Adobe sees surge in AI-driven traffic & conversions

Adobe has reported a sharp rise in website visits referred by generative AI tools across retail, travel, financial services and other sectors, with those visitors showing higher engagement and conversion rates than other traffic sources.

Adobe Digital Insights analysed referral traffic and on-site behaviour during the 2025 holiday shopping period. The company said retail sites recorded the largest year-on-year increase in generative AI-referred visits, alongside growth in other categories including travel and financial services.

Adobe's figures also point to changes in user behaviour after arriving from AI-generated links. The company said those visitors spent more time on sites, viewed more pages per visit and left less often after landing.

Retail jump

Adobe reported that traffic from generative AI tools to retail sites increased by 693.4% compared with the year before. It said the holiday season also set a record for online spending in the US, totalling USD $257.8 billion. Adobe said consumers spent more than USD $4 billion per day for 25 days during the period, compared with 18 days in 2024.

Adobe also reported that Buy Now Pay Later services reached USD $20 billion during the season.

Within retail, Adobe said AI-driven referrals rose 769% in November and 673% in December. It said retail also recorded the strongest year-on-year growth in generative AI traffic among the industries covered.

Other sectors

Adobe said the rise in AI-driven referrals extended beyond retail. It reported travel traffic increased 539% year on year, financial services grew 266%, tech and software rose 120%, and media and entertainment increased 92%.

The company described the results as evidence that generative AI tools now play a role in website discovery across multiple categories. The analysis covers the holiday period, when many businesses run major promotional activity and see seasonal shifts in consumer behaviour.

Conversion rates

Adobe said AI-referred traffic converted at a higher rate than other sources during the holiday season. It reported that AI referrals converted 31% more than other traffic sources. Adobe said this represented a near doubling in the year-on-year comparison.

Adobe also reported a rise in revenue per visit from AI-driven traffic. It said AI-driven revenue per visit rose 254% during the holiday season year to date.

Adobe highlighted differences during major shopping days. It reported AI conversions were 54% higher than non-AI traffic on Thanksgiving and 38% higher on Black Friday.

On-site behaviour

Adobe said it tracked what happens after users click through from a generative AI-powered chat service or browser. It reported that shoppers arriving from generative AI assistants were 33% less likely to leave immediately. Adobe also said this reflected a 14% improvement since the beginning of 2025.

Adobe reported that visitors arriving via AI referrals spent 45% more time on retail sites and viewed 13% more pages per visit.

The company said its analysis is based on direct online transactions across more than 1 trillion visits to US retail sites. It also cited findings from a survey of more than 1,000 US respondents about how consumers use AI in their shopping journey.

Trust indicators

Adobe's survey results suggested growing consumer confidence in AI-generated recommendations and links. The company reported that nearly half of consumers, 47%, said they trust AI.

Adobe also reported that 64% of shoppers using AI said they were satisfied with the links they receive, and more than 55% said they actively click on them.

On purchase confidence, Adobe said 65% of consumers using AI for online shopping reported they were more confident in their purchase after using AI. It also reported that 68% said they were less likely to return the product after using AI for the purchase.

Adobe linked that reported behaviour to a decline in overall online returns. It reported online returns were down 1.2% year on year during the holiday season.

Shift in discovery

The data adds to a growing body of market signals that generative AI tools now influence consumer pathways from search and product research to purchase. Adobe pointed to traffic from tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity as part of the broader rise in AI-driven referrals.

"As more consumers turn to large language models (LLMs) to research products, compare options, and make decisions, one thing is becoming clear: generative AI is no longer a side channel for commerce discovery," said Vivek Pandya, Director of Adobe Digital Insights, Adobe.

"Generative AI's role in commerce isn't a passing trend. It's becoming a core part of the digital shopping journey," said Pandya.