Referrer Filter

Last updated: April 9, 2025

Overview

When it comes to identifying where your anonymous website visitors came from, relying only on UTM parameters can leave you in the dark. Many visitors don't bring UTM tags with them. This is where the Referrer filter becomes your secret weapon.

The Referrer filter in Vector lets you see the origin of your visitors — not just who they are, but where they came from online.

Important Note

âš  The trigger for these segments should be Site Visitors. The Referrer filter will not work with Intent Signals. Make sure to use this filter only when segmenting contacts based on site visits.

Why Use the Referrer Filter?

  • UTM alone isn’t enough: UTM parameters only work if your visitor clicked on a tagged link. What if they didn’t? You’ll be left guessing.

  • Referrer reveals the source: Referrer tells you the platform or website they came from (e.g., Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.).

  • Critical for Social Traffic: Want to know how much traffic is coming from LinkedIn or Twitter? The Referrer filter will show you.

Example Use Cases

🎯 Scenario 1 - Identify Google Visitors

  • Visitor lands on your site with no UTM.

  • Vector's Referrer filter identifies: Referrer = Google.

  • Now you know this contact came through Google search.

🎯 Scenario 2 - Detect LinkedIn Traffic

  • Many social clicks don’t carry UTM tags.

  • The Referrer filter will show you: Referrer = LinkedIn.

  • This lets you segment and report on social traffic easily.

🎯 Scenario 3 - Segment by Referrer Source

  • If you want to differentiate traffic by source (Google vs. LinkedIn vs. Other), you’ll need to create separate segments with a Referrer filter for each.

  • Example: Build a “LinkedIn Visitors” segment where Referrer = LinkedIn.

Best Practices

âś… Always combine Referrer with other filters like buyer persona or target account lists for more meaningful segments.
✅ Don’t rely solely on UTM for traffic source insights. Use Referrer to fill in the blanks.
âś… Create dedicated segments for each referrer you care about (Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) to keep your reporting clean and actionable.

Questions? Boo 👻 us at support@vector.co and we’ll help you haunt the right traffic sources.