Gemini Appears to Have Dropped Its utm_source Tag on Cited Links

Gemini seems to have stopped tagging cited links with utm_source=gemini, the parameter that surfaced in early September, according to Search Engine Roundtable. Natzir’s tracking chart shows the tag growing for about three weeks before disappearing around September 28. Barry Schwartz, who wrote the report, says he no longer sees it on any Gemini link.

Referrer data behaves differently. Desktop Gemini still sends a gemini.google.com referrer, and Natzir found those visits stayed flat throughout. The iOS app opens links in an in-app WebView with no referrer, so GA4 files them under Direct. Natzir says the only trace is a GeminiiOS user agent in server logs.

Google’s John Mueller commented on Reddit that he had seen the tags on Gemini links about a month earlier.

For analytics teams, a drop in utm_source=gemini sessions after late September reflects a tagging change, not lost visibility. Build Gemini reporting on referrer and log data, and treat unexplained Direct growth as partly Gemini iOS.

Search Engine Roundtable, reported by Barry Schwartz on October 30, 2026.