.com

Option 2: Custom Channel Group

1. Admin →Data Display →Channel Groups
2. Copy default group, name e.g. "Default and AI Chatbots"
3. Add channel "AI Chatbots": Source Matches regex (same regex)
4. Important: Place "AI Chatbots" above "Referral" so it matches first
5. Save and use in Traffic Acquisition

Option 3: Custom Report

1. Reports →Library →Create Detail Report
2. Use Traffic Acquisition template
3. Add filter: Session source Matches regex (same regex)
4. Save and add to menu

Common AI Source Domains

Platform	GA4 Source examples
ChatGPT	chatgpt.com, openai
Perplexity	perplexity.ai, perplexity
Copilot	copilot.com, copilot.microsoft.com
Gemini	business.gemini.google, gemini.google
Claude	claude.ai, anthropic.com
Bing Chat	edgeservices.bing.com

Google AI Overviews

• GA4 + URL fragment: Some AI Overview clicks add URL fragments; can use GTM (partial coverage)
• GSC: For AI Overviews analysis in GSC (filter, limitations), see google-search-console

Checklist

• AI sources identified in GA4 (Session Source)
• AI traffic Exploration report created
• Channel group updated with AI above Referral (if used)
• Custom report added to Library (optional)
• GTM + URL fragment for AI Overviews (optional)
• GSC AI-oriented query filter (optional; see google-search-console)

Output Format

• GA4 setup: Exploration, channel group, or custom report
• Regex: Adapted to user's observed sources

Related Skills

• generative-engine-optimization: GEO strategy; AI traffic tracking measures GEO impact
• traffic-analysis: Traffic sources, attribution, UTM
• analytics-tracking: GA4 events and conversions
• google-search-console: GSC AI traffic analysis
• robots-txt: AI crawler allow/block strategy