# Understand traffic sources and referrers

> Read sources, referrers, campaigns, and direct traffic without assigning more certainty than the browser supplied.

Canonical page: [https://attribiq.com/guides/traffic-sources-referrers](https://attribiq.com/guides/traffic-sources-referrers)

Category: Web Analytics

Last updated: 2026-09-08

Topics: sources, referrers, direct traffic, campaigns, utm

## Summary

A referrer is the page or hostname supplied by the browser, a source is the normalized acquisition label, and a campaign comes from explicit tags. Missing evidence should remain direct or unknown.

## What this guide covers

- Distinguish source from referrer
- Understand direct traffic
- Use UTM campaign fields
- Avoid overclaiming attribution

Acquisition reports explain how a recorded visit reached the site using the evidence available in the request.

## Referrer

The referrer is the page or hostname supplied by the browser. It may identify a search engine, partner, publication, social network, or another page on your own site.

Referrers can be missing because of browser policy, application behavior, copied links, redirects, or privacy controls.

## Source

Source is a normalized label used to group related traffic. For example, multiple Google referrer URLs can appear under a common source label.

Use the raw referrer when you need the supplied hostname and the source when you need a cleaner comparison.

## Campaigns

UTM parameters provide explicit campaign context:

- `utm_source`
- `utm_medium`
- `utm_campaign`
- `utm_content`
- `utm_term`

Use a consistent naming policy. `newsletter`, `Newsletter`, and `email-newsletter` create separate values unless normalized before publishing.

The [UTM builder](https://attribiq.com/tools/utm-builder) can create a tagged URL, and the [UTM checker](https://attribiq.com/tools/utm-checker) can review it before launch.

## Direct and unknown traffic

Direct does not always mean someone typed the address. It means the recorded visit did not include a usable source signal.

Do not silently convert missing evidence into a confident acquisition claim. Keep the recorded traffic state visible and apply attribution models separately when revenue is connected.

## A practical review

For a campaign window:

1. Check total visitors and sessions.
2. Compare source and campaign rows.
3. Open the landing pages receiving that traffic.
4. Review goal or funnel conversion.
5. Add revenue only if payment events are connected.

## Next steps

Read [UTM revenue attribution](https://attribiq.com/guides/utm-revenue-attribution) for payment-aware campaigns or [content and landing pages](https://attribiq.com/guides/content-and-landing-pages) for the next step in the visit.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why is traffic marked direct?

The request may not include a usable referrer or campaign value. Bookmarks, copied links, privacy controls, applications, and redirects can all remove that evidence.

### Should I replace direct traffic with the previous known campaign?

Only if that is an explicit attribution rule you intend to use. Keep the recorded session evidence separate from any later model that assigns credit.