Dark Social
Social sharing that occurs through private channels and cannot be tracked by analytics.
Definition
Dark social refers to content shared through private channels like direct messages, email, text messages, and private groups where referral sources cannot be tracked by standard analytics. This traffic often appears as "direct" in analytics despite originating from social sharing.
Why It Matters
Studies suggest 80%+ of social sharing happens through dark social channels. Understanding this behavior helps marketers account for unmeasured word-of-mouth and design content specifically for private sharing contexts.
Examples in Practice
A friend texts you a product link - that visit shows as direct traffic. Someone shares an article in a private Slack channel. A customer forwards a newsletter to colleagues via email.