AI referral tracking or an order stamp: which one do I need?
They answer different questions. AI referral tracking says a person arrived from an AI app, such as a link in ChatGPT. An order stamp says who placed the order: a person, a named agent, Unattended, or Unknown. A store can run both.
What referral tracking reads
The referrer, tags in the link, and often a cookie set when the visit starts. When the app sends a referrer, that works. When it sends none, the visit looks like Direct.
What an order stamp reads
The checkout request itself: the user-agent, the signature when one was sent, and whether a person used the place-order control. It does not need the visit to have a referrer.
Where they differ
| Case | Referral tracking | Order stamp |
|---|---|---|
| A person reads a ChatGPT answer, then clicks the link and buys | ChatGPT | Human |
| A person reads the answer, then types your address | Direct | Human |
| ChatGPT’s agent opens the store and checks out | ChatGPT, or Direct | ChatGPT (declared), or signed |
| A script creates the order through the REST API | Nothing, or Direct | API (python-requests) |
Neither one is wrong. The first answers where the shopper came from. The second answers who was at the checkout. Who placed this order?