How does HubSpot determine the source of a visitor to your site?

HubSpot determines the source of a visitor to your site primarily through the initial URL that the visitor uses when landing on your site. This method allows HubSpot to track where the visitor came from, enabling it to attribute their visit to specific marketing efforts or campaigns. The initial URL contains key information that identifies the campaign or source, whether it be from an email, social media post, search engine, or another website. This tracking mechanism is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of various marketing channels and optimizing future campaigns.

While other methods such as analyzing referral traffic data or using cookies can provide additional context about user behavior, the primary means of establishing the source originates from the initial URL a visitor arrives on. This foundational aspect of tracking is essential for accurate reporting in HubSpot's analytics tools.