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What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM parameters are simple code snippets added to URLs that help you track where your website traffic comes from. When visitors click links with UTM tags, this data flows directly into Google Analytics, giving you clear insights into which marketing campaigns, social posts, or email newsletters are driving results.

The term "UTM" stands for Urchin Tracking Module, named after Urchin Software (acquired by Google in 2005), which became the foundation for Google Analytics. Today, UTM parameters are the industry standard for campaign tracking across all major analytics platforms.

UTM Parameters Explained

utm_sourceRequired

Traffic Source

Identifies where the traffic originates from.

googlefacebooknewsletterlinkedin
utm_mediumRequired

Marketing Medium

The type of marketing channel or link type.

cpcsocialemailreferral
utm_campaignRequired

Campaign Name

The specific campaign, promotion, or initiative.

spring_saleproduct_launchblack_friday
utm_contentOptional

Content Identifier

Differentiates similar content or links within the same ad.

header_ctasidebar_bannerfooter_link
utm_termOptional

Search Terms

Identifies paid search keywords (primarily for Google Ads).

running_shoesanalytics_software

UTM Best Practices

1

Use lowercase consistently

UTM parameters are case-sensitive. "Facebook" and "facebook" will appear as separate sources in your reports.

2

Be consistent with naming

Stick to one convention. Use "facebook" everywhere, not "fb", "FB", or "Facebook" interchangeably.

3

No spaces—use underscores or hyphens

Spaces in URLs get encoded as "%20" which looks messy. Use spring_sale or spring-sale instead.

4

Be descriptive but concise

Your parameters should be meaningful at a glance. "q1_2024_email_promo" is better than just "promo".

5

Document your conventions

Create a shared spreadsheet with your UTM naming standards so your whole team stays consistent.

6

Test your links before launching

Always click your UTM links to verify they work and land on the correct page.

UTM Examples by Channel

📧

Email Marketing

Track which email campaigns and links within emails drive the most engagement.

https://example.com?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_digest&utm_content=header_cta
📱

Social Media

Measure organic social performance across different platforms and post types.

https://example.com?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thought_leadership&utm_content=carousel_post
💰

Paid Advertising

Track paid campaign performance and keyword effectiveness.

https://example.com?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand_awareness&utm_term=analytics_software
🤝

Influencer & Affiliate

Attribute traffic to specific partners and track collaboration ROI.

https://example.com?utm_source=partner_name&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=summer_collab&utm_content=story_swipeup

Frequently Asked Questions

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags you add to the end of a URL to track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. When someone clicks a link with UTM parameters, the data is sent to Google Analytics, allowing you to see exactly which campaigns, sources, and mediums are driving traffic and conversions.

There are three required UTM parameters: utm_source (identifies where traffic comes from, like "google" or "newsletter"), utm_medium (identifies the marketing channel, like "cpc" or "email"), and utm_campaign (identifies your specific campaign, like "spring_sale"). The optional parameters are utm_content and utm_term.

Yes, UTM parameters are case-sensitive in Google Analytics. "Facebook" and "facebook" would be tracked as two different sources. Best practice is to always use lowercase letters to maintain consistency and make your data easier to analyze.

You should avoid spaces in UTM parameters. Instead, use underscores (_) or hyphens (-) to separate words. For example, use "spring_sale" or "spring-sale" instead of "spring sale". Our UTM builder automatically converts spaces to underscores.

In Google Analytics 4, go to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition. You can see data broken down by Session source/medium. For more detailed campaign analysis, use the "Session campaign" dimension or create custom explorations with UTM parameters.

UTM parameters do not directly affect SEO rankings. However, having multiple URLs with different UTM parameters could potentially cause duplicate content issues. Google typically handles this well, but you can add canonical tags to your pages to be safe.

While there is no strict limit, best practice is to keep UTM parameters concise and descriptive. Very long URLs can look spammy and may get truncated in some contexts. Aim for clarity over length—your future self will thank you when analyzing the data.

You can, but it is generally not recommended for internal website links. Using UTM parameters on internal links can mess up your analytics by overwriting the original source data. For tracking internal clicks, use event tracking instead.

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