A Guide to UTM Code Parameters, Creation, & Tracking

What Is a UTM Code?

An Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) codification is simply a snippet of substance added to the extremity of a URL connected your website. To assistance you way your integer selling campaigns and gauge their performance.

It tin look similar this:

When a UTM-coded nexus is clicked, it sends information to your site’s analytics bundle (like Google Analytics). So you tin spot however users who clicked the nexus behaved. Like whether they completed a conversion.

Once you person this information, you tin analyse it to pass however you’ll optimize your selling strategies. 

Why Should You Use UTM Codes?

UTM codes assistance you:

Track Referral Traffic

Using UTM codification makes it easier to way wherever your postulation comes from. So you cognize which campaigns are driving clicks.

And it’s peculiarly utile for tracking email campaigns. Because email is 1 of the fewer traffic sources web analytics can’t accurately track. 

UTM codes besides assistance you way referral postulation astatine a micro level. 

For example, accidental you privation to make a bid of Facebook posts. 

Without UTM codes, you’d apt spot a study similar this successful your analytics:

This study shows you the full postulation from Facebook. But it doesn't archer you which Facebook posts brought the traffic. 

UTM codes tin springiness you that level of insight. So you tin spot things similar which nonstop posts/campaigns thrust traffic. 

Like this:

Understand User Behavior and Customer Journeys

Adding UTM codes to your URLs lets you efficaciously conception your assemblage to way however antithetic groups of users interact with your site. And however those users yet crook into customers (also known arsenic the customer journey).

Say you announcement that postulation from email campaigns converts 25% higher than postulation from societal media campaigns.

Knowing this, you mightiness privation to promote your societal media followers to motion up to your email list. Where you tin nurture them to go buyers.

To excavation adjacent deeper into lawsuit travel accusation you tin usage to amended performance, effort ImpactHero.

Start a escaped proceedings by entering your domain and clicking “Start your trial.” 

Add the tracking codification to your website. (Our tracking codification installation guide tin assistance if you get stuck.) 

Click “Complete run setup ” aft adding the tracking code.

Allow ImpactHero a time to commencement collecting data. 

Once it’s ready, commencement evaluating however your contented is performing astatine antithetic stages.

The “Explorer” study tells you which pages bash the champion occupation astatine attracting visitors (“Attraction” tab), nurturing them (“Impact” tab), and converting them to leads (“Conversion” tab).

Enhanced Attribution

UTM codes assistance you necktie a dollar fig backmost to your marketing campaigns. Because you’ll cognize precisely which campaigns and posts are driving conversions.

Say you determine to tally respective integrated societal media campaigns advertizing products. 

With UTM codes, you tin spot however each run performed. Which tin assistance you program aboriginal run messaging, forecast your imaginable instrumentality connected concern (ROI), and allocate your selling fund much appropriately.

Perform A/B Tests

A/B tests impact investigating 2 versions of immoderate benignant of contented against 1 another. Which tin beryllium an effectual mode of learning astir your assemblage and knowing what motivates them to buy.

Some examples of A/B tests you tin execute with UTM codes include:

• Ad copy: Test antithetic messaging successful your ads and spot which 1 drives the astir conversions
• Calls to enactment (CTAs): Create CTAs that alteration successful directions to find which 1 results successful the astir clicks
• Offer types: Test the mode you presumption your connection (i.e., a dollar discount versus a percent off) to spot which 1 radical prefer
• Visual content: Add hyperlinks to merchandise images successful your emails and fig retired which 1 drives the astir traffic

What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM parameters are the antithetic substance snippets that marque up an full UTM code. To convey accusation astir wherever the nexus is placed, which run it’s a portion of, etc. 

Each parameter identifies a antithetic facet of the run it’s associated with. And is separated by an ampersand (&).

You tin spot 3 chiseled UTM parameters successful the illustration below, opening with “utm_source”:

And determination are 5 standardized UTM parameters that you tin typically usage for your web analytics:

UTM Source Parameter

The root parameter defines the root sending the traffic. Examples of values you mightiness usage are “google” (for ads), “facebook” (for societal media posts), oregon “monthly_newsletter” (for an email marketing campaign).

Below, this parameter is utilized to differentiate the components of an email campaign. So, it uses “utm_source=weekly_sale” to way a play merchantability email. 

Like this:

And if you privation to way postulation from your play newsletter, you could usage thing similar “utm_source=weekly_newsletter.”

UTM Medium Parameter

The mean parameter defines the benignant of traffic. Like “organic” (unpaid search), “banner” ( a benignant of paid ad), oregon “email.”

For a play merchantability campaign, the UTM parameter could look similar this:

The intent of the mean parameter is to radical 1 mean together. To show the full medium’s show astatine a precocious level. And usage it arsenic a benchmark. 

For example, accidental your email postulation usually converts astatine a complaint of 8%. But you announcement a circumstantial run converts astatine lone 2%. (We’ll sermon the run parameter next.) 

Knowing your benchmarks helps you spot circumstantial campaigns that underperform (or execute great). So you tin excavation into them to amended aboriginal campaigns. 

UTM Campaign Parameter

The run parameter sets the sanction of the circumstantial selling campaign. Like “fall_sale” oregon “product_launch”.

A play income email mightiness usage the day arsenic the run identifier:

For example:

With this parameter you tin drill down into each campaign’s performance. 

For example, accidental this is simply a play sale. 

Compare it to past campaigns to spot whether it performed amended oregon worse. Then, effort to recognize wherefore by looking astatine what could person impacted this campaign. Like antithetic transcript oregon merchandise images.

UTM Content Parameter

The contented parameter is utile erstwhile you person respective links pointing to the aforesaid landing leafage and you privation to cognize which nexus radical clicked to onshore there.

For example, accidental you’re moving an influencer selling run with aggregate influencers. You tin usage each influencer’s sanction successful the corresponding contented parameter to cognize who sends the traffic.

Or usage contented parameters to tally A/B tests.

For an email campaign, you could spot which representation results successful much revenue: merchandise shots oregon manner shots.

To bash this, you would nonstop fractional of the assemblage an email featuring merchandise images. But an email featuring manner images to the different half. 

And usage “utm_content=product_shots” and “utm_content=lifestyle_shots” to differentiate betwixt the 2 versions:

UTM Term Parameter

The word parameter sets the circumstantial keyword oregon phrases that sent visitors—usually lone for paid hunt ads. And you apt wouldn’t usage it for thing similar an email campaign. 

Take this illustration URL for a Google Ad. 

The UTM word parameter is “utm_term=website_ heatmap_ tool.” Because “website heatmap tool” was apt a keyword utilized for the campaign. 

With word parameters, you tin comparison however antithetic keywords execute for your hunt campaigns.

How to Create & Use UTM Codes for Google Analytics

Let’s spell implicit the main steps progressive successful creating and utilizing UTM codes successful GA4:

Generate UTM Codes

You tin manually make UTM-coded URLs oregon usage dedicated tools similar the UTM diagnostic successful Social Poster (part of Semrush Social).

Open Social Poster and link your societal media accounts. Then click “New post.”

Draft your station and click “UTM” to acceptable the UTM parameters for your post’s link. And click “Apply to post.”

Social Poster automatically adds the UTM parameters to your post. So you tin way postulation from antithetic campaigns, mediums, and sources.

This is what the nexus from the supra illustration looks like:

If you’re creating UTM codes to usage successful different locations, effort Google’s Campaign URL Builder.

Let’s look astatine however to usage it to make the beneath URL:

First, spell to the Campaign URL Builder tool.

Make definite the toggle is acceptable to “GA4.”

You’ll spot the disposable fields to capable out. (Three are required, arsenic indicated by asterisks: “website URL,” “campaign source,” and “campaign medium.”)

In astir situations, you’ll privation to usage the run sanction parameter arsenic well.

Fill retired the “website URL” field. This is the leafage you privation visitors to onshore connected erstwhile they click your UTM-coded link.

Next, capable retired the run source.

This is simply a promotional email, truthful you’ll participate “promotional_email.”

Now, participate the run medium.

And participate the run name.

The URL builder instrumentality automatically generates the UTM-coded nexus erstwhile you capable retired the fields.

This is what your URL volition look similar with the selected UTM parameters. 

You tin transcript the URL with the icon to the close and usage it successful your promotional email.

Or usage the built-in URL shortener instrumentality to cleanable up your URL. 

This is utile if you’re utilizing the nexus successful a spot wherever it volition beryllium visible.

Then, erstwhile your assemblage clicks either the afloat nexus oregon the shortened link, the UTM parameters volition beryllium passed to Google Analytics. So you tin analyse your link’s performance.

Test UTM Codes

After creating a UTM code, you’ll privation to trial it to marque definite it works utilizing the “Realtime” study successful GA4. 

Just cognize you request to wide your cookies archetypal if you aren't visiting your tract for the archetypal time. 

This is due to the fact that the study is based connected user-scoped dimensions. Meaning you're inactive considered a azygous idiosyncratic adjacent if you permission and past travel back. 

Only aft you wide your cookies volition you beryllium seen arsenic a caller user. And capable to trial your UTM code.

To bash this, click the three-dot icon successful the apical close country of your browser and click “Delete browsing data…” 

You’ll spot a paper wherever you tin take which browsing information to delete. Select “Cookies and different tract data” and click “Delete data.”

Now, paste the UTM-coded URL into your browser and sojourn the page.

Next, unfastened GA4 successful different browser model and click “Reports.”

Now, click “Real-time.”

Look for the paper that shows “Users by First idiosyncratic source.” And click the drop-down arrow.

Change the magnitude to “First idiosyncratic campaign.”

If you’ve acceptable up your run parameter correctly, you should spot your run sanction here. If you’re the lone idiosyncratic testing, you should spot a worth of “1” successful the “Users” column. 

For example, if you utilized “utm_campaign=thanksgiving_sale,” you should spot this:

If you don’t spot the sanction of your run aft respective minutes, double-check the operation of your UTM-coded nexus successful your browser. And marque definite that thing was accidentally changed aft copying it from the instrumentality utilized to make it. 

View UTM Code Tracking Data

The “Traffic acquisition” study is the champion spot to spot your UTM-tagged postulation successful GA4. Here’s however to bash that.

After you’ve logged successful to GA4, click “Reports.”

In the “Life cycle” menu, click “Acquisition” > “Traffic acquisition.”

You’ll spot a study that shows the past 28 days’ worthy of information by default. But you tin customize the day scope by clicking the day tract successful the apical close country and past choosing the clip play you privation to evaluate.

The “Traffic acquisition” study shows your site’s postulation grouped astatine the transmission level. But you tin alteration that by clicking the tiny achromatic arrow arsenic shown below.

Then, prime “Session campaign” from the database of disposable dimensions.

This volition alteration the superior magnitude to amusement each the postulation you’ve tagged utilizing the “utm_campaign” parameter:

Now, click the bluish “+” motion to the close of “Session campaign” to adhd a secondary magnitude to your analysis.

You’ll beryllium capable to hunt for a secondary magnitude to adhd to your run data. Begin typing “session root / medium” successful the hunt tract and click connected it.

This volition amusement the details for some the “utm_source” and “utm_medium” parameters.

Here’s what the study looks similar now:

You tin lone presumption 2 dimensions simultaneously successful GA4 modular reports. You’ll request to adhd filters to presumption much dimensions.

Here’s how:

Apply a filter by clicking “Add filter” astatine the apical near of the report.

On the close broadside of your screen, you tin present make your filter conditions.

Begin typing “session medium” successful the “Dimension” field. Then click “Session medium” erstwhile you spot it.

To make a filter to presumption your email traffic, prime “exactly matches” beneath “Match Type.” 

Then, click into the tract beneath “Value” and cheque the container adjacent to “email”:

Finally, click the “Apply” fastener astatine the bottom.

You present person a filtered study of lone your email traffic. 

UTM Code Best Practices

To successfully and accurately way your campaigns, you indispensable support your information cleanable and orderly.

Stick to these guidelines, and your UTM information volition beryllium easier to manage.

Keep Track of Your UTM codes

Keep way of the UTM codes you usage successful a shared spreadsheet everyone connected your squad tin access. 

Google Sheets works good for this. 

Whenever idiosyncratic successful your enactment creates a UTM code, they tin participate it successful the spreadsheet to guarantee the naming conventions are followed. And that codes aren’t duplicated.

Use Lowercase Letters

UTM codes are case-sensitive. Meaning that analytics tools volition dainty “email” and “Email” arsenic 2 abstracted values. 

So, instrumentality with lowercase letters for your UTM codes to support your parameters consistent. 

Avoid UTM Codes for Internal Links

Internal links are links that constituent from 1 leafage connected your tract to different leafage connected your site. And utilizing UTM-coded links arsenic interior links tin skew your analytics. 

That’s due to the fact that Google Analytics volition restart a user’s league (the activities and actions users bash connected your site) erstwhile they click a UTM-coded link. 

If this happens, you won’t get the afloat representation of what idiosyncratic did connected your tract during their session.

So, debar UTM-coded URLs for interior links. 

Use Short and Descriptive Identifiers

Concise and descriptive UTM codes marque it easier to reappraisal and analyse your data.

You request capable accusation to place what the UTM codification is telling you. But you don’t request due grammar oregon syntax. 

Harness UTM Codes to Drive Marketing Success

You’ll person much actionable information with the further penetration coming from your UTM codes.

And that other penetration gives you a deeper knowing of your customers’ journeys. So you tin optimize and amended conversions.

Semrush Social lets you adhd UTM links to each station truthful you tin easy way each your societal media traffic. 

Ready to get deeper penetration into your campaigns?

Try Semrush Social today.

This station was updated successful 2024. Excerpts from the archetypal nonfiction by Zack Duncan whitethorn remain.