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To create a campaign tracking URL, append UTM parameters to your destination link: use utm_source for where the visitor came from, utm_medium for the channel, and utm_campaign for the promotion. Add utm_id, utm_source_platform, utm_content and utm_term when they provide useful detail. Keep spelling and capitalization consistent, then use the tagged link in your email, social post, advertisement or other campaign placement.
Google Analytics can use these values in campaign and traffic-acquisition reporting. Tagging supplies reporting inputs; it does not guarantee that every visit will be attributed exactly as expected.
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What a UTM URL is
A UTM URL is a normal destination URL followed by query-string parameters. The first parameter starts after ?; additional parameters are separated with &.
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For example:
https://example.com/pricing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer-sale
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When someone follows the link, the destination page receives the parameter values. Analytics software can then use them to classify the visit by campaign source, medium and name.
What each UTM parameter means
| Parameter | Question it answers | Example value |
|---|---|---|
utm_source |
Which referrer or source sent the visitor? | newsletter |
utm_medium |
Which channel carried the traffic? | email |
utm_campaign |
Which promotion or campaign does this belong to? | summer-sale |
utm_id |
What stable ID identifies the campaign or promotion? | ss-2026-01 |
utm_source_platform |
Which platform is responsible for directing traffic? | mailchimp |
utm_content |
Which creative, placement or link variation was used? | hero-button |
utm_term |
Which keyword-level value was targeted? | project-management |
Google recommends including every relevant field, particularly source, medium, campaign, campaign ID and source platform. Do not add meaningless values merely to fill every field: a parameter is useful when its value answers a reporting question.
How to build a campaign URL manually
- Start with the final destination. Use the page visitors should see after the click, including any existing path or query parameters.
- Choose a naming convention. Decide whether values are lowercase, how words are separated, and how dates or audience names are represented.
- Add the source. Identify the referrer, such as
newsletter,linkedinorpartner-site. - Add the medium. Describe the channel, such as
email,paid-social,affiliateorsearch. - Name the campaign. Use one exact campaign name everywhere that promotion appears.
- Add optional detail. Use
utm_id,utm_source_platform,utm_contentandutm_termonly when you will use those dimensions. - Encode reserved characters. Spaces should be encoded as
%20(or replaced by your agreed separator); ampersands inside a value must be encoded so they are not interpreted as a new parameter. - Test the finished link. Open it in a private window, confirm the destination and inspect the address bar to ensure every parameter is present.
Suppose the same summer promotion appears in a newsletter and a LinkedIn post. The campaign value should remain the same while source and medium change:
https://example.com/pricing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer-salehttps://example.com/pricing&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=summer-sale
Using Google’s Campaign URL Builder
Google documents a Campaign URL Builder for website links. Enter the destination URL, fill in the relevant campaign fields, and copy the generated link into your publishing system. The builder reduces punctuation mistakes, but it cannot choose a good naming convention for your organization; establish that convention first.
Google’s documentation also distinguishes website links from app-store campaign URLs. Legacy guidance identifies separate builders for websites, Google Play and the Apple App Store, while current GA4 guidance points to a website builder and a Play Campaign URL Builder for Android-app advertising. Check Google’s current instructions for the destination you are tagging rather than applying a website workflow to an app-install campaign.
Naming conventions that keep reports usable
UTM values are case sensitive. Newsletter, newsletter and NEWSLETTER can appear as different values in reports. Choose one spelling and capitalization for each source, medium and campaign, and document it in a shared sheet or campaign brief.
A practical convention
- Use lowercase values.
- Use hyphens between words:
product-launch, not a mixture of spaces and underscores. - Use a stable source vocabulary: decide whether the platform is always
linkedinor sometimeslinkedin.com. - Use one medium per channel. For example, reserve
emailfor email andaffiliatefor partner links. - Keep the exact same
utm_campaignfor paid and unpaid placements that belong to one promotion. - Use
utm_contentto distinguish creative versions, buttons or placements rather than creating a new campaign for each variation.
GOV.UK campaign-tagging guidance uses values such as email and affiliate, and recommends distinct content values for creative variations. Its review date is 27 August 2026.
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Where the data appears in analytics
In Google Analytics 4, custom campaign values can be viewed in the Traffic acquisition report. The collection, processing and reporting stages are separate, so a newly clicked URL may not appear immediately and reported dimensions can be affected by consent, redirects, browser restrictions, filters or other implementation details.
Use a tagged link on the actual published placement. A tagged URL copied into a browser address bar is useful for a smoke test, but it does not represent a campaign visit unless the link is distributed through that campaign.
UTMs and Google Ads auto-tagging
Google’s legacy best-practice guidance says manual tags are not required for Google Ads when auto-tagging is enabled. Current traffic-source documentation explains how auto-tagging and UTM values relate to traffic-source dimensions. For a current Google Ads setup, follow the current Google Ads and Analytics documentation and decide deliberately whether manual parameters are needed for non-Google destinations, cross-platform reporting or custom dimensions. Do not assume that adding UTMs overrides every auto-tagging behavior.
Manual construction or a builder?
| Approach | Best for | Strength | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual editing | A few simple website links | Fast and transparent | Typos, missing encoding and inconsistent case |
| Google Campaign URL Builder | Teams creating links through a form | Guided field entry and easier validation | It does not enforce your organization’s vocabulary unless you add a review process |
| Shared template or spreadsheet | Recurring campaigns and many contributors | Repeatable naming and review | A copied template can still contain an outdated destination or campaign name |
For recurring work, the naming agreement is more important than whether the final URL was assembled by hand or by a form.
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The parameters disappeared
Check redirects, link shorteners, button-generating software and email platforms. A redirect should preserve the query string. Inspect the final URL after every redirect, not only the link you originally created.
One campaign is split into several rows
Look for capitalization, spelling, punctuation and alternate synonyms in source, medium or campaign values. Standardize the value and update the links that have not yet been distributed; historical rows generally remain labeled with the original value.
The URL opens the wrong page
Encode the destination correctly and test existing query parameters. If the destination already contains a question mark, append UTMs with &, not a second ?. For example: https://example.com/?ref=home&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email.
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Analytics shows no campaign data
Confirm that the analytics tag loads on the destination, consent settings permit measurement, and the test click reaches the final page. Check the Traffic acquisition report after processing time rather than expecting an instantaneous result. Also verify that the distributed link, not an untagged copy, was used.
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Use the builder and parameters appropriate to the app store and platform. Website campaign URLs and app-install campaign workflows are not interchangeable.
Performance, privacy and maintenance considerations
- UTM parameters add little transfer overhead, but long values can make links hard to read or exceed limits in systems that impose URL-length restrictions.
- Do not place personal data, email addresses or secrets in UTM values. URLs can be copied into browser history, logs, analytics exports and referrer headers.
- Use a canonical destination and keep the campaign vocabulary under version control or in a shared, access-controlled document.
- Record the final URL, owner, launch date and placement so an unexpected value can be traced later.
- When changing a destination, create a new reviewed link rather than silently editing a URL already printed or sent.
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ScreenshotNeo is a separate option when your workflow also needs automated page captures for campaign QA, previews or documentation. Its API accepts one GET request and returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF. Before capture, it accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the page verdict and billing status in X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. An MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients.
Example request (replace the URL with the tagged page you want to inspect):
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com/pricing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer-sale -o shot.webp
See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for all 63 options, including full-page capture, CSS selectors, device presets, custom JavaScript, waits, request blocking, headers, cookies, resizing, caching, signed links, asynchronous jobs, webhooks, bulk capture and usage reporting. Plans include 1,000 screenshots per month free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should every UTM parameter be mandatory?
No. Use the fields that answer a real reporting question, while keeping source, medium and campaign consistent for comparable links.
Can I change a UTM value after sending a campaign?
You can correct future links, but clicks already recorded with the old value generally remain associated with that original value.
Do UTM parameters guarantee attribution?
No. Collection, consent, redirects, browser behavior and analytics processing can affect whether and how a visit is reported.
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