How to Use UTM Links for Campaign Tracking
Track email, social, and ad traffic in Google Analytics with UTM parameters.
📊 Quick tip: Use our UTM Builder to create trackable links instantly.
What are UTM parameters?
UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags added to URLs that help Google Analytics track where your traffic comes from. They tell you which campaigns, sources, and mediums drive the most visitors.
Example UTM link:
https://tyzo.in/tool/utm-builder?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer-sale
The 5 UTM parameters explained
utm_source (required)
Identifies the source of traffic.
Examples: google, facebook, newsletter, twitter, linkedin, bing, pinterest
utm_medium (required)
Identifies the marketing medium.
Examples: cpc, email, social, organic, referral, affiliate, display
utm_campaign (required)
Identifies the specific campaign.
Examples: summer-sale, black-friday, product-launch, weekly-newsletter
utm_term (optional)
Identifies paid search keywords.
Examples: best+silk+sarees, buy+sarees+online, seo+tools+free
utm_content (optional)
Differentiates similar content or A/B testing.
Examples: textlink, button-blue, ad-group-1, sidebar-ad
Real-world UTM examples
1. Facebook ad campaign
https://tyzo.in/tool/utm-builder?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=summer-sale&utm_content=carousel-ad
Where to see in GA4: Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition → Source/medium = facebook / social
2. Email newsletter
https://tyzo.in/tool/utm-builder?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly-digest&utm_content=hero-button
Where to see in GA4: Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition → Source/medium = newsletter / email
3. Google Ads with keyword
https://tyzo.in/tool/utm-builder?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=seo-tools&utm_term=free+seo+tools
Where to see in GA4: Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition → Source/medium = google / cpc
4. LinkedIn post
https://tyzo.in/tool/utm-builder?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=content-marketing-tips
5. Twitter/X post
https://tyzo.in/tool/utm-builder?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=seo-tips-thread
6. A/B test (two versions of same email)
Version A: ...utm_content=button-red Version B: ...utm_content=button-blue
Naming conventions (best practices)
- ✅ Use lowercase — facebook, not Facebook or FACEBOOK
- ✅ Use underscores or plus signs for spaces — summer_sale or summer+sale
- ✅ Be consistent — Don't use "facebook" one day and "fb" the next
- ✅ Keep it short — summer-sale, not 2024-summer-sale-campaign-email
- ✅ Use descriptive names — weekly-newsletter, not campaign1
Common UTM mistakes to avoid
- ❌ Using spaces — Causes encoding issues. Use underscores or plus signs.
- ❌ Inconsistent naming — "facebook", "fb", "Facebook" appear as three different sources
- ❌ Using UTM on internal links — Creates new sessions and skews analytics
- ❌ Missing required parameters — Always include source, medium, and campaign
- ❌ Using uppercase — Google Analytics is case-sensitive
- ❌ Using personal information — Never include user IDs or emails
How to see UTM data in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Log into Google Analytics
- Go to Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition
- Look for the Session source / medium column
- Your UTM-tagged traffic will appear (e.g., "facebook / social", "newsletter / email")
- Click on a source to see campaign details
UTM cheat sheet by marketing channel
📧 Email marketing
source = newsletter, weekly, promo
medium = email
campaign = [campaign name]
📱 Social media (organic)
source = facebook, instagram, twitter, linkedin
medium = social
campaign = [campaign name]
💰 Paid social ads
source = facebook, instagram, linkedin
medium = cpc, paid_social
campaign = [campaign name]
🔍 Google Ads
source = google
medium = cpc
campaign = [campaign name]
term = [keyword]
🤝 Affiliate marketing
source = [affiliate name]
medium = affiliate
campaign = [campaign name]
📄 QR codes
source = qr_code
medium = offline
campaign = [campaign name]
Frequently asked questions
No. Google ignores UTM parameters for indexing. They only affect analytics tracking.
No. Never use UTMs on links within your own website. It creates new sessions and skews your analytics data.
Indefinitely. Once you create a UTM link, it will track forever unless you change your analytics setup.
Yes. Use URL shorteners like Bitly or TinyURL to make long UTM links look cleaner for sharing.
Ready to create your first UTM link?
Try UTM Builder →