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Bluesky makes it easier for publishers to track referrals
Bluesky has improved referral tracking for publishers by routing links through its 'go.bsky.app' subdomain. This change allows better measurement of site traffic from Bluesky posts, addressing prior challenges in tracking conversions for newsrooms. Notable increases in referral traffic from Bluesky compared to other platforms like X and Threads have been observed, indicating its growing importance for news publishers.
Key points
- Bluesky routes referral links through 'go.bsky.app' to facilitate tracking for publishers.
- This change was motivated by feedback indicating newsrooms struggled to connect Bluesky engagement to actual website traffic.
- Publishers like The Boston Globe and Guardian Australia report significant increases in traffic from Bluesky.
- Bluesky's referral increases are contrasted with the practices of competitors like Threads and X, which de-promote off-site links.
- Market intelligence shows Bluesky outperformed Threads in outgoing visits to news sites.
- The referral tracking feature was confirmed to have rolled out recently alongside version 1.99 of the Bluesky app.
Why it matters
- The trend of increasing referral traffic from social media platforms to news publishers reflects the ongoing battle among platforms to attract content creators and publishers.
- With the rising importance of real-time news distribution in social media, Bluesky's strategies may set a precedent for how other networks adapt their referral systems.
- This improvement aligns with 2025 IT Trends towards enhanced analytics and better user engagement tracking mechanisms for publishers online.
Bluesky's recent referral tracking update marks a strategic move to attract and retain publishers, showcasing its potential in the competitive social media landscape as it aims to enhance real-time news engagement and outperform rivals.