How to Create a UTM Link in Google Analytics

Trying to figure out which marketing efforts are actually working can feel like a guessing game. You post on social media, send out email newsletters, and might even run a few paid ads, but when you look at Google Analytics, much of your traffic gets lumped into "Direct" or "(not set)." This article cuts through that confusion by showing you how to create and use UTM links to tag your campaigns, so you know exactly where every visitor and conversion comes from.

What Are UTM Links and Why Should You Bother?

In short, Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) links are just your standard URLs with some extra information, called parameters, added to the end. These parameters don't change the destination of the link, but they give Google Analytics specific details about where the click originated. Think of it as putting a unique identifier on every piece of marketing material you send out.

When you share a generic link, like www.yourshop.com, on Facebook, in a newsletter, and in an ad, all of that traffic might look similar in GA4. Some might show as "facebook.com / referral," but others could get lost as "Direct" traffic, giving you an incomplete picture.

With a UTM link, the URL looks something like this:

www.yourshop.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=summer_sale

That extra bit of text tells Google Analytics that the person who clicked this link came from Facebook (the source), via a social post (the medium), as part of the summer sale campaign (the campaign name). Suddenly, you're not guessing anymore. You’re precisely tracking the performance of every single campaign you run, allowing you to see which channels drive the most traffic, engagement, and sales. It is the clearest way to measure your marketing ROI.

Breaking Down the 5 UTM Parameters

There are five standard UTM parameters you can use. The first three are essential, and the last two are great for getting more granular details, especially with paid ads.

1. Campaign Source (utm_source)

What it is: This is the referrer, or the specific platform where the traffic is coming from. Think of it as the "who" that is sending you the traffic. This parameter is required.

• Examples: google, facebook, tiktok, klaviyo, active_campaign, newsletter, partner_blog.

2. Campaign Medium (utm_medium)

What it is: This describes the marketing medium or channel you are using. Think of it as the "how" traffic is getting to you. Common examples include organic social, paid ads, or email. This is also a required parameter.

• Examples: cpc (cost-per-click), social, email, referral, affiliate, display.

3. Campaign Name (utm_campaign)

What it is: This identifies the specific campaign, slogan, or promotion you're running. This helps you differentiate between different marketing pushes. For example, if you're running a Spring Sale and a Back-to-School promotion, this parameter helps you track them independently. This is the third required parameter.

• Examples: spring_promo_2024, new_product_prelaunch, q4_holiday_sale, free_trial_offer.

4. Campaign Term (utm_term)

What it is: This one is optional and is primarily used to track the specific keywords in a paid search campaign. If you’re running Google Ads and have auto-tagging turned off, or running ads on another search platform, this is where you can manually pass the keyword data.

• Examples: womens_running_shoes, ai_data_analyst, marketing_crm_software.

5. Campaign Content (utm_content)

What it is: Also optional, this parameter is a lifesaver for A/B testing. It's used to differentiate links or ads that point to the same URL within the same campaign. For example, if you have two call-to-action buttons in an email newsletter, you can use utm_content to see which one performs better.

• Examples: header_link, blue_button, video_ad_version_a, footer_cta.

Step-by-Step: How to Build Your First UTM Link

Manually typing out UTM links is tedious and prone to error. The easiest way to create them is to use a free tool. Google's own Campaign URL Builder is the most straightforward option.

Using Google's Campaign URL Builder

Let's walk through building a link for a hypothetical Facebook ad campaign promoting a summer sale.

1. Open the Campaign URL Builder: Navigate to https://ga-dev-tools.google/ga4/campaign-url-builder/.
2. Enter Your Destination URL: In the first field, "Website URL," paste the URL of the landing page where you want users to go. For example: https://www.yourstore.com/summer-collection
3. Fill In the Required Parameters: Now, fill in the three required campaign fields using a consistent naming convention (more on that later).

• Campaign Source (utm_source): facebook
• Campaign Medium (utm_medium): cpc (since it's a paid ad)
• Campaign Name (utm_campaign): summer_sale_2024

1. Fill In Optional Parameters (If Needed): Let's say we are testing a specific ad creative - a primary lifestyle image - so we can use the utm_content field to track it separately.

• Campaign Content (utm_content): green_dress_image

1. Copy Your New UTM Link: As you fill in the fields, the tool automatically generates the final campaign URL at the bottom of the page. It will look like this:

https://www.yourstore.com/summer-collection?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=summer_sale_2024&utm_content=green_dress_image

That's it! You can now copy this full URL and use it as the destination URL for your Facebook ad. Every click will be perfectly tagged and traced back to this specific ad.

Bonus Tip: Keep Your Naming Consistent!

This is critically important. Google Analytics is case-sensitive, which means facebook, Facebook, and FB will show up as three separate sources in your reports. This can quickly turn your clean analytics into a messy, confusing jumble.

To prevent this, create a simple spreadsheet or shared document that outlines your team's naming conventions. Here are a few best practices:

• Always use lowercase: It eliminates case-sensitivity issues entirely.
• Use underscores or dashes, not spaces: Spaces in URLs can cause strange encoding issues. Use summer_sale instead of summer sale.
• Be descriptive but concise: q2_email_promo_may24 is better than just promo.

Finding Your Goldmine: Viewing UTM Data in GA4

Once you’ve started using UTM links in your campaigns, the next step is to find that valuable data inside Google Analytics 4. Here’s how:

1. Log in to your GA4 property.
2. In the left-hand navigation menu, go to Reports.
3. Under the "Life cycle" collection, click on Acquisition > Traffic acquisition.

By default, this report shows traffic grouped by the "Session default channel group." This view is a helpful overview, but to see your specific UTM data, you need to change the primary dimension of the report.

1. In the top-left of the report table, click the dropdown arrow next to the "Session default channel group" button.
2. From the dropdown menu, you can now select dimensions that correspond directly to your UTM parameters:

• To see utm_source and utm_medium together, select Session source / medium.
• To see utm_campaign, select Session campaign.
• To see utm_content, search for and select Session manual ad content.
• To see utm_term, search for and select Session manual term.

Once you select one of these, the report will update to show you the exact users, sessions, engaged sessions, and conversions attributed to the naming conventions you set up in your UTM links. Now you can finally see that your summer_sale_2024 campaign is driving significant revenue, while another might be falling flat.

Common UTM Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

UTMs are powerful, but a few common mistakes can seriously compromise your data. Here’s what to watch out for:

• NEVER Use UTMs on Internal Links. This is the cardinal sin of UTMs. If you tag a link from one page of your website to another (e.g., from your homepage to your blog), it will overwrite the user's original session data. A visitor who came from a Google search will suddenly look like they came from yourwebsite.com/internal_promo, and you'll lose all attribution for the original source.
• Being Inconsistent With Naming. It's worth repeating. Messy naming conventions lead to fragmented and unreliable data. Stick to your spreadsheet and use standardized terms.
• Forgetting to Shorten Links. That super long and clunky UTM URL is fine for a paid ad's destination, but it looks intimidating and untrustworthy in a social media profile bio or tweet. Use a URL shortener like Bitly to create a clean, shareable link that still contains all your tracking data.
• Accidentally Tracking Organic Social. Many marketing managers use UTMs to track clicks from their own organic updates on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. This is a great practice, but if you don't take an extra step, these clicks can muddle your paid social data. The best way to silo your organic social efforts is to use a source & medium combination different from that of your paid social, such as utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social_organic.

Final Thoughts

UTM links are not just a technical tool for analysts, they are one of the most effective ways for marketers and business owners to get clear, honest feedback on their efforts. Taking a few minutes to tag your URLs properly transforms your Google Analytics from a general overview into a precise roadmap of what is - and isn't - driving growth.

While UTMs are great for getting clean data into Google Analytics, manually pulling reports from GA, Facebook Ads, Shopify, and your CRM to see the full picture can still take hours. At https://www.graphed.com/register, we automate that process by bringing all your marketing and sales data into one place. You can use simple, natural language to ask questions like, "Show me a dashboard comparing Facebook spend vs. Shopify revenue for my summer_sale_2024 campaign," and get an answer in seconds - no more wrangling spreadsheets or jumping between a dozen tabs to understand your true performance.