ChatGPT down in referral traffic as new data shows website clicks from the AI chatbot fell 52% since July 21. Reddit and Wikipedia are now taking over the majority of ChatGPT citations, leaving many branded websites with steep declines in visibility and lost referral visits.
Referral Traffic Data Shows Sharp Drop
Profound’s Josh Blyskal analyzed over 1 billion ChatGPT citations and 1 million referral visits across multiple industries. His findings show a major shift in how OpenAI is handling citation weighting inside ChatGPT answers.
Key numbers from the report:
- 52% referral traffic decline to websites since July 21.
- Reddit citations up 87% since July 23, now making up more than 10% of all ChatGPT citations.
- Wikipedia up 62% from its July low, reaching almost 13% of all citations.
- The top three sites – Wikipedia, Reddit, and TechRadar – together account for 22% of citations, a rise of 53% in only one month.
This shift clearly shows how answer-first platforms are being favored while branded websites are losing both traffic and visibility.
What Is Causing the ChatGPT Downtrend?
Blyskal explained that this trend is not connected to the GPT-5 release on August 7. The consolidation of citations began weeks earlier. Evidence suggests OpenAI manually reweighted its retrieval system to boost sources that directly answer user questions.
Instead of spreading citations widely, ChatGPT now favors a few high-authority sources like Wikipedia and Reddit. That leaves most branded websites struggling to get clicks, even if they rank well in Google search.
Why Answer-First Content Wins
In his LinkedIn post, Blyskal highlighted two main takeaways for marketers and publishers:
- Branded content with conversion intent loses – ChatGPT tends to skip content that pushes actions like “schedule a demo” or “sign up.”
- Answer-first platforms dominate – Sites like Reddit and Wikipedia perform better because they provide direct answers to user questions without sales layers.
This is why the “citation opportunity” inside ChatGPT is shifting. Brands that don’t adapt may be left out while community-driven or knowledge-first websites collect the clicks.
Impact on Publishers and Marketers
The steep fall in traffic is a warning sign for publishers who depend on AI-driven referrals. With ChatGPT down 52% in outbound traffic, businesses that were gaining visitors from the chatbot now face major traffic swings.
Blyskal said the impact is particularly strong for B2B marketers who create content designed for conversions rather than direct answers. The algorithm shift rewards publishers who focus on user intent first, not on pushing products or sign-ups.
Bottom Line
OpenAI’s ongoing citation experiments show that the landscape of AI-driven traffic can change quickly. Reddit and Wikipedia are now at the center of ChatGPT answers, while traditional branded websites are being squeezed out.
The main lesson: if brands want to stay visible, they must produce answer-first content. Otherwise, the trend of ChatGPT down in website traffic will only get worse.
