Introducing a significant innovation to make referral traffic from the Bluesky platform more visible and trackable, Bluesky has launched a new system. This new system aims to facilitate publishers in analyzing the traffic they receive through shared links, thus making the platform’s role in news and content sharing more tangible. NEW REFERRAL MECHANISM This feature offered by Bluesky is based on redirecting links on the platform for a short period through a subdomain “go.bsky.app.” This method enables publishers to identify the link traffic from analysis tools as originating from Bluesky. As a result, measuring how content sharing converts from interaction to web traffic becomes easier. The company is offering a solution particularly beneficial for news publishers and media organizations. TRAFFIC X’S 4.5 TIMES This new feature by Bluesky could set it apart in competition with platforms like Threads and X (formerly known as Twitter). According to Bluesky, referral traffic from Bluesky surpasses that of its competitors significantly. As per feedback from publishers, traffic from Bluesky is three times higher than Threads and 4.5 times more than X. This demonstrates that the platform has become a strong alternative for news sharing and accessibility. Among the prominent media institutions in the United States, The Boston Globe revealed in a report released in November 2024 that it received the most traffic from Bluesky among social media platforms. The report stated that the direct referral count from Bluesky was 4 times that of X and 3 times that of Threads. Major players such as New York Times and The Guardian also confirmed last year that Bluesky was the social media platform where they received the highest engagement. Bluesky’s COO Rose Wang attributed their prominence in directed traffic to not using an algorithm that “downgrades link shares.” Wang explained that Threads and X “penalize” accounts sharing website traffic to make users stay on their platforms longer. VALUABLE ANALYTICS FOR PUBLISHERS With Bluesky’s new referral analysis system, content creators and media organizations can better understand how likes, shares, and other interactions translate into actual traffic. This conversion data helps publishers and users determine a more effective social media strategy. By enhancing this feature, Bluesky aims to provide a more functional experience for both content creators and end-users on the platform. The new update not only makes the platform more appealing to publishers but also increases the potential for users to reach a broader audience with their content.