ChatGPT stops passing UTM params, so your 'direct traffic' spike isn't brand lift
SEO · x · 2026-10-14
Barry Schwartz (Search Engine Land) reports that ChatGPT links no longer pass UTM parameters or tracking data. SEO practitioner SEO warns that the upcoming spike in direct traffic many sites will see is an attribution artifact, not real brand lift — publishers measuring AI-driven referrals via UTM need to rethink their analytics setup.
Related event: ChatGPT Links Quietly Drop UTM Parameters, Distorting Traffic Attribution(3 posts)→
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