- #1ChatGPT's rank among Tally's referral sources in 2025
- 2,000+new users signing up via AI tools in recent months, counting only those Tally could track
2025: ChatGPT moves to the top
Tally has always grown through word of mouth and organic search. In its June 2025 milestone post, the team wrote that ChatGPT had become its number one referral source, with over 2,000 new users signing up via AI tools in the past months. Those were only the ones it could track, and its onboarding survey suggested the real number was a lot higher.
Tally's best guess at the cause was ChatGPT browsing the web by default, which made forums, Reddit posts and blog mentions part of what it reads. Tally had spent years showing up in those places by sharing what it learned and answering questions.
“But this year, something new happened: ChatGPT became our #1 referral source.”
2026: AI search leads
By April 2026, co-founder Marie Martens wrote that Tally's viral loop of word of mouth and its "Made with Tally" badge was no longer its biggest acquisition channel. AI-powered search was. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and AI Overviews were all growing as referral sources, with Claude growing fast.
“What has changed, since last year, is that this viral loop is no longer our biggest acquisition channel. AI-powered search is.”
What other stores can take from this
- Be present where people talk. Tally credits years of honest answers and sharing in forums and on Reddit, which AI tools now read.
- Ask new customers how they found you. Tally's onboarding survey showed far more AI-driven sign-ups than its tracking could see.
- Look beyond ChatGPT. By 2026 Tally saw Claude, Gemini and AI Overviews growing as sources too.
Worth knowing: Tally sells software, and sign-ups are not the same as paying customers. By its own account, its tracking undercounts AI.
Tally is not a GEO customer. This page is our summary of the Tally blog's reporting. The figures and quotes are theirs.
