UTM parameters, explained: what each one does
What utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign and the rest record, how to name them so reports stay clean, and where to use them. With a free UTM builder.
By Abhishek
UTM parameters are tags you add to the end of a link so your analytics can tell where a visit came from. Without them, a click from your newsletter and a click from a friend's message can look exactly the same. With them, each campaign gets its own line in the report.
- yoursite.com/salethe page
- ?utm_source=newsletterwhere from
- &utm_medium=emailwhat kind of channel
- &utm_campaign=spring_salewhich campaign
The parameters
Google Analytics recognises these (Google Analytics Help):
| Parameter | What it records | Example |
|---|---|---|
utm_source | Where the click came from | newsletter, google, instagram |
utm_medium | The kind of channel | email, cpc, social |
utm_campaign | The promotion | spring_sale |
utm_content | Which link or ad, when there are several | header_button |
utm_term | The paid keyword | running_shoes |
utm_id | A campaign ID from your ad platform | 1234567 |
Google says you "should always use utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign". The others are optional. Analytics also accepts utm_source_platform, utm_creative_format and utm_marketing_tactic, though Google notes the last two aren't reported in GA4 yet.
How to name them
Most UTM problems are naming problems. Google Analytics treats every different spelling as a different value, and "parameter values are case sensitive", so Facebook, facebook and fb become three sources.
- Use lowercase, always.
- Use underscores instead of spaces:
spring_sale, notSpring Sale. - Keep a list of the sources and mediums your team uses, and stick to it.
- Match medium to the channel, not the campaign:
emailfor every email,socialfor every social post.
Where to use them
Tag links you share outside your own site:
- newsletters and email campaigns
- social posts, bios and ads
- QR codes on print, so scans show up separately from typed visits
- partner and affiliate links
Don't tag links between your own pages. A tag tells Analytics where a visit came from, so tagging an internal link replaces the real source (say, a Google search) with your own tag.
Build one
You can type the tags by hand, but it's easy to slip. The free UTM builder adds them for you, and warns you when a required one is missing or a value has capitals.
Keep campaign links short
Tagged links are long, which is fine in an email button and awkward everywhere else. A short link hides the tags: ndle.fyi/k3x9qa can open the full campaign address. ndle's link form has a UTM builder built in, with saved templates for the tags you reuse, and its stats break clicks down by UTM campaign. It also checks the page behind every short link every 30 minutes, so a campaign doesn't keep sending people to a page that's gone.