Source

Source in the context of digital marketing and analytics refers to the origin of traffic to your website or app. It identifies where a visitor came from before arriving at your content. Common sources include search engines (such as Google or Bing), direct access (when someone types your URL into a browser), referrals from other websites, or social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook. Understanding traffic sources is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of marketing efforts and allocating resources strategically.

Sources are often paired with the term “medium” to provide more context. For example, in Google Analytics, a source like “google” combined with the medium “organic” indicates a visit from unpaid search results. A source like “newsletter” with the medium “email” shows that traffic came from a specific email campaign. These combinations help marketers see not just where traffic originates, but also how it arrives and through what type of channel. Custom UTM parameters can also be used to define sources more precisely for campaigns.

Tracking sources allows you to measure which platforms and tactics are bringing in high-quality visitors who engage, convert or complete other meaningful actions. It can also reveal where you may be losing potential traffic due to broken links, weak referral partnerships or underperforming channels. Whether you are reviewing reports, planning a campaign or optimizing a funnel, knowing your sources helps connect audience behaviour to business outcomes. Clear source data supports better decision-making and makes it easier to demonstrate the return on your marketing investment.