Google Puts a Name on the Referer

Google added a page to Search Central on 12 November listing the HTTP Referer values sites can expect: the Google origin or a local domain for web search, an android-app:// string when the Android app opens results in a browser tab, and a Google domain on iOS. It also confirms that Discover sends the value of the surface the story appeared on and that Images is indistinguishable from web search, that the header never carries the query, and sets out four reasons analytics won’t match Search Console — measurement timing, blockers and consent, redirects, and paid-versus-organic mixing. The gap worth noting: no mention of AI Mode or AI Overviews, so those clicks still cannot be separated.