What utm_source=chatgpt.com means and how to remove it
utm_source=chatgpt.com is a tag that ChatGPT adds to links it shows in answers, so that the site that receives the click can see where it came from. The value is the same for every visitor. You can remove it from a link without changing the page; removing it from the address you share does not affect how the click was counted.
Last checked · How we check
Where it comes from
In Ahrefs' test, links that ChatGPT showed as sources carried ?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Trade press reported from 13 June 2025 that ChatGPT added the parameter to more links, including links under "More". Analytics tools that read utm_source show the value as the visit's source, which is why chatgpt.com appears as a source in GA4 and similar tools.
We have not read an OpenAI document that describes the parameter. The OpenAI help article we looked for returned HTTP 403 to our reader. Everything here about where the tag comes from rests on tests and reports by others, listed below.
Timeline
| Date | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | Test: source links in ChatGPT carry ?utm_source=chatgpt.com | Ahrefs |
| 13 June 2025 | First reports of the parameter on more links, including "More" | PPC Land (secondary) |
| 13 May 2026 | GA4 adds an AI Assistant channel | Google release note |
| 9 October 2026 | Reports that ChatGPT links stopped carrying the tag and the referrer; a fix is said to have started on 15 October | Search Engine Journal; see our incident page |
Should you remove it?
Two different questions hide here. Removing it from a link you share (in a message, a document or a bookmark) is harmless and tidies the address. Removing it from the page you serve is different: if you strip the parameter before your analytics script has read it, you lose the attribution. If you want a clean address in the browser bar, read the parameter first and clean the address afterwards with the History API.
Some site owners remove such parameters for privacy or tidiness. The value is a fixed string, the same for every visitor; we make no legal assessment of it.
Remove it from a link
Paste a link. It is edited here in your browser and never sent or opened.
Follow-up questions
Does the tag mean the visitor was tracked individually?
The value we observe is the fixed string chatgpt.com. It names the source, not the person. Whether your analytics tool adds an identifier is a question for that tool's settings.
Why do I see chatgpt.com as a source but also Direct visits from ChatGPT?
Some links carry the tag, others are opened without it or without a referrer. See why AI clicks end up as Direct.
Is the tag still added after October 2026?
It was reported missing from 9 October 2026 and a fix was reported from 15 October. We do not know the current state for every surface. See the incident page.
Sources
Read on . Links lead to the original pages.