On November 12, 2026, Google published a help page on identifying visits from Google Search through the HTTP Referer header. It lists the values Google sends, when they arrive empty and why analytics won't match Search Console. It's useful for anyone measuring a site with analytics tools or server logs.
What we know
- The new page: it appears in the Google Search Central documentation changelog dated November 12, 2026, in the monitoring and debugging section.
- What Google sends: according to the page, Google Search uses the `origin` referrer policy. The Referer carries only the scheme and host, with no path or parameters, so it never includes the user's query. For queries, Google points to the Search Console Performance report.
- The values: from the web, `https://www.google.com/` or a local Google domain (Google's examples are google.co.uk and google.co.jp). From the Google app on Android, `android-app://com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox/https/www.google.com` (when the app opens the link in a browser tab) or the web values. From the Google app on iOS, the web values.
- Discover and Images: Google says Discover sends the same values as the surface where it was seen, and Google Images and other Google services come from the same origins. The Referer can't tell them apart. The page doesn't list separate values for AI Mode or AI Overviews.
- When it's empty: private browsing and anti-fingerprinting protections, opening a result in a new tab in some browsers, moving from a phone's native search widget to another browser, and privacy extensions or strict settings.
- Why it won't match Search Console: Google cites user privacy settings, the site's own redirects (JavaScript or meta refresh redirects may replace the Referer with the site's own URL), the fact that Search Console counts the click while analytics counts the page load, and that Search Console excludes ads.
What changes and what doesn't
Google isn't changing how it sends visitors. The page documents existing behavior. What's new is an official reference for auditing analytics and server logs, and for explaining gaps with Search Console without guessing.
How to tell if you're affected
- Check your channels. In your analytics tool, make sure visits from google.com and your local Google domain count as organic search, not as referral.
- Review exclusions. If someone added google.com to a referral exclusion list, or built a custom channel grouping, those visits may be showing up as direct.
- Look for your own redirects. If your site redirects with JavaScript or meta refresh (for example, from the home page to a language version), the Google Referer can be lost. A server-side 301 or 302 is the safer option.
- Check your `Referrer-Policy`. A stricter policy sent after a redirect can strip the header.
- In server logs, count only page requests, not images, CSS or JavaScript. Those carry your own URL as Referer and, per Google, aren't visits. Match the values from Google's list, starting with `https://www.google.`.
- Don't expect a perfect match. A moderate gap between Search Console and analytics is normal for the reasons Google gives. If the gap is huge, start with steps 2 and 3.
Related: Search Console Click Spikes in November: What We Know
Sources
- Google Search Central, "Identify traffic from Google Search"
- Google Search Central, documentation updates
Updates: if Google adds values for AI Mode or other surfaces, it will be added here with a link.