# Dark social

> Shares through private channels, such as messaging apps and email, that arrive without a referrer.

Source: https://datacenter.so/glossary/dark-social

"Dark social" describes links shared privately: in WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack, Discord, email or a direct message. The visit is real and social, but it often arrives with no referrer, so analytics files it under direct.

You cannot tag a link someone else copies, but you can make the links you share easy to tag: share buttons that add UTM tags, short links in your own messages, and a referral or "how did you hear about us" question at checkout. Some tools also name the app from the in-app browser or the Android app referrer when no web referrer arrives.

See [direct traffic explained](https://datacenter.so/guides/direct-traffic-explained).

## Related terms

- https://datacenter.so/glossary/direct-traffic
- https://datacenter.so/glossary/referrer
- https://datacenter.so/glossary/short-link