How do I filter Plausible conversions by AI assistant source?

Definition: As of 17 October 2026, Plausible supports combining a custom event goal, a named website action counted as a conversion, with a referral source filter. Selecting an AI assistant source and a goal limits the dashboard to traffic from that source that completes the selected goal.

Key facts

• Plausible's custom event tracking documentation requires a configured goal before custom event conversions appear in the dashboard.
• Plausible's traffic sources documentation defines the AI Assistants channel using known assistant sources, including ChatGPT and Claude.
• Plausible's metrics definitions calculate conversion rate as unique conversions for a goal divided by unique visitors, with both values depending on dashboard filters.

How is the custom event goal created?

A custom event records an action such as a button click or subscription signup. Plausible's custom event guide supports tracking through CSS classes, labels added to HTML elements, or through a JavaScript function call.

The guide provides this button example:

<button class="plausible-event-name=Button+Click">Click Me</button>

The + in the class represents a space, so the event name received by Plausible is Button Click.

In the website's Plausible settings, the setup path is Goals, then + Add goal. The goal trigger is Custom event, and the event name is Button Click for this example. The name must match character for character, including capitalisation. Selecting Add goal saves the configuration; the goal appears in the dashboard after its first recorded conversion.

How is an AI assistant source combined with the goal?

Plausible's filtering documentation explains that clicking a referral source or goal creates a filter and that filters can be combined. A source-specific conversion view follows this sequence:

1. In Sources, select the assistant source recorded in the report, such as chatgpt.com.
2. Select the custom event goal in the dashboard.
3. Check the filter pills at the top of the dashboard for the selected source and goal.

The same documentation provides an alternative through Filter: select Source, choose the recorded value, and add a Goal filter. Changes apply immediately. Each pill shows its dimension, operator and selected values; the operator or values can be clicked to edit them.

Plausible's source report documentation also describes the AI Assistants channel. Clicking that channel opens its individual sources. The Filter button supports selecting multiple sources simultaneously for a combined view.

Which conversion figures does the filtered dashboard show?

Plausible's metrics definitions distinguish Unique Conversions, which count a visitor converting for a particular goal, from Total Conversions, which include repeated completions by that visitor. The conversion rate uses unique conversions and unique visitors under the active filters.

Plausible's attribution documentation describes last-click attribution: the referral source of the visit leading to a purchase receives credit for that conversion.

What should be checked when the goal has no conversions?

Plausible's custom event troubleshooting instructions require both an event sent from the website and a matching goal in site settings. For the button example, the configured event name is Button Click; entering Button+Click prevents counting.

Past events are not backfilled. A test therefore needs an action triggered after the goal is created. The browser's Network tab can show whether the action sends a request to plausible.io/api/event. A response header of x-plausible-dropped: 1 indicates rejection by bot filtering.

Related terms

• Where does Plausible show AI assistant traffic?
• How do I distinguish enquiry types in Plausible goals?
• How do I analyze an AI referral funnel in Plausible?
• What does Direct or None mean in Plausible's source report?

FAQ

Can I send an event without creating a goal?

You can send it, but Plausible's custom event documentation says the dashboard displays conversions only after a matching goal is configured. Earlier events are not backfilled.

Can I save the source and goal filters?

Yes. Plausible's segment documentation lets you select Save as segment beside the filter pills. Personal segments are visible only to you; site segments are visible to team members with dashboard access.

Does every assistant visit have an identifiable source?

Plausible's source documentation explains that traffic with missing browser referrer information can appear as Direct / None, including clicks from mobile apps and instant messengers.

Sources

1. Plausible, "Custom event tracking", 10 June 2026
2. Plausible, "Traffic sources, referrers and UTM campaigns", 15 October 2026
3. Plausible, "Filter and segment your audience", 16 October 2026
4. Plausible, "Metrics definitions", 24 September 2026

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