ChatGPT is apparently stripping UTMs now. RIP attribution

Written By Chris Ripley

ChatGPT is quietly killing your attribution and you probably haven't noticed yet.

Apparently ChatGPT started stripping UTM parameters from outbound links. Sometimes the referrer data too. So when someone asks ChatGPT for a recommendation, clicks through to your site, and books a demo, GA4 cheerfully labels it Direct.

One analysis showed ChatGPT-attributed traffic dropping 31k visits a day while Direct went up 26k.

Same timing. Probably not a coincidence.

The annoying part? You can't fix missing attribution with another GA4 configuration. The data just isn't there.

If you’re tracking everything 2026 you’ll soon be back to "How did you hear about us?" fields on forms. Worth checking your GA4 from the past week.

If ChatGPT referrals dropped and Direct spiked, now you know why. Not a solution, just a heads up that your numbers might be lying to you.

Chris Ripley
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