--- title: "Google Gemini is testing UTM tags. Here's how to track your AI traffic." description: "Google Gemini is testing UTM tags on citation links. Learn how to track Gemini traffic in GA4 and recover hidden scroll-to-text fragment data with Vizzybl." url: https://vizzybl.ai/blog/gemini-utms category: "Research" author: "Jez Lloyd" date_published: 2026-10-04T17:26:33.638Z date_modified: 2026-10-04T17:26:33.638Z reading_time_minutes: 2 source: "Vizzybl" --- # Google Gemini is testing UTM tags. Here's how to track your AI traffic. Traffic attribution for Gemini has just taken a massive steps forwards. Over the last few weeks at Vizzybl we noticed a change in how Gemini formats outbound citation links. We started to see UTMs on a large percentage of answers in every country where we have active Gemini prompts being monitored. ## The Data. Google's Live Gemini Test As a new but fast growing platform we're monitoring 595 Gemini answers daily, which generates on average 4,200 citation links. We observed the rollout in real-time. - September 10th 2026, UTMs started appearing gradually on active Gemini prompt monitors across multiple countries. - September 28, 2026: 100% of the 4,235 captured links included UTM tags - Post-September 29: The tags temporarily disappeared. Based on our experience with Google conducting global live tests, it was likely a performance stress test amongst other checks, and we expect it to return in the comings days and weeks. ## A big step forwards but there is still a huge challenge. Finally if your site is appearing in a Gemini response and (this is the critical part) the user clicks your site, then you will now be able to see this in your logs. The challenge isn't over, we know that when an Google AI Overview appears, click-through rates for top-ranking organic results drop by up to 58%, slicing outbound publisher traffic almost in half. (1) ## What does the tag look like? If you are using Google Analytics 4, How can you find the traffic yourself in your logs or GA4? - ?utm_source=gemini. referral traffic from standard consumer Gemini. - ?utm_source=geminiforbusiness. Referral traffic for enterprise/ Google Workspace users. For example: https://example.com/guide/?utm_source=gemini#:~:text=the%20passage%20Gemini%20quoted ## The blind spot? While UTM parameters confirm that a user came from Gemini, they don't tell you why or what Gemini cited. Gemini links frequently use Scroll-to-Text Fragment Anchors (#:~:text=). These fragments automatically scroll the user's browser to the exact sentence or passage quoted in Gemini’s response. The Challenge: Browsers never send anchor fragments (#) to your web server or Google Analytics 4. The #:~:text= fragment is stripped client-side before the request hits your server. This leaves a critical gap in your attribution: GA4 sees: [https://example.com/guide/?utm_source=gemini](https://example.com/guide/?utm_source=gemini) What you lose: The exact product, quote, or sentence that drove the click. ## What are we doing about it? Closing the Attribution Loop with Vizzybl UTMs tell you the platform; text fragments tell you the intent. Because server logs and GA4 miss text anchors entirely, true Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) requires monitoring answer engines at the output source. At Vizzybl, we capture both sides of the equation: - Source Attribution: Automating UTM and referral tracking across engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. - Context Attribution: Extracting the exact text fragments (#:~:text=) cited in every answer, giving you full visibility into which specific content triggered the referral. Want to see which passages in your site are driving AI referrals? Explore Vizzybl today. Sources: 1: https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-overviews-reduce-clicks-update/ ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I identify Gemini traffic in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)? Look for two specific source parameters in your GA4 acquisition reports or raw server logs: ?utm_source=gemini: Direct referral traffic from standard consumer Gemini. ?utm_source=geminiforbusiness: Referral traffic from Google Workspace and Gemini Enterprise users. ### Are UTM tags permanently active on Gemini citation links? Not yet. Vizzybl's daily monitoring detected a live global test running from September 10 to September 29, 2026 peaking at 100% of sampled citation links on September 28–29 before temporarily disappearing. This behaviour aligns with standard Google feature testing, and we expect UTM parameters to return as a permanent feature. ### What is a text fragment anchor (#:~:text=), and why does it matter? A Scroll-to-Text Fragment anchor is a URL parameter used by Gemini to automatically scroll a visitor's browser to the exact sentence, table, or passage quoted in its AI response. It provides "context attribution" revealing the specific piece of content that drove the click, rather than just the page URL. ### Why don't text fragments appear in GA4 or server logs? Browsers process anchor fragments (anything following #) strictly on the client side and do not send them in HTTP requests to web servers. Because the browser strips #:~:text= before page load, standard analytics tools like GA4 only record the base URL and UTM parameters, losing the exact quoted passage. ### Why is AI referral tracking critical if AI Overviews reduce organic clicks? When Google AI Overviews appear, click-through rates for top-ranking organic results drop by up to 58%. Attribution tracking allows you to measure how much referral traffic you are capturing directly from AI citations to offset lost traditional search traffic. 1 ### How does Vizzybl capture text fragments if browsers strip them? Vizzybl captures data at the generation source rather than relying on server-side landing logs. By continuously monitoring answer engine outputs across engines like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity, Vizzybl records the full raw citation link—including the #:~:text= fragment at the exact moment the answer is rendered. ![Google Gemini is testing UTM tags. Here's how to track your AI traffic.](https://vizzybl.ai/api/blog/media/blog/4ccde4cd8f5fa871ba723060992685c50f9de8460d76bf28ac725ef5103aac35.png)