GA UTM Parameters Explained

GA UTM parameters are a set of tags that can be added to the end of a URL to track the performance of specific marketing campaigns. They're a crucial tool for marketers and analysts.

UTM parameters are made up of five required parameters: utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, and utm_content. These parameters provide a clear and standardized way to track the source, medium, campaign, term, and content of a URL.

Each parameter has a specific function: utm_source identifies the source of the traffic, utm_medium identifies the marketing medium, utm_campaign identifies the specific campaign, utm_term identifies the specific term or keyword, and utm_content identifies the content or variation.

Recommended read: Nextjs Url Parameter Is Not Allowed

GA UTM parameters are a set of customizable parameters added to a URL to provide more information on where a user came from before landing on your site.

The classic UTM parameters are utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, and utm_content. You should always include the utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign when adding UTM parameters to links.

UTM parameters help you track the referrer, marketing medium, and campaign. For example, if you run a paid ad on Instagram for a Black Friday sale, you might have the utm_source set to "instagram.com".

Here's a quick rundown of each parameter:

By using UTM parameters, you can easily track the performance of your marketing efforts and make data-driven decisions to improve your campaigns.

To set up GA UTM parameters, start by adding the utm_source tag to the name of the channel you're using, such as Facebook or Mailchimp. This helps Google Analytics understand where the traffic is coming from.

Use the name of the ad platform, affiliate, email service, or publisher for the source tag. For example, use facebook for Facebook, hasoffers for the HasOffers affiliate network, and mailchimp for emails sent using Mailchimp.

To manually set up your custom campaigns, separate the parameters from the URL with a question mark, list the parameters and values as pairs separated by an equal sign, and separate each parameter-value pair with an ampersand. For example: https://www.example.com/?utm_source=email_campaign&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer-sale

For another approach, see: Facebook Utm Parameters

Here's a quick reference list of the most commonly used UTM parameters:

Remember to always use utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign when adding parameters to a URL, as these are the minimum required parameters for Google Analytics to properly categorize your traffic.

UTM tags are a crucial part of setting up Google Analytics, and understanding what they are will help you get the most out of your analytics tool. UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module, and it's a way to give Google Analytics specific information about a link.

A UTM tag always contains three key pieces of information: the source, medium, and campaign name. These parameters help teams track marketing campaigns and understand what's working or what needs improvement.

UTM parameters can be added to the end of regular URLs, and they're essential for tracking traffic that comes from specific sources, such as social media or email marketing campaigns. If you don't add UTM parameters, Google Analytics will only extract limited information from the visitor, such as the source and a guess of the medium, which is typically "referral".

For your interest: Utm Source Examples

Here are the three main components of a UTM tag:

By including these parameters in your UTM tags, you'll get more accurate and detailed information about your website traffic, which will help you make data-driven decisions about your marketing efforts.

Setting up GA UTM parameters is a crucial step in tracking your website traffic and understanding how your marketing efforts are performing.

First, you need to tag all traffic that you have control over, including unpaid traffic and links in emails. This means adding UTM parameters to your URLs to identify the source, medium, and campaign of each visitor.

To set up your custom campaigns manually, separate the parameters from the URL with a question mark and list the parameters and values as pairs separated by an equal sign. For example, https://www.example.com/?utm_source=email_campaign&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer-sale.

You can add the following parameters to your destination URLs: utm_id, utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_source_platform, utm_term, and utm_content. Each parameter must be paired with a value that you assign.

Here's a list of the most common UTM parameters and their uses:

Remember to always use the name of the ad platform, affiliate, email service, or publisher for the source tag, and the campaign parameter should be identical to the campaign name in the ads platform.

Organizing and using GA UTM parameters effectively is crucial for getting the most out of your marketing campaigns. You can manage your UTM parameters in a single place or a specialized tool like utm.io to access all campaign information quickly and ensure consistent naming conventions.

Google Analytics 4 is case sensitive, so it's essential to have pre-defined naming conventions, such as always using lower-case, to avoid displaying in two separate rows in a report. This will help you maintain consistency across your organization and make it easier to analyze your data.

To create an effective naming convention for campaigns, keep the names as short as possible while still unique and descriptive of the nature of the campaign. You can use abbreviations if they are easy to understand, and avoid identical long phrases in many campaign names. Consider including an identifier for the type of ad in the campaign name, such as starting with the abbreviation GDN for Google Display Network.

Here are some common UTM parameter tags to keep in mind:

Organizing your UTM parameters is crucial when running multiple campaigns or working with a team. You should manage them in a single place or a specialized tool like utm.io to access all campaign information quickly.

Using a single place to manage UTM parameters helps ensure consistent naming conventions. Google Analytics 4 is case sensitive, so having a pre-defined naming convention, such as always using lower-case, is helpful.

It's essential to have a document with the rules and conventions for your UTM parameters available to everyone in your organization. This way, everyone is on the same page and can use the same naming conventions.

A unique perspective: Utm Tracking Code Use Case in Marketing

Campaign naming convention is crucial to keep track of your campaigns in Google Analytics. The exact naming convention depends on your business setup, but here are some guidelines to follow.

Keep campaign names as short as possible while still unique and descriptive of the nature of the campaign. Use abbreviations if they are easy to understand.

Avoid identical long phrases in many campaign names, as this can make it difficult to distinguish between them. Truncate the name to make it more manageable in Google Analytics.

Use an abbreviation for the country in the campaign name if you advertise in different countries. For example, use US, DE, or UK.

Consider adding an identifier for the type of ad in the campaign name to distinguish between different types of traffic. For example, use GDN for Google Display Network.

Be consistent in how you use letter case in campaigns, as UTM codes are case-sensitive. Make sure to always get it right to avoid duplicate rows in reports.

Use the name of the ad platform, affiliate, email service, or publisher for the source tag. For example, use facebook for Facebook, hasoffers for the HasOffers affiliate network, and mailchimp for emails sent using Mailchimp.

The campaign parameter should be identical to the campaign name in the ads platform, including capitalizations if applicable.

For your interest: Can Ad Blockers Strip Utm Parameters

You can use UTM parameters in GA4 to track traffic from email signatures. To do this, append the UTM parameters as URL parameters after the “?” in your URL, and then use that full URL in the traffic source you want to track.

To isolate specific traffic sources in GA4 reports, you can add the UTM parameters to the Dimensions and Metrics section in the Exploration Reports. The "Session medium" dimension shows what was entered for the utm_medium parameter, and "Session campaign" maps to the utm_campaign parameter.

There are 7 UTM parameters available for use in GA4, with the first three being the most recommended: utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign. The table below matches the UTM parameter to the correct dimension:

To add UTM parameters to an Exploration Report, start by adding the sessions metric to the report, then add the largest bucket of your UTM parameters, such as the session medium. You can also filter the report by adding a filter for the Session source that matches your specific source.

Intriguing read: How to Add Utm Parameters to Google Ads

Stick to a standard naming convention and keep good records. This will make it easier to track and analyze your data.

Use lowercase letters when creating UTMs, as capitalization matters. For example, LinkedIn, Linkedin, and linkedin are treated as three different traffic sources.

Be descriptive enough to be useful, but don't be too wordy. Use dashes or underscores to serve as spaces in your UTM parameters.

Don't use UTMs for internal links. This is a common mistake that can lead to inaccurate data.

Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Using UTM parameters incorrectly can lead to inaccurate data. For example, setting the source to 'facebook-post' for page posts can lead to incorrect information in Google Analytics.

In Google Analytics 4, UTM parameters are tracked through the Traffic Acquisition report, which can be found under Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition.

You can add a primary dimension from the dropdown and a secondary dimension by clicking the plus sign (+) to view UTM data. The Session source/medium and Session campaign are a simple place to start, as you must include these three parameters in the URL.

UTM parameters are appended to the URL as URL parameters after the “?” and used in the traffic source that you want to track. For example, as the clickable URL in a paid ad or as the URL in an email campaign.

You can see UTM tagged traffic in your standard Acquisition reports in GA4 and also in Explorations. The simplest place to look is your “Traffic acquisition” report, which can be found under Reports > Acquisition.

To view UTM parameters in Google Analytics 4, go to Reports → Acquisition → Traffic Acquisition, where you can see your UTMs already in the table below. Initially, the primary dimension of the table is the default channel grouping.

UTM parameters are available for use in GA4, with the first three being what I’d recommend you always use: utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign. You can see various metrics associated with these parameters, like users, sessions, and total revenue.

A fresh viewpoint: How to See Utm Parameters in Google Analytics 4