Getting Started with UTMs
UTMs make campaign tracking simple and reliable. This page gives you the fastest path to clean, consistent tagging — plus links to the tools and guides you'll use every day.
What You'll Learn
- • How UTMs work and why they matter for GA4 attribution.
- • The 5 parameters you'll use (and which ones are required).
- • A simple, enforceable naming standard for your team.
- • Copy-and-paste recipes for email, ads, social, and QR codes.
- • Exactly where to verify your UTMs in GA4 — and how to fix issues.
Your toolkit:
- • Build links: UTM Builder
- • Deep dive: Complete UTM Guide
- • Quick answers: FAQ
- • Definitions: UTM Glossary
- • Privacy & consent: Legal
5-Step Quick Start (Do This First)
Step 1 — Choose your destination URL
Pick the page you want to promote (pricing, signup, article). Use the clean, final URL (https, no fragments like #).
Step 2 — Add the required UTMs
You need three every time:
- • utm_source → where traffic comes from (e.g., facebook, google, newsletter)
- • utm_medium → channel type (e.g., paid_social, cpc, email, social)
- • utm_campaign → initiative/promo (e.g., 2025_q4_launch)
Step 3 — Add optional detail (when useful)
- • utm_term → keyword or audience (e.g., brand_exact, retargeting)
- • utm_content → creative/placement (e.g., ad1_image, cta_top)
Step 4 — Normalize values
- • Lowercase everything.
- • No spaces: use _ or -.
- • Keep mediums consistent (cpc, paid_social, email, social).
- • Never include personal data (emails, names, IDs).
Step 5 — Test & ship
- • Open the final link in a new tab to confirm it loads.
- • In GA4, check Realtime to see the click appear with the expected source/medium and campaign.
- • Save the link in your campaign sheet or project board.
Naming Rules & Team Governance (Use This Everywhere)
Consistent names turn scattered clicks into clean reports. Adopt these rules and share them with your team:
- • Lowercase only (analytics treats Facebook and facebook as different).
- • No spaces — use _ or - (2025_q4_bf_sale).
- • Mediums that map to GA4:
- • Paid search → cpc
- • Paid social → paid_social
- • Email → email
- • Organic social → social
- • Campaign format: year_quarter_promo or year_month_theme
- • Examples: 2025_q4_launch, 2025_09_feature_rollout
- • Use utm_content for creative variations (ad1_video, cta_bottom).
- • Document your standard in a one-pager and lock it into the Builder presets.
Need a deeper rationale? See Naming Conventions in the UTM Guide.
Channel Recipes (Copy & Adapt)
Email (newsletters, drips, blasts)
- • utm_source=newsletter
- • utm_medium=email
- • utm_campaign=<your_initiative>
- • utm_content=<placement_or_cta>
Use for all links in the email; change utm_content per button/section.
Paid Search (Google/Bing)
- • utm_source=google (or bing)
- • utm_medium=cpc
- • utm_campaign=<ad_group_or_theme>
- • utm_term=<keyword_or_match_type>
Pairs well with auto-tagging; UTMs stay human-readable.
Paid Social (FB/IG/TikTok/LinkedIn/Snapchat)
- • utm_source=<platform> (e.g., facebook, tiktok)
- • utm_medium=paid_social
- • utm_campaign=<campaign_name>
- • utm_content=<creative_or_audience>
Keep paid_social consistent so GA4 classifies correctly.
Organic Social
- • utm_source=<platform> (e.g., linkedin)
- • utm_medium=social
- • utm_campaign=<theme_or_series>
Good for posts, bios, and profile links.
QR / Offline
- • utm_source=qr
- • utm_medium=offline
- • utm_campaign=<event_or_promo>
- • utm_content=<poster_variant>
Perfect for flyers, packaging, and in-store signage.
More examples live here: Channel Recipes in the Guide.
See It in GA4 (Verification)
After launching a tagged link:
- • Open Realtime to confirm the session with the expected source/medium and campaign.
- • Check Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition and add Session source/medium or Session campaign.
- • If you see Unassigned, your utm_medium likely doesn't match GA4's channel rules (e.g., ppc instead of cpc) or values are inconsistent across teammates.
Deep dive: GA4 + UTM Channel Mapping.
Troubleshooting & Common Fixes
- • Traffic shows as Unassigned → Use GA4-recognized mediums (cpc, paid_social, email, social). Normalize source (e.g., always facebook — not fb).
- • Spaces or uppercase in reports → Standardize to lowercase; replace spaces with _.
- • UTMs after a hash (#) → GA4 ignores fragments; put UTMs before any #.
- • Internal links accidentally tagged → Remove UTMs from on-site navigation; they overwrite attribution.
- • Team drift over time → Publish a UTM playbook and enforce via Builder presets; audit monthly.
Need help fast? Check the FAQ.
Downloads & Next Steps
- • Build UTMs now: Free UTM Builder
- • Master the details: Complete UTM Guide
- • Get answers: FAQ
- • Look up terms: UTM Glossary
- • Privacy & consent: Legal
One-Page Checklist (Copy & Use)
- • Destination URL is final and loads.
- • utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign present.
- • Lowercase, no spaces; _ or - used consistently.
- • Medium matches GA4 taxonomy (cpc, paid_social, email, social).
- • Optional detail added when useful (utm_term, utm_content).
- • Verified in GA4 Realtime.
- • Saved link to campaign sheet/tool for reuse.