---
title: Understand traffic sources and attribution
description: "Traffic source reports estimate how visitors reached your Tapmy Site. Learn why 'direct' is often unknown, and how to set up cleaner campaign tracking."
lead:
  - "Traffic source and attribution reports estimate how visitors found your Tapmy Site and which touchpoints came before an action. They are incomplete by design, so compare patterns and do not treat them as a full record of each customer's path."
tags:
  - analytics
  - digital-products
source: docs/tapmy-wiki/pages/understand-traffic-sources-and-attribution--bb260283.md
---

## What do I need before tracking a campaign? {#before-you-start}

Decide the campaign, Site, date range, timezone and the action you want to count. Where your workflow allows it, create consistent campaign links, and keep a simple log of campaign, channel, creative, destination and launch time.

Advanced analytics on Pro and Max includes content activity, location and device data. Tapmy does not specify an attribution model, UTM handling, lookback window or cross-device method, so do not assume one.

## Why does so much traffic show as "direct"? {#how-source-data-becomes-incomplete}

People type a URL, use a bookmark, click from an app that hides the referrer, decline tracking, switch devices, come back later or pass the link on. Redirects and link shorteners can strip parameters, and privacy tools can block events. "Direct" often means "no usable source", not "they typed the address".

An attributed order does not prove one channel caused it. The buyer may have seen several posts, emails and recommendations first.

## How do I set up cleaner tracking? {#set-up-cleaner-measurement}

1. Give each campaign goal one destination link.
2. Add campaign parameters only through a method you trust.
3. Keep naming the same for the whole launch.
4. Test every link before you post and after any redirect.
5. Log the exact launch time and channel.
6. Check the page loads and the action works on mobile.
7. Read sources next to visits, conversions, orders, revenue and refunds.
8. Leave unattributed activity in the total instead of forcing it into a channel.

Compare channels by volume and by rate. A smaller channel can convert better and still deliver less total value. Tiny samples give misleading percentages.

## How should I treat visitor data? {#handle-data-respectfully}

Treat location and device data as approximate and aggregated. Do not try to pick out individuals from small segments, and do not paste customer-level analytics into AI tools or screenshots.

If you use ad or email tools, compare their definitions first. Their clicks, sessions, conversions and windows can differ from Tapmy's.

## Checklist {#what-success-looks-like}

- Campaign links follow one written naming scheme.
- You read source reports alongside unattributed traffic and known privacy limits.
- Comparisons show volume, conversion, value and sample size.
- No channel gets sole credit without stronger proof.
- No customer-level data is exposed.

## When a campaign shows as direct or unknown {#troubleshooting-and-limits}

Test the final URL, redirects, in-app browsers, parameters, consent state and tracking blockers. If your ad tool shows more clicks than Tapmy shows visits, compare bots, repeat clicks, page load, timezone and definitions.

Do not rewrite source data afterwards just to make two reports agree.

## Related guides {#next-steps}

Use the steps in **Measure a launch**, then review with **Create a weekly creator revenue review**. If approved campaign data goes missing in a way you can reproduce, [contact Tapmy Support](/help/tapmy-support) with the final URL, a safe sample parameter, channel, timestamp, device and redacted screenshots.