What are the utm parameters?

Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) parameters are five variants of URL parameters used by marketers to track the effectiveness of online marketing campaigns across traffic sources and publishing media. They were introduced by Google Analytics’ predecessor Urchin and, consequently, are supported out of the box by Google Analytics.

The UTM parameters in a URL identify the campaign that refers traffic to a specific website, and attribute the browser’s website session and the sessions after that until the campaign attribution window expires to it. The parameters can be parsed by analytics tools and used to populate reports.

The Five Main UTM Parameters

UTM parameters are added to the end of URLs in the form of key-value pairs. The most commonly used UTM parameters are:

1. utm_source
   Identifies the source of the traffic, such as a search engine, newsletter, or social media platform.
   Example: utm_source=facebook

2. utm_medium
   Specifies the marketing medium, like email, CPC (cost-per-click), or banner ads.
   Example: utm_medium=cpc

3. utm_campaign
   Tracks the specific campaign or promotion name.
   Example: utm_campaign=spring_sale

4. utm_term (optional)
   Used to identify paid search keywords.
   Example: utm_term=running+shoes

5. utm_content (optional)
   Differentiates similar content or links within the same ad or campaign, useful for A/B testing.
   Example: utm_content=button_link

How UTM Parameters Work

When a user clicks a URL with UTM parameters, these tags are sent to analytics platforms like Google Analytics. The platform records the values and attributes the traffic accordingly, enabling detailed reports on your marketing efforts.

Example of a URL with UTM Parameters

This URL indicates the visitor came from a TikTok ad campaign named “spring_sale” using a cost-per-click method.

Best Practices

• Keep UTM values consistent and descriptive
• Avoid spaces (use underscores or plus signs)
• Use lowercase letters for uniformity
• Only add UTM parameters to external links, not internal links

Conclusion

UTM parameters are essential tools for marketers to track and analyze the effectiveness of their online campaigns. By properly using UTM tags, you gain valuable insights that help improve marketing strategies and maximize your budget.

All tracking parameters you can find in the docs.