Bluesky has introduced a significant innovation to make referral traffic from its platform more visible and trackable. The new system aims to facilitate publishers in analyzing the traffic they receive through shared links, highlighting the role the platform plays in news and content sharing more concretely. The NEW REDIRECTION MECHANISM of Bluesky relies on redirecting links on the platform through a subdomain “go.bsky.app” for a short period. This method allows publishers to attribute link traffic to Bluesky as the source in their analytics tools, making it easier to measure how content sharing converts from engagement to web traffic. The company offers a solution that can be particularly beneficial for news publishers and media organizations. The traffic is 4.5 TIMES HIGHER According to Bluesky, this new feature could give it a competitive edge with platforms like Threads and X (formerly known as Twitter). Bluesky states that the referral traffic it receives is significantly higher than its competitors. Based on feedback from publishers, traffic from Bluesky is three times higher than Threads and four and a half times higher than X. This indicates that the platform has become a strong alternative for news sharing and access. The Boston Globe, one of the prominent media organizations in the US, revealed in a report published in November 2024 that it received the most traffic from Bluesky among all social media platforms. According to the report, the direct referral traffic from Bluesky was four times higher than X and three times higher than Threads. Major players like New York Times and The Guardian also confirmed last year that Bluesky was the social media platform where they received the most engagement. Rose Wang, the COO of Bluesky, attributed their prominence in referral traffic to not using an algorithm that prioritizes link shares. Wang stated that Threads and X ‘penalize’ accounts sharing website traffic content to keep users on their platforms for longer. VALUABLE ANALYSIS FOR PUBLISHERS With Bluesky’s new redirection analysis system, content creators and media organizations can now 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. The new update makes the platform more attractive to publishers while increasing the potential for users to reach a wider audience with their content.