How to Find Referral Traffic Sources in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

If you’re diving into Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and trying to make sense of referral traffic sources, you’re not alone. Many businesses are still adapting to GA4’s new interface and features. To find referral traffic sources in GA4, go to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition. Then, add a filter by selecting the Session default channel group as the dimension, choosing Match type: Exactly match, and selecting Referral before applying the filter. To view the specific referral sources, add Session Source as a secondary dimension. This will display a list of websites that are driving referral traffic to your site.

The report shows referral sources along with the key metrics like sessions, engaged sessions, engagement rate, and conversions from each referring site. GA4 updates this data continuously, helping you track which external sites drive valuable traffic to your website.

What is Referral Traffic?

Before we jump in, here’s a quick refresher. Referral traffic includes visitors who land on your website by clicking a link on another website (excluding search engines and direct traffic). For example, if someone clicks a link to your site from a blog post, a news article, or a partner’s website, it’s considered referral traffic.

Tracking referral traffic is a great way to evaluate which external sources are driving visitors to your site. It’s especially useful for understanding the impact of PR campaigns, backlinks, and partnerships.

Steps to Find Referral Traffic Sources in GA4

Step 1: Log Into Google Analytics 4

To get started, log into your GA4 account. Make sure you select the correct property associated with your website. This ensures you’re analyzing the right data.

Step 2: Navigate to Traffic Acquisition Reports

Once inside GA4, head over to the Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition. At this point, you’ll see an overview of different traffic sources that drive visitors to your site.

Step 3: Filter for Referral Traffic

Since we want to focus on referral traffic specifically, we need to apply a filter.

Now, your report will display only referral traffic, giving you a clearer view of visits coming from external websites.

Step 4: Identify Referral Traffic Sources

To see which websites are referring traffic to your site, follow these steps:

Now, the report will show the specific domains that are driving referral traffic to your website.

Final Thoughts

Finding referral traffic sources in GA4 is a simple yet powerful way to optimize your website’s marketing efforts. By following these steps, you can easily track which external sites are sending visitors your way, allowing you to refine your strategy and boost engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I differentiate between referral and direct traffic in GA4?

In the Traffic Acquisition report, GA4 categorizes traffic sources, making it easier to differentiate between direct and referral sources by examining the “Source/Medium” section.

What exactly counts as referral traffic in Google Analytics 4?

Referral traffic represents visitors who come to your website by clicking a link from another website, excluding traffic from search engines and direct visits. This includes links from blogs, news sites, partner websites, and other external sources that direct users to your site.

How can I exclude spam referrals in GA4?

You can create filters to exclude known spam domains and set up referral exclusions to keep your data clean.

What are referral exclusions in GA4?

Referral exclusions prevent certain domains from being categorized as referrals, which is essential for avoiding self-referral data issues.

What is the difference between source and medium in GA4?

Source identifies where the traffic originated (like “facebook.com”), while medium identifies how it got there (like “referral” or “organic”).