Introducing AI Chatbot Traffic Tracking

Hi everyone – Roie Gotler here, Product Marketing Manager for Web Intelligence at Similarweb.

As marketers, we all know that AI is no longer a distant trend. It’s already transforming how people discover information online. Popular GenAI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude are quickly becoming go-to sources for answers, reshaping the way users (search for and) engage with content and make decisions.

As these AI agents become more integrated into the user journey, one big question emerges:

How can SEOs and digital marketers measure AI traffic impact?

We’re excited to announce a major step forward 🥁…

… 🥁AI Chatbot Referral Traffic is now available in Similarweb.

Why is this a big thing

Until now, referral traffic from AI chatbots has been either a blind spot or time-consuming to track down. You might have noticed new traffic trends or unexpected visits, but had to work hard to be able to attribute them.

With this new feature, you can finally track traffic coming from AI platforms and understand how users are discovering your content through chatbot recommendations. This gives you a new lens on your performance in the age of AI-assisted discovery.

How it works: A quick walkthrough

Here’s how to find and use the new AI Chatbot Traffic view in Similarweb:

• Search for any domain
  Start by entering your website – or a competitor’s – into the Similarweb search bar.
• Navigate to Website Performance > Referrals
  This section shows referral traffic sources and trends over time.
• Go to ‘Referring Sites’
  You’ll see a table of domains that have driven referral traffic.
• Apply the ‘Traffic Source Group’ filter
  Use this new filter to select AI Chatbot Referrals and isolate traffic coming from AI platforms like chat.openai.com (ChatGPT), perplexity.ai, and more.
• Analyze performance
  You’ll get a clear view of:
  • Visit volume from each AI chatbot
  • Engagement metrics (bounce rate, visit duration, pages per visit)
  • Share of overall traffic
  • Traffic trends over time

Check out your AI chatbot traffic

As part of this feature, you can also view the Top Landing Pages from Chatbots report. It highlights the specific pages AI chatbots are directing users to, giving you valuable insight into what people are asking, and how they’re using chatbots as an alternative to search engines. It’s also a great way to understand which content or products different chatbots are most likely to recommend.

Going beyond this, you can also monitor what AI prompts are driving traffic to your landing pages—and your competitors’. From here, you can locate content gaps to boost visibility and put your brand to the front of any GenAI response. Check it out here.

Why do you need this? Simply put, these are the questions people are asking about your business or product. Does it match brand perception? And what about the questions about your competitor’s site? Now you know you need your brand to be in those queries too.

Real-world example: AI referrals in action

Imagine you’re managing SEO for a leading skincare brand. You notice a spike in traffic to your hero product page, but it’s not coming from Google or social media. Instead, a new source shows up: chatgpt.com.

With Similarweb, you dig deeper and discover why: ChatGPT is recommending your product when users ask questions like, “What’s the best serum for sensitive skin?” Those AI-generated answers are now driving meaningful traffic to your site.

In fact, referrals from ChatGPT now make up 7% of your total referral traffic, over 1 million visits each month. This isn’t just a passing trend. It’s a new, measurable channel. While it may not be as straightforward to optimize for as traditional search, it’s one you can begin adapting your SEO strategy to support. (Think FAQs, Support Center, website pages for your key products, and informational blogs).

This kind of insight opens the door to new opportunities. Whether it’s adjusting content to match how people phrase questions to chatbots or uncovering what drives visibility within these AI platforms.

What this means for SEOs everywhere

This shift in traffic patterns isn’t a one-off – it’s the beginning of a new chapter in digital discovery. Here are a few key takeaways:

1. Search is expanding.
   People are still using search engines, but they’re also turning to AI tools for answers. These platforms are becoming an important part of the discovery journey.
2. New visibility signals.
   Traditional keyword rankings remain important, but now there’s an added layer: whether your brand is being recommended by AI agents.
3. Smarter competitive analysis.
   Want to know if your competitors are being surfaced by ChatGPT or Perplexity? Now you can track it directly.
4. Content strategy evolution.
   As user behavior shifts, optimizing for chatbot discovery may become as relevant as optimizing for search. Understanding this traffic gives you a head start.

Looking ahead: Your strategy just got smarter

AI agents are becoming a core part of how people search and discover online. With Similarweb’s AI Chatbot Referral Traffic, you can finally measure that shift.

This new data gives you the visibility to stay ahead of emerging trends, adapt your SEO strategy, and identify new opportunities – both for your site and across your competitive landscape.

The way people search is changing. Now you have the insights to lead that change.

Start exploring your AI chatbot traffic in Similarweb today – and turn your website’s referral data into actionable insights for your digital strategy.

by Roie Gortler

Senior Product Marketing Manager

With 10+ years in product marketing, strategy, branding, and PR, Roie has driven growth at top agencies and tech firms through product launches and go-to-market strategies.