UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters — also called UTM tags or UTM codes — are a set of five query parameters you append to any URL. They tell your analytics platform exactly where a click came from, which marketing channel drove it, and which campaign it belongs to.
Generate UTM Campaign Links
Free UTM Link Builder - Create Campaign URLs
Build UTM-tagged URLs for your marketing campaigns. Track traffic sources, measure campaign performance, and gain insights in Google Analytics with properly formatted UTM parameters.
The referrer (e.g., google, facebook)
Marketing medium (e.g., cpc, email, social)
Product, promo code, or slogan (e.g., spring_sale)
Optional Parameters
Identify paid search keywords
Differentiate ads/links pointing to same URL
Fill in the fields above to generate your UTM link
What are UTM Parameters?
utm_sourceRequiredIdentifies the website, app, or platform sending the traffic
e.g., google, facebook, newsletter, linkedin
utm_mediumRequiredSpecifies the marketing medium or channel type
e.g., cpc, email, social, paid_social, banner
utm_campaignRequiredNames the specific marketing campaign or promotion
e.g., spring_sale, product_launch, weekly_digest
utm_termIdentifies paid search keywords or audience targeting
e.g., running+shoes, marketing+tips
utm_contentDifferentiates ads or links that point to the same URL
e.g., logo_link, hero_banner, sidebar_cta
How Does a UTM Link Look?
A UTM-tagged URL is a regular URL with extra query parameters appended after a ? character. Each parameter is separated by an & character.
https://example.com/landing-page?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=hero_bannerProtocol & host: https://example.com — your website domain
Path: /landing-page — the specific page
Query string: Everything after ? — where UTM parameters live
Why Do You Need UTM Parameters?
Without UTM parameters, analytics platforms rely on the HTTP Referrer header to determine where traffic comes from. But the Referrer header is often missing or unreliable:
- Direct bookmarks and typed URLs send no referrer data
- Mobile apps (Instagram, TikTok, email clients) strip referrer headers
- HTTPS-to-HTTP transitions drop the referrer for security
- Privacy browsers and extensions block referrer data entirely
- Link shorteners and redirects can lose the original referrer
This lost data gets lumped into "Direct / None" in Google Analytics — making it impossible to measure campaign performance. UTM parameters solve this by embedding the source information directly in the URL, ensuring accurate attribution regardless of how the link is shared.
Which Analytics Platforms Detect UTM Parameters?
UTM parameters are an industry standard. They are automatically recognized by virtually every analytics platform:
Google Analytics 4MixPanelRybbitAmplitudeKissmetricsAdobe AnalyticsMatomoPlausibleFathomHubSpotSegment
Common Platform Settings
Use consistent source and medium values across all your campaigns. Here are the recommended values for popular platforms:
Google Ads
Source: google | Medium: cpc
Facebook Ads
Source: facebook | Medium: paid_social
Source: instagram | Medium: social
Source: linkedin | Medium: social
Email Newsletter
Source: newsletter | Medium: email
X (Twitter)
Source: twitter | Medium: social
TikTok
Source: tiktok | Medium: social
YouTube
Source: youtube | Medium: video
UTM Best Practices
Always use lowercase for all UTM values — "Facebook" and "facebook" create separate entries in analytics
Never add UTM tags to internal links on your own website — it overwrites the original source and breaks attribution
Replace spaces with dashes or underscores (e.g., spring_sale or spring-sale)
Use dashes to separate multiple data points within a single UTM value (e.g., us-east-banner-v2)
Reuse identical values across campaigns — always use "twitter", not sometimes "twitter" and sometimes "x"
Keep a shared naming convention document so your entire team tags URLs consistently
Use a UTM builder tool instead of manually typing parameters to avoid encoding errors
Test every UTM link before launching — click it and verify the parameters appear correctly in your analytics
How UTM Tracking Works?
When a user clicks a link containing UTM parameters, those parameters are captured by your analytics platform and recorded alongside the session data. This allows you to segment your traffic by source, medium, campaign, and more.
In Google Analytics 4, the data appears in the Traffic Acquisition report under Session source, Session medium, and Session campaign dimensions. You can then analyze metrics like sessions, bounce rate, conversion rate, and revenue for each specific campaign.
Does the Order of UTM Parameters Matter?
No — the order of UTM parameters in a URL does not affect how they are tracked. Analytics platforms parse each parameter by its key name, not its position. utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc works identically to utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google.
That said, maintaining a consistent order (source, medium, campaign, term, content) makes your URLs easier to read and debug.
How to Use UTM Codes with Form Submissions?
UTM parameters can enrich your lead generation by capturing source information alongside form submissions. When a visitor lands on your page via a UTM-tagged link, you can pass those UTM values into hidden form fields. This reveals exactly which campaign generated each lead — connecting your marketing spend directly to pipeline and revenue.
Most marketing automation platforms (HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot) and form builders (Typeform, Gravity Forms) support capturing UTM parameters automatically or through hidden fields.
Common UTM Mistakes to Avoid
Inconsistent naming — Using "Facebook" in one campaign and "facebook" in another creates separate entries in your analytics. Always use lowercase.
Tracking internal links — Adding UTM parameters to links within your own site will overwrite the original source data and skew your attribution. UTM tags are exclusively for external traffic.
Overly complex parameters — Keep your UTM values short and readable. Long strings like utm_campaign=2024_q1_spring_sale_us_east_coast_remarketing_v3 are hard to manage and prone to typos.
No documentation — Without a shared naming convention, team members will inevitably create inconsistent UTM tags. Maintain a spreadsheet or use a centralized UTM management tool.
Forgetting to test — Always click your UTM links before launching to ensure they work correctly and the parameters appear properly in your analytics dashboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are UTM parameters?
UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are five query parameters — utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, and utm_content — that you add to a URL. They tell analytics platforms like Google Analytics exactly where a visitor came from, which marketing channel they used, and which campaign they clicked on.
Do UTM parameters affect SEO?
No, UTM parameters do not affect your SEO rankings. Google treats URLs with UTM parameters as the same page as the clean version. To be safe, ensure your pages have canonical tags pointing to the non-tagged URL, and never use UTM-tagged links for internal navigation.
Are UTM parameters case-sensitive?
Yes, UTM parameters are case-sensitive in Google Analytics and most analytics platforms. "Facebook" and "facebook" will appear as two separate sources. Always use lowercase to keep your data clean and consistent.
Can I use UTM parameters with Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
Yes, GA4 fully supports UTM parameters. The data appears in the Traffic Acquisition report under Session source, Session medium, and Session campaign dimensions. GA4 also supports additional parameters like utm_source_platform and utm_creative_format.
Should I use UTM parameters for organic social posts?
Yes. While some platforms pass referrer data, it's not always reliable — especially on mobile apps. Tag organic social links with utm_medium=social and paid links with utm_medium=paid_social to clearly distinguish between the two.
Does the order of UTM parameters in a URL matter?
No, the order does not matter. Analytics platforms read each parameter by its key name, not its position in the URL. However, keeping a consistent order (source, medium, campaign, term, content) makes your URLs easier to read and debug.
Why should I never use UTM parameters for internal links?
When a visitor clicks an internal link with UTM parameters, it starts a new session in analytics and overwrites the original traffic source. This means you lose attribution data — a visitor who came from Google Ads would suddenly appear as coming from your own website.
How can I build UTM URLs in bulk?
Our UTM builder supports bulk mode — switch to "Bulk" mode, paste multiple URLs (one per line) or upload a CSV/TXT file, set your UTM parameters once, and all URLs will be tagged simultaneously. This is much faster and less error-prone than tagging URLs manually in a spreadsheet.