Gemini appears to be adding UTM parameters to the links it sends users to, according to a Reddit r/SEO thread that Search Engine Journal covered on October 1. The original poster wrote that the behavior is “its very new 24hours or so.” Google has not documented the change, so this is a sighting, not a launch.
John Mueller of Google replied in the thread: “Nice. I see it too.” He asked whether Gemini already passes a referrer. A commenter going by CrawlWarden said referrers mostly survive on desktop web, which leaves a large share of mobile visits in Direct inside GA4. Mueller said he would forward reproducible details to the team.
Search Engine Journal’s Roger Montti notes that the conditions that trigger the tags are unknown until Google explains them. Tagged links would still give teams a cleaner way to split Gemini visits from untagged traffic.
Check raw server logs and your Direct segment this week for Gemini-shaped landings, and treat any pattern as provisional until Google documents the behavior.
Search Engine Journal, Roger Montti, October 1, 2026.
