According to Sensor Tower's State of Web 2026 report, the landscape of web traffic is evolving as AI-led discovery becomes more prominent. However, traditional channels like direct traffic and organic search continue to dominate. In Q1 2026, direct traffic accounted for 64% of visits globally, while organic search contributed 17% and social media 16%. AI referrals, although growing, only made up 0.7% of overall traffic, indicating that AI is still in its early stages as a distinct traffic source. The report highlights that shopping is the primary category benefiting from AI referrals, particularly in markets like India. Additionally, 89% of AI-referred traffic in the US came from Google’s AI Overviews in Search, suggesting that AI discovery is still closely tied to existing search infrastructures. As AI systems evolve and become more integrated into user experiences, they are expected to drive higher traffic volumes, especially as they become more action-oriented and capable of handling complex queries. However, replacing traditional search as the main discovery tool remains a challenge due to ingrained user behaviors and the structural differences between search engines and AI systems.