UTM Parameters Explained: The Complete Guide to Campaign Tracking

Want to know which marketing campaigns actually drive results? UTM parameters are the answer. These simple URL tags tell Google Analytics exactly where your traffic comes from, which campaigns are working, and where to invest your marketing budget.

Quick tool: Use our free UTM builder to create properly formatted campaign tracking URLs in seconds.

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags added to URLs that help analytics tools track the source of website traffic. When someone clicks a UTM-tagged link, the parameters are recorded in your analytics.

A UTM link looks like this:

https://example.com/page?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=summer_sale

The parameters after ? tell analytics tools:

• Source: Traffic came from Facebook
• Medium: It was a paid click (CPC)
• Campaign: The summer sale campaign

1. utm_source (Required)

What it tracks: Where the traffic originated

Examples:

• utm_source=google
• utm_source=facebook
• utm_source=newsletter
• utm_source=twitter
• utm_source=linkedin
• utm_source=partner_name

2. utm_medium (Required)

What it tracks: The marketing channel or type

Examples:

• utm_medium=cpc (cost per click ads)
• utm_medium=email
• utm_medium=social
• utm_medium=organic
• utm_medium=referral
• utm_medium=affiliate
• utm_medium=banner

3. utm_campaign (Required)

What it tracks: The specific campaign name

Examples:

• utm_campaign=black_friday_2024
• utm_campaign=product_launch
• utm_campaign=q1_brand_awareness
• utm_campaign=newsletter_jan_2024
• utm_campaign=influencer_partnership

4. utm_term (Optional)

What it tracks: Paid search keywords

Examples:

• utm_term=running+shoes
• utm_term=project+management+software
• utm_term=best+crm

5. utm_content (Optional)

What it tracks: Specific ad or link variations

Examples:

• utm_content=header_banner
• utm_content=sidebar_link
• utm_content=blue_button
• utm_content=video_ad
• utm_content=text_ad

Method 1: UTM Builder Tool (Recommended)

Our UTM builder makes creating UTM links easy:

1. Enter your base URL
2. Fill in source, medium, and campaign
3. Add term and content if needed
4. Copy your complete tracking URL

No spreadsheets, no typos, no formatting errors.

Method 2: Manual creation

Manually add parameters to any URL:

https://yoursite.com/landing-page?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale

Just remember:

• Start parameters with ?
• Separate parameters with &
• Use = between parameter name and value
• No spaces (use underscores or hyphens)

Use lowercase consistently

UTM parameters are case-sensitive. These appear as different sources in analytics:

• Facebook ≠ facebook ≠ FACEBOOK

Best practice: Always use lowercase for consistency.

Use underscores or hyphens

Spaces break URLs. Use:

• spring_sale or spring-sale
• NOT spring sale

Create a naming convention

Document your UTM conventions to keep data clean:

Keep campaigns trackable but readable

Good campaign names are:

• Short enough to type
• Descriptive enough to understand at a glance
• Consistent with your naming convention

Don't use UTMs for internal links

UTM parameters are for tracking external traffic sources. Using them for internal site links:

• Breaks attribution (makes internal clicks look like new sessions)
• Inflates traffic data
• Creates confusing analytics

GA4 (Google Analytics 4)

1. Go to Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition
2. Look at Session source/medium and Session campaign dimensions
3. Or use the Explore feature for custom reports

Universal Analytics (deprecated)

1. Go to Acquisition → Campaigns → All Campaigns
2. Filter by source/medium for specific channels

Email marketing

Tracking a weekly newsletter:

utm_source=newsletter
utm_medium=email
utm_campaign=weekly_digest_jan_04
utm_content=header_cta

Use our UTM builder to create these links.

Social media ads

Tracking a Facebook ad campaign:

utm_source=facebook
utm_medium=cpc
utm_campaign=spring_collection_launch
utm_content=carousel_ad

Influencer partnerships

Tracking a creator collaboration:

utm_source=creator_name
utm_medium=affiliate
utm_campaign=q1_influencer_program
utm_content=instagram_story

A/B testing ads

Comparing ad variations:

// Version A
utm_content=headline_urgency

// Version B
utm_content=headline_benefit

QR codes

Track offline-to-online campaigns:

utm_source=print_ad
utm_medium=qr_code
utm_campaign=magazine_march_2024

Create a QR code for your UTM link with our QR code generator.

1. Inconsistent naming

Problem: Facebook, facebook, fb all appear as separate sources Solution: Create and follow a naming convention

2. Using spaces

Problem: Spaces break URLs Solution: Use underscores _ or hyphens -

3. Too many parameters

Problem: Overly complex tracking creates messy data Solution: Only use utm_term and utm_content when needed

4. Not using UTMs at all

Problem: Can't measure campaign performance Solution: Add UTMs to every external marketing link

5. UTMs on internal links

Problem: Inflates session counts and breaks attribution Solution: Only use UTMs for traffic from external sources

• URL Encoder — Encode special characters in URLs
• Slugify — Create clean URL slugs for landing pages
• QR Code Generator — Create QR codes for UTM links
• Base64 Encoder — Encode data for tracking pixels

Many ad platforms support dynamic parameters that auto-populate:

Facebook Ads

utm_source=facebook
utm_medium={{placement}}
utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}
utm_content={{ad.name}}

Google Ads

utm_source=google
utm_medium=cpc
utm_campaign={campaignid}
utm_term={keyword}
utm_content={creative}

Check your ad platform's documentation for available dynamic parameters.

UTM parameters are essential for measuring marketing ROI. To get started:

1. Use our UTM builder to create tracking links
2. Follow a consistent naming convention
3. Add UTMs to all external marketing links
4. Review campaign data in Google Analytics

The insight you gain from proper UTM tracking helps you invest in marketing that actually works.

Our UTM builder runs entirely in your browser. Your URLs, campaign names, and marketing data are never uploaded or stored.