If you’re only here for the free Track AI Traffic in Looker Studio template, click here.
As artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity drive increasing volumes of website traffic, understanding their performance is crucial for marketers, analysts, and digital strategists. Google Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio) makes it easy to visualise this data – if you know how to filter and report it correctly.
In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through building an AI Traffic Report in Looker Studio from scratch. Whether you’re new to Looker Studio or looking to deepen your reporting skills, this guide will show you how to design, customise, and filter your report to isolate traffic from AI-driven sources.
Understanding AI Traffic
AI traffic encompasses data generated through interactions between artificial intelligence systems and web platforms. It’s significant because AI tools increasingly drive user engagement, automate processes, and enhance customer experiences. Businesses aiming to leverage advanced technologies need to comprehend AI traffic to optimise their online presence effectively.
The impact of AI traffic on website analytics is profound. Traditional metrics may not fully capture the complexities of AI-driven interactions, leading to gaps in understanding user behaviour. For example, AI chatbots, recommendation engines, and automated customer service tools contribute to traffic patterns distinct from human users. Analysing AI traffic allows businesses to understand how these technologies affect user journeys, enabling more informed marketing strategies.
Tracking AI traffic is crucial as it helps businesses assess the effectiveness of their AI initiatives. By understanding AI systems’ engagement with users, companies can refine strategies to enhance user satisfaction and conversion rates. Accurate tracking also helps identify trends and patterns, guiding businesses in making data-driven decisions that align with their objectives. In today’s digital landscape, effective monitoring of AI traffic is key to staying competitive and relevant.
How to Create an AI Traffic Report in Looker Studio
Step 1: Connect to Google Analytics
- Go to lookerstudio.google.com.
- Start with a Blank Report.
- Name your report something like “AI Traffic Report” to stay organised.
- Connect your Google Analytics 4 account and property to pull website traffic data into Looker Studio.
Step 2: Design the Layout
Add a Header
- Insert a rectangle at the top for the report header.
- Customise colours and borders for a clean design.
- Add a text box and enter the title (e.g., “AI Traffic Report”).
- Optionally, insert your company logo on the left side for branding.
Add a Date Range Control
- Use the Insert menu to add a date range selector so users can adjust the reporting period.
Step 3: Add Key Metrics with Scorecards
Use Scorecards to display core performance metrics:
- Sessions
- Total Users
- Bounce Rate
- Average Session Duration
- Event Count
- Revenue (or Key Events if not using eCommerce)
Align and style the scorecards neatly. Toggle on the Comparison Date
Range (e.g., compare to the previous year) for added context.
Step 4: Visualise Data with Charts
1. Time Series Chart
- Dimension: Month of Year
- Metric: Sessions
- Enable year-over-year comparison.
- Clean up the style by removing grid lines.
2. Combo Chart
- Dimension: Month of Year
- Metrics: Bounce Rate (Bar) and Avg. Session Duration (Line)
- Use separate axes and sort by month for readability.
3. Column Chart
- Metric: Revenue or any relevant KPI
- Sort by month and remove unnecessary styling elements for a clean look.
Step 5: Create a Dynamic Table
Build a Table with Key Dimensions and Metrics
- Dimension: Session Source / Medium
- Metrics: Sessions, Users, Bounce Rate, Avg. Session Duration, Revenue
- Show a summary row and limit to top 20 sources for clarity.
Style the Table
- Use a heatmap for better visual differentiation.
- Customize headers and enable year-over-year comparison for each metric.
Step 6: Add Pie Charts
Create pie charts to show:
- Traffic Share by Source/Medium
- Revenue Share by Source/Medium
This gives a quick overview of how AI tools contribute to your site performance.
Step 7: Filter for AI Traffic
Now that your report structure is ready, it’s time to isolate AI-driven traffic.
Apply a Page-Level Filter
- Go to Page > Current Page Settings > Add a Filter.
- Create a filter called AI Tools Traffic.
- Use a Regular Expression to include session source/mediums like:
.*gpt.*|.*chatgpt.*|.*openai.*|.*neeva.*|.*writesonic.*|.*nimble.*|.*outrider.*|.*perplexity.*|.*google.*bard.*|.*bard.*google.*|.*bard.*|.*edgeservices.*|.*gemini.*google.*This filter will update all charts and metrics on the page to reflect only traffic from AI tools.
Step 8: Build AI Tool-Specific Pages
You can go further by creating individual pages for each AI traffic source:
- Duplicate the overview page.
- Rename it (e.g., “ChatGPT Traffic”).
- Update the header text and create a new filter specific to that tool (e.g., ChatGPT Traffic).
Repeat for other tools like Gemini, Perplexity, etc. This modular approach makes it easy to monitor performance per tool.
Free AI Traffic Looker Studio Template – all you have to do is copy the template and connect it to your data source!
Final Thoughts
In just a few steps, you can build a dynamic, insightful AI Traffic Report in Looker Studio. Whether you’re analysing top-level trends or diving deep into specific tools, this setup helps you:
- Track traffic and revenue from AI tools
- Understand bounce rates and session duration for each source
- Visualize trends over time
- Make informed marketing decisions
Looker Studio’s flexibility allows you to scale your report further — adding filters, pages, or metrics based on your evolving needs.
Explore More: If you found this guide useful, check out other tutorials in the Looker Studio category to learn how to enhance your Looker Studio reporting even more.
For tracking AI traffic in Google Analytics read my How to track AI traffic in GA4 article.
Have questions or want to see a specific feature in action? Drop a comment – I am happy to help.
Happy reporting!
FAQ
Great question! AI traffic refers to visits or interactions on your website that come from tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity – not from actual humans typing in your URL. These tools are crawling or accessing your web pages, and from time to time even directing users to your site. If you’re in digital marketing – SEO, analytics, content creation – understanding how much of your traffic comes from AI sources can help you see the real picture and avoid misreading your user data.
You won’t always see ‘ChatGPT’ or ‘Gemini’ clearly labelled in your Google Analytics reports. That’s where the Looker Studio report comes in! By creating a filter using the regular expressions in the article above, you can isolate traffic from known AI sources like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity. This gives you a cleaner view of how these tools are impacting your traffic and engagement.
Not at all! This guide is super beginner-friendly. I break everything down step-by-step – from connecting your Google Analytics account to building out charts, scorecards, and even filters. Whether it’s your first report or your fiftieth, you’ll walk away with a polished, insightful dashboard by the end. Last but not least I have included a link to a free Looker Studio template. Just don’t forget to connect to your data source.
Once set up, your report will show things like:
– How much traffic came from AI tools
– How that traffic compares over time
– Bounce rates and session duration from those sources
– Which AI tool is driving the most value (traffic, revenue, engagement)
It’s basically a health check for your AI traffic – and a goldmine for shaping your marketing strategies.
Yes! I’ve included a free Looker Studio template you can copy and plug your own data into. It comes pre-loaded with the charts, filters, and layout mentioned in the tutorial. Just connect your Google Analytics data, tweak as needed, and you’re good to go.
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