UTM Parameters: How to Track Campaigns in Analytics

What UTM parameters are

UTM parameters are short tags added to a link so your analytics tool can tell which email, post or advert sent each visit. This guide explains what they are, how to build them and which mistakes spoil the data.

A UTM parameter is a short tag added to the end of a link that tells Google Analytics where a visit came from. Google says to always include three: utm_source for the referrer, utm_medium for the channel type and utm_campaign for the promotion. Keep names lowercase and consistent, and tag the links you control, such as emails, social profiles and adverts.

UTM parameters are labels added to the end of a web address so that an analytics tool can record how a visitor arrived. When someone clicks a tagged link, the tags travel with them to your site and Google Analytics reads them. The visit then appears in your reports under the source, medium and campaign you chose, instead of under a vague label such as direct.

A tagged link looks like this.

https://www.example.com/offer/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring-offer

The part before the question mark is the normal page address. Everything after it is the tags, written as name=value pairs and separated by ampersands. The visitor does nothing extra, and the page looks the same. Google's help pages on custom campaign links say the tags are sent to Analytics when the link is clicked and appear in the traffic acquisition report.

Tags are useful because many places that send visitors, such as emails, messaging apps, documents and mobile apps, pass on little or no information about where the click came from. Without a tag, that traffic is often grouped under direct or a loose referral. A tag lets you label it yourself. Google provides a free tool called the Campaign URL Builder for creating tagged links, though a spreadsheet works just as well.

The UTM parameters and what each one means

There are six tags you will meet most often. Three are the core set and three are optional. Google's help says to always include source, medium and campaign.

If you set one tag, set all the relevant ones. Google explains that when a link carries any UTM tag, Analytics works out the traffic source from the UTM tags, and any missing tag shows as (not set) in reports. Google's documentation lists further tags, and details change, so check the current documentation.

How to build a UTM link, step by step

Build tagged links from a written set of rules so that every link in every campaign follows the same pattern. The steps are short.

1. Agree your naming rules first, using the next section, and write them in a shared sheet.
2. Decide the exact page the link should open and copy its full address, including https. Choose a page that matches what the email or advert promised.
3. Open Google's Campaign URL Builder, or your sheet, and paste in the address.
4. Enter the source, medium and campaign. Add content if you need to tell two links apart.
5. Copy the finished link, open it in a browser and check that it reaches the right page with the tags still in the address bar.
6. Use the link in the email, post, profile or advert, and record it in your sheet.
7. Look for the visit in the realtime view of Analytics, and later in the traffic acquisition report.

Long tagged links look untidy in print or in a profile. A link shortener or a QR code can hide the length. Test the link after shortening, because a redirect can drop the tags. Google's help pages warn that redirects can strip them.

Naming rules that keep UTM reports clean

Analytics treats UTM values as case sensitive, so Email and email appear as two separate rows. Google advises keeping names consistent and using lowercase. A few more rules prevent most of the mess that builds up over time.

• Use lowercase for every value.
• Use hyphens or underscores instead of spaces, and pick one style for everyone.
• Use source for the place and medium for the type of channel, and do not mix the two.
• Use common medium names where you can. Analytics sorts traffic into default channels partly by the medium value, and Google's channel definitions recognise values such as email and cpc. Invented values may end up under unassigned in the default channel group, so check the current channel definitions.
• Name campaigns after the promotion or project, so a report reads clearly without a key.
• Never put personal data, such as a name or an email address, in a tag. Addresses are stored in browser history and server logs, and they get shared.

The table shows a consistent set of values for common places. All campaign names are made up.

The last row uses a custom medium. It still shows clearly in the source and medium reports, though it may fall outside the default channel groups, which is acceptable if you read the source and medium columns. For newsletter links in particular, how to start a newsletter explains the sending side.

Where to use UTM links and where not to

Use UTM links on links you control that sit outside your website, and avoid them on links that sit inside it. The lists make the difference clear.

Where UTM links help

• Emails and newsletters, including the button and text links in each message.
• Social profile links and the links in your posts.
• Video descriptions and pinned comments.
• QR codes in print, on packaging or on signs.
• Links you give to partners, guest posts and directories, and the link in an email signature.
• Paid adverts on platforms other than Google Ads, which usually have a field for URL parameters.

The optional content tag is useful for comparing versions. If an email carries two buttons, give each its own value, and you can see which one drew the clicks. How to write a call to action that gets clicks explains why you should change one thing at a time when you compare wording.

Where UTM links do not belong

• Links between pages of your own site. A tag there can overwrite the record of how the visitor originally arrived and confuse your source data.
• Links from organic search results, which you cannot tag.
• Google Ads links when auto-tagging is on. Google recommends auto-tagging for Google Ads, and Analytics uses the auto-tagged values if both methods are present. How Google Ads works for a small business explains the account side.

Send each tagged link to a page that matches the promise of the email or advert. Landing page vs website explains when a dedicated page works better than your homepage.

How to read UTM data in Google Analytics

In Google Analytics 4, tagged visits appear in the traffic acquisition report, where you can read session source, medium and campaign. Report names change, so check the current documentation if a label looks different.

Look at campaigns by what they produce, as well as by how many visits they send. A campaign with fewer visits that leads to more enquiries or orders is the better one. To see this, mark your enquiry form and purchase as key events in Analytics and compare campaigns on those events.

Treat the numbers as a good guide, not an exact count. Visitors who decline measurement are not recorded, and blockers can stop some tags from loading, so totals will not match what an advertising platform reports. Compare Analytics with your own enquiry log before you make a large decision.

Mistakes that break UTM data

Most damaged UTM data comes from small habits that repeat across many links.

• Mixed case or spelling, so Email, email and e-mail count as separate values.
• Leaving out a tag, which produces (not set) in reports.
• Tagging links inside your own website.
• Spaces and special characters in values, which can break the link. Use hyphens.
• Placing the tags after a # anchor. The tags must come before it.
• Using a redirect or shortener that removes the tags.
• Combining Google Ads auto-tagging with manual tags without checking which values Analytics uses.
• Changing a naming pattern part-way through a campaign, so the report splits in two.
• Keeping no record, so nobody can later explain what a code meant.
• Putting personal data in a tag.

A simple UTM tracking sheet

A shared sheet is the cheapest way to keep tags consistent. Keep one row for every tagged link, and agree who may add rows. These columns cover most needs.

Review the sheet monthly and retire links you no longer use. If you would like help setting up tracking across your channels, the digital marketing service page describes the work Liftup Technologies offers.

Questions and answers

What is a UTM parameter?

A UTM parameter is a short tag added to the end of a link that tells your analytics tool where a visit came from. The three core tags are source, medium and campaign. When someone clicks the link, Google Analytics reads the tags and shows the visit under the names you chose.

How do I build UTM links?

Write down your naming rules, copy the full address of the destination page, then add source, medium and campaign using Google's Campaign URL Builder or a spreadsheet. Test the finished link in a browser, record it in a shared sheet and use it in the email, post or advert. Check the visit in Analytics afterwards.

What mistakes break UTM data?

The common ones are mixed upper and lower case, a missing tag that produces (not set), tagging links within your own site, redirects or shorteners that strip the tags, and changing names part-way through a campaign. A shared naming guide and a record of every link prevent most of them.

Are UTM parameters case sensitive?

Yes. Google's help pages say the values are case sensitive, so utm_source=google and utm_source=Google appear as different sources. Use lowercase for every value and write the rules down so that everyone who creates links follows the same pattern.

Do I need UTM links for Google Ads?

Usually not. Google recommends auto-tagging for Google Ads, and Analytics uses auto-tagged values when both are present. Manual tags are mainly for special cases, such as a site that does not allow extra parameters. Check the current Google documentation for your set-up before you add them.

Do UTM parameters affect SEO?

They do not change what the page says. A tagged link is another address for the same page, so many sites use a canonical tag to tell search engines which address is the main one. Check how your site handles this, and avoid tagging links inside your own site.

Do UTM tags work in tools other than Google Analytics?

Many analytics and marketing tools read UTM tags, but the way they report them differs. The tag names are a common convention. Google's documentation covers Google Analytics, so check your own tool's documentation for how it treats each tag and whether it has its own rules.