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Understanding Direct Traffic in SealMetrics

Direct vs Referrer traffic in SealMetrics follows one simple rule:

  • If a referrer exists → Referrer Traffic
  • If the referrer is empty → Direct Traffic

This binary model ensures clear and privacy-compliant traffic source attribution.

What Is Direct Traffic?​

Direct traffic occurs when the referrer field is empty.

This means SealMetrics received no information about the previous page the user came from.

Key rule:

Direct traffic = referrer is empty

How Referrer Information Works​

When a user clicks a link from one website to another, the browser normally sends an HTTP referrer header.

This header contains the URL of the previous page and helps website owners understand where traffic comes from.

Example referrer header:

Referrer: https://google.com/search?q=analytics

SealMetrics reads this header (without storing personal information) to classify traffic sources.

How SealMetrics Classifies Referrers​

If a referrer exists, SealMetrics analyzes the domain and performs category-based enrichment:

✔ Domain recognition​

Certain domains are automatically recognized and reclassified:

  • google.com → SEO
  • bing.com → SEO
  • facebook.com → Social
  • instagram.com → Social

✔ Why this reclassification matters​

It provides more meaningful insight into which channels bring traffic to your site, instead of treating everything as a generic “referrer”.

Why This System Matters​

SealMetrics’ referrer classification allows you to:

  • Identify top-performing traffic sources
  • Understand whether traffic comes from search, social, media, or partners
  • Improve marketing strategy based on accurate channel attribution
  • Maintain full privacy compliance without tracking users individually

Summary​

  • Direct Traffic occurs when the referrer is empty
  • Referrer Traffic is enriched when SealMetrics recognizes known platforms
  • This classification provides clearer attribution while staying fully privacy-first

SealMetrics gives you a transparent, simple, and accurate way to understand how users arrive at your website — without cookies, without IDs, and without compromising user privacy.