Title: Referrer data: Parse.ly vs. Google Analytics
Author: staff
Published: July 21, 2022
Last modified: September 24, 2025

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 1. [User handbook](https://docs.parse.ly/user-handbook/)
 2. [Measuring and reporting performance](https://docs.parse.ly/user-handbook/measuring-reporting-performance/)
 3. [Understanding Parse.ly calculations](https://docs.parse.ly/user-handbook/measuring-reporting-performance/calculations/)
 4. Referrer data: Parse.ly vs. Google Analytics

#  Referrer data: Parse.ly vs. Google Analytics

If you are seeing different referrer data between Parse.ly and Google Analytics (
GA), it is likely a result of the distinct ways each tool tracks referrer data.

## Page referrers (Parse.ly) vs. session referrers (GA)

Parse.ly’s referrer data is based on the previous page the [visitor](https://docs.parse.ly/measuring-reporting-performance/calculations/visitors/)
viewed. Google Analytics’ referrer data is based off of the session in which the
page was viewed.

**Example:** A visitor navigates from Google to an article on your site, then to
another article on your site.

 * **Parse.ly:** The first article would have Google as a referrer. The second article
   would be classified as an internal referral, because the visitor navigated to
   the second article from the same site.
 * **GA:** Both articles viewed would have Google as the referrer, because the articles
   were viewed during a single session and Google was the referrer for the session.

## URL referrer (Parse.ly) vs. referrers based on campaign parameters (GA)

Another referrer tracking difference between Google Analytics and Parse.ly is how
each tool handles campaign parameters as a referrer source.

**Example:** A visitor clicks on `www.yoursite.com/article1/?utm_source=facebook.
com` on Twitter.

 * **Parse.ly: **The referrer will be registered as Twitter, because the visitor
   clicked through to the article from Twitter.
 * **GA:** Google Analytics may use the `utm_source` parameter of the URL to establish
   the referrer, meaning Facebook would be registered as the referrer.

One reason Parse.ly doesn’t reconcile campaign parameters with the referral source
is because it is insecure. Anyone can link to a URL with specific campaign parameters,
even if the site doesn’t use campaign parameters. As a result, a third party could
manipulate your site’s referrer data.

Last updated: September 24, 2025