Bouncy Analytics breaks down your traffic into three categories beyond geography: Device, Platform, and Referrer. Together, these tell you what your visitors are using to access your links and where they're coming from.
Device Breakdown
What It Shows
The device breakdown categorizes every visitor into one of three device types:
Mobile — smartphones (iPhones, Android phones, etc.)
Desktop — laptops and desktop computers
Tablet — iPads, Android tablets, and similar devices
Why It Matters
Knowing your device split helps you make better decisions about your links and content:
Mostly mobile traffic? Make sure your destination pages and websites are mobile-optimized. Consider using app links that open native apps directly, since your audience is already on their phones.
Significant desktop traffic? Your link might be shared in contexts like emails, Slack messages, or web forums where people browse on computers. Ensure your destination works well on larger screens.
Tablet traffic appearing? Some platforms (like Pinterest) have higher tablet usage. If you see notable tablet traffic, verify your content looks good on mid-sized screens.
Typical Patterns
For most social media links, you'll see 70-90% mobile traffic. This is normal — most people browse social media on their phones. Links shared via email or in professional contexts tend to have a higher desktop percentage.
Platform Breakdown
What It Shows
The platform breakdown identifies the operating system each visitor is using. Common platforms include:
iOS — iPhones and iPads running Apple's operating system
Android — phones and tablets running Google's Android
Windows — desktop and laptop computers running Microsoft Windows
macOS — Apple Mac computers
Linux — computers running Linux distributions
Other — less common operating systems or cases where the platform couldn't be identified
Why It Matters
Platform data tells you about your audience's technology preferences:
iOS vs. Android split — this varies significantly by country and audience demographic. If you're creating app links, knowing which platform your audience uses helps you prioritize which app store to optimize for.
Desktop OS distribution — a high Windows percentage suggests a general consumer or office audience, while a high macOS percentage often indicates creative professionals or tech-savvy users.
Using Platform Data with App Links
If you're using Bouncy's app links or deeplinks that open specific apps, platform data confirms that your audience can actually use those apps. For instance, if an app is iOS-only but 60% of your traffic comes from Android, you'll want to set up a good fallback destination for those Android visitors.
Referrer Breakdown
What It Shows
The referrer breakdown shows you where visitors were before they clicked your link. When someone clicks a link, their browser usually sends a "referrer" header identifying the previous page. Bouncy groups these into recognizable sources.
Common referrer categories include:
Referrer | Meaning |
Visitor clicked from Instagram (bio, story, DM, etc.) | |
Twitter / X | Visitor clicked from a tweet, profile, or DM |
Visitor clicked from a Facebook post, ad, or message | |
TikTok | Visitor clicked from a TikTok bio or video link |
YouTube | Visitor clicked from a YouTube description, card, or comment |
Visitor found your link through Google Search | |
Visitor clicked from a Reddit post or comment | |
Visitor clicked from a LinkedIn post or profile | |
Direct | Visitor typed the URL directly, used a bookmark, or the referrer was unavailable |
Other | A referrer that doesn't match any known category |
Understanding "Direct" Traffic
"Direct" is often the largest referrer category, and it doesn't necessarily mean people are typing your URL. Traffic shows as "Direct" when:
Someone types or pastes the URL directly into their browser
Someone clicks the link in a native app that doesn't pass referrer information (many apps strip referrers for privacy)
Someone clicks the link from an encrypted/HTTPS page that doesn't forward referrer data
Someone uses the link from a messaging app (WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage) that typically doesn't pass referrers
The referrer header was blocked by the visitor's browser or privacy extensions
Because many social and messaging apps strip referrer information, a large "Direct" percentage is very common and doesn't mean your social media sharing isn't working.
Why Referrer Data Matters
Referrer data helps you understand which channels are driving traffic to your links:
Evaluate your marketing channels. If you shared a link on Instagram and Twitter but only see traffic from Instagram, you know which platform is working.
Discover organic sharing. If you see referrer traffic from a platform where you didn't share the link, someone else is sharing it for you — a great sign of organic reach.
Optimize your strategy. Double down on channels that drive the most traffic and reconsider channels that aren't performing.
Reading the Breakdown Displays
Each breakdown section shows:
The category name (e.g., "Mobile", "iOS", "Instagram")
The number of views from that category
A visual bar or percentage showing its proportion of total traffic
The categories are typically sorted by view count, with the highest-traffic category at the top.
Tips for Using Breakdown Data
Cross-reference breakdowns for deeper insights. If most of your traffic is mobile + iOS + Instagram, you have a very clear picture: iPhone users on Instagram are your core audience.
Check breakdowns after sharing on a new platform. If you post your link on a new platform, check the referrer breakdown after a day or two to see if that platform is actually driving clicks.
Don't ignore small referrers. A small referrer source might have a higher conversion rate than your biggest source. Quality matters as much as quantity.
Use different time ranges to see referrer changes. Your referrer mix might shift over time as your link gets shared more widely. Compare Last 7 Days vs. Last 30 Days to spot these shifts.
Platform data helps with geo-filtering. If you know that visitors from certain countries predominantly use Android while others use iOS, you can create more targeted redirect rules.
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