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ChatGPT did have a major website-visit rebound in 2023–2024, but the available figures do not verify that its own site traffic “roared back” in 2026. Similarweb estimated 3.1 billion worldwide visits in September 2024. Its comparison based on data through May 2026 says ChatGPT remained ahead of Gemini, Claude and Perplexity in web visits, but does not give a comparable current monthly total. A separate report of rising referrals from ChatGPT to other websites measures a different thing.

What the traffic figures actually show

The headline’s claim needs a date and a definition of traffic. A visit to ChatGPT’s website is not the same as an interaction in its app, a message sent by a user, or a visit ChatGPT sends onward to another website.

The 2023 dip and recovery

Similarweb estimated 1.8 billion worldwide visits to ChatGPT in May 2023, followed by 1.4 billion in August and about 1.5 billion in September. At the time, Similarweb forecast that October might reach 1.7 billion; that was a forecast, not an observed result. The series described a summer slump and recovery beginning in September, with traffic not exceeding 2023 levels until May 2024. Similarweb’s October 2023 report provides that historical context.

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The September 2024 high point

Similarweb later estimated 3.1 billion worldwide ChatGPT website visits in September 2024—112% above September 2023 and 18.7% above August 2024. For its year-over-year comparison, it combined chatgpt.com with ChatGPT’s original chat.openai.com subdomain. These are estimated visits, not unique people, and the number is a historical baseline rather than a 2026 count. Similarweb’s September 2024 report explains the comparison.

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Where ChatGPT stood through May 2026

In its comparison of chatgpt.com, gemini.google.com, claude.ai and perplexity.ai, Similarweb says ChatGPT still drew the most worldwide web visits through May 2026, while Gemini was second and closing the gap. The reviewed comparison does not state a current comparable monthly visit total, so it supports a lead in relative reach—not a claim that ChatGPT’s own visits rebounded in 2026. See Similarweb’s chatbot comparison.

Why “traffic” can mean different things

Several recent measures describe different kinds of activity. They should not be combined into one claim about ChatGPT’s website traffic or market share.

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Measure What it counts What the cited evidence says
Website visits Visits to a platform’s website, estimated by a measurement provider Similarweb’s historical estimate reached 3.1 billion worldwide ChatGPT visits in September 2024. Its comparison through May 2026 says ChatGPT led the four sites it examined, without stating a current monthly total.
Outbound referrals Visits ChatGPT sends to other websites BrightEdge reported a 101% rise in ChatGPT referrals to external sites from January to August 2026. This is not traffic to chatgpt.com.
Share of AI-generated referrals ChatGPT’s portion of referrals attributed to AI platforms—not all website referrals BrightEdge reported a 95.1% share in August 2026, after a 2026 low of 89.5% in April. It said AI platforms remained a small share of total website referrals compared with traditional search.
Sampled user activity Messages and task variety among a sample of individual-plan users OpenAI reported that sampled users sent 50% more messages per day and tried twice as many distinct tasks six months after signup. This is not a website-visits measure.

What changed in referrals during 2026

BrightEdge reported that ChatGPT referrals to external websites rose 101% between January and August 2026. It also said ChatGPT accounted for 95.1% of AI-generated referrals in August, up from a 2026 low of 89.5% in April. Those figures indicate more outbound referrals and a larger share within the AI-referral category; they do not show that more people visited ChatGPT itself. BrightEdge also noted that AI platforms remained a small source of website referrals compared with traditional search. BrightEdge’s September 24, 2026 release reports these estimates.

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What OpenAI’s usage data adds—and what it cannot prove

OpenAI’s Signals analysis offers a separate view of activity among users. It examined 0.1% of individual-plan users whose accounts were created from October 15, 2025, through May 1, 2026, and whose activity was observed through May 31, 2026. In that sample, users sent 50% more messages per day and tried twice as many distinct tasks six months after signup. The findings suggest deeper and broader use over time among the sampled accounts, but they do not measure total visits to ChatGPT’s website or establish a site-wide rebound. OpenAI describes the sample and analysis here.

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How to read claims that ChatGPT is “back”

A sound comparison keeps each measure tied to its question. Reach concerns visits or unique visitors; retention concerns repeat activity; growth rate needs a time period and a base for comparison; referral contribution concerns traffic sent out to other sites. Similarweb’s comparison separates reach, retention and growth, while BrightEdge reports outbound referrals. A rise in one does not automatically mean a rise in the others.

For the September 2024 U.S. comparison, Similarweb estimated 442.9 million visits to chatgpt.com, versus 404.3 million to bing.com. That comparison is not evidence that Bing was a direct ChatGPT competitor: Similarweb’s author David F. Carr cautioned that Microsoft was an OpenAI partner and Bing was not a direct competitor.

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Similarweb describes its traffic figures as estimates produced with proprietary algorithms using information from multiple sources. Treat them as estimates, and keep their period and domain coverage attached to the figures. OpenAI’s usage figures come from a disclosed first-party sample; BrightEdge’s figures concern referrals. None supplies the missing comparable 2026 monthly website-visits total needed to verify the title’s specific rebound claim.

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