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Plausible

ANALYTICS
Velocity5.0

Privacy-friendly web analytics

plausible.io ↗

Plausible builds a dedicated AI referral channel as ChatGPT and Claude become measurable traffic sources

web-analyticsai-referralsfunnel-analysisprivacy-analyticsconversion-tracking
◆Current state
Plausible has been steadily expanding its funnel analysis capabilities: strict-order funnels, time-comparison across periods, revenue tracking in funnels, and now flexible funnels form a coherent analytics arc. The AI Assistants channel—tracking ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and others as distinct referrers—and traffic annotations address structurally new user needs that emerged from shifts in how web traffic originates. User journeys rounds out the analysis toolkit with path visualization.
◆Where it's heading
Plausible is extending its 'simple but complete' posture into territory where GA4 is genuinely weak: nuanced funnel types, AI referral attribution, and user path analysis without requiring tag-heavy JavaScript. The funnel features are converging toward a full conversion-analysis toolkit while the product retains its privacy-first, lightweight identity. Each addition addresses a real gap rather than feature-matching.
◆Prediction
Expect further expansion of AI Assistants reporting—more granular source attribution or AI-search-specific conversion tracking—as AI chatbot traffic becomes a meaningful segment for more sites.

◆Recent moves

  1. 3d ago

    Flexible funnels

    Flexible funnels let visitors skip intermediate steps and still count as converting, as long as they hit the first and last steps. This fills the gap for user flows where middle steps are optional or multi-path—a common e-commerce and onboarding pattern that strict funnels couldn't model.

  2. 17d ago

    Compare funnels over time and track revenue in funnels

    Funnel time comparison and revenue tracking extend the already-developed funnel feature: users can now see whether conversion rates improved or declined versus a prior period at each step, and tie funnel completions to revenue—connecting behavior analytics to business outcomes without a separate BI tool.

  3. 2mo ago

    Add notes to your traffic chart with annotations

    Traffic chart annotations let teams mark product launches, campaigns, and SEO changes directly on the chart, turning the traffic graph from a data view into a narrative tool. This is a small UX addition that removes the need to maintain a separate change log alongside analytics.

  4. 3mo ago

    See full URLs in Page reports

    Full URL breakdown in page reports (not just path) is useful for multi-subdomain setups where the same path exists under docs, app, and www. A targeted improvement for a common pain point in larger deployments.

  5. 3mo ago

    New AI Assistants channel

    ⚡ SPARK

    The AI Assistants channel appears in Plausible's Channels report with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity broken out as individual sources—a direct response to the structural shift in how traffic now originates. This is the first analytics product Plausible has shipped that addresses the post-search traffic landscape.

  6. 4mo ago

    User journeys is here!

    User journeys shows the actual paths visitors take through a site—which pages lead where, where sessions branch, where they end. It extends Plausible's analysis surface toward behavioral understanding without requiring complex event configuration or GA4-style exploration.