What is Dark Social?

Dark social is when people share content through private channels like DMs, emails, text messages, or apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat. These shares don’t show up in social media or website analytics the same way public posts do, making it hard to track where the traffic is coming from.

For example, if someone copies a blog link and sends it to a friend in a group chat, your analytics may count that visit as “direct traffic” instead of a social share. That’s because the tracking info (called metadata) gets lost in private sharing.

This happens often on social media when people send Reels, posts, or links to each other through:

Instagram or TikTok DMs
Facebook Messenger
Snapchat or WhatsApp chats
Private groups or forums

Why It’s Called "Dark" Social

The word "dark" just means it’s hidden from analytics, it’s not negative. In fact, dark social is one of the most common ways people share content online. Because it’s private and personal, people are more likely to trust what’s shared this way.

• Invisible to Analytics – Unlike clicks from public posts (which show up as "social traffic" in tools like Google Analytics), dark social shares leave no trace.
• Private Sharing – People share links via WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack, or email instead of public platforms.

Example: If someone pastes your article link in a private group chat, the visits from that link won’t show the true referral source.

Why Does Dark Social Matter?

Dark social represents a massive yet often overlooked segment of web traffic, accounting for up to 69% or more of social shares. So, even though marketers can’t track it perfectly, they can take steps to better understand and work with dark social, such as implementing shortened links or UTM codes and using analytical tools for better tracking.

Understanding dark social helps you get a clearer picture of how your content is really spreading, and how to make it even more shareable.