AI Referrals Surge 357% to 1.13B in June
▼ Summary
– AI referrals to top websites grew 357% year-over-year, reaching 1.13 billion in June 2025, but remain far below Google Search’s 191 billion referrals.
– News and media sites saw a 770% increase in AI referrals, with Yahoo leading at 2.3 million, while some publishers block AI access due to legal disputes.
– AI overviews in Google searches reduce click-through rates to linked content, with users clicking 8% of the time compared to 15% without AI summaries.
– ChatGPT dominates AI referrals, accounting for over 80% of traffic to top domains, while other platforms like Gemini and Claude contribute smaller shares.
– In e-commerce and tech, Amazon (4.5M) and Google (53.1M) led AI referrals, with YouTube (31.2M) topping other categories like arts and education.
The rapid rise of AI-driven web traffic is reshaping how users discover content online, with referrals from artificial intelligence platforms skyrocketing by 357% year-over-year. Recent data reveals that in June, AI tools directed over 1.13 billion visits to the world’s top 1,000 websites, a staggering increase from the previous year. Despite this explosive growth, traditional search engines like Google still dominate, generating 191 billion referrals during the same period.
The impact on news and media publishers has been particularly striking. With AI-generated summaries becoming more prevalent, many outlets face declining click-through rates. Research indicates that when AI overviews appear in search results, users click through to original sources just 8% of the time, compared to 15% when no summary is provided. This trend has fueled concerns about a potential “Google Zero” scenario, where organic search traffic to news sites could plummet.
In June, AI referrals to news websites surged by 770%, with Yahoo leading the pack at 2.3 million visits, followed by Yahoo Japan (1.9M), Reuters (1.8M), and The Guardian (1.7M). Notably, some publishers blocking AI crawlers, like The New York Times, saw lower referral numbers due to ongoing legal disputes over content usage.
ChatGPT remains the dominant force in AI-driven traffic, responsible for more than 80% of referrals to major domains. Other platforms, including Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude, contribute smaller but growing shares. Beyond news, AI is also reshaping traffic patterns in e-commerce, tech, and social media. Amazon topped the e-commerce category with 4.5 million referrals, while Google led tech and social platforms with 53.1 million visits.
The data highlights a broader shift in user behavior, with AI increasingly serving as a gateway to information. As these tools evolve, businesses and publishers must adapt strategies to maintain visibility in an increasingly AI-driven digital landscape.
(Source: TechCrunch)
