What Does "Direct" Mean For A Source?

What Does "Direct" Mean For A Source?

Having a "Direct" source could be for several reasons, like:

 

  • Typed the URL directly into the browser (e.g., www.yoursite.com)
  • Used a bookmark to visit the site
  • Clicked a link from a document (like a PDF, Word doc, or offline app) that doesn't pass referral data
  • Came from an email or SMS without tracking parameters (e.g., no UTM codes)
  • Redirected from a secure site (https) to a non-secure site (http) — sometimes referral data gets stripped

 

Just like in Google Analytics, direct traffic is basically a catch-all bucket. If Google can’t figure out where the visitor came from (no UTM, no referral), it drops them into "Direct."

The best way to avoid traffic from showing up as direct is to always use UTM parameters in the links shared via email, chat, newsletters, or offline campaigns.


To learn more about UTM, check out our article on What Is A UTM?

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