What are UTM parameters: examples and how to build a tracked link
Published by the UTM Builder team at Limner.
UTM parameters are tags you add to the end of a link, such as ?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=black-friday, so Google Analytics knows where each visit came from. Without UTMs, a click from an email, an ad or a printed QR code often shows up as Direct or Unassigned in GA4. With UTMs, it shows up with the source, medium and campaign you wrote.
What UTM stands for
UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module. Urchin was the analytics software Google bought in 2005 that became Google Analytics, and the name stayed in the parameters. Today GA4, Looker Studio, most CRMs and email tools read the same utm_ parameters.
The UTM parameters and what each one holds
Google’s help center says that when you add parameters to a URL you should always use utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign. The others are optional.
| Parameter | What it holds | Example | GA4 dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
utm_source | Who sent the visit: the site, network or sending tool | google, instagram, newsletter | Source |
utm_medium | The type of medium | cpc, email, social | Medium |
utm_campaign | The campaign, product or promotion | black-friday-2026 | Campaign |
utm_content | Which creative or link, when there is more than one | testimonial-video, top-button | Manual ad content |
utm_term | The paid keyword | running-shoes | Manual term |
utm_id | The campaign ID, to match cost data imports | bf2026 | Campaign ID |
Google also lists utm_source_platform, utm_creative_format and utm_marketing_tactic. According to the same page, the last two are not currently reported in GA4.
What a link with UTMs looks like
The page address comes first. The parameters go after the ?, separated by &. If the link already has a ?, the new parameters go after an &.
https://shop.example.com/shoes?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=black-friday-2026&utm_content=top-button
The person who clicks sees the same page. The Google Analytics tag reads the parameters when the page loads, and GA4 records source, medium and campaign on the session. There is nothing to register in advance: the campaign shows up in reports once the first visit with it arrives.
UTM examples by channel
The utm_medium value decides the GA4 channel. These values follow the default channel group rules:
| Where the link goes | utm_source | utm_medium | GA4 channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta ad | facebook or instagram | paid-social | Paid Social |
| TikTok ad | tiktok | paid-social | Paid Social |
| Instagram post or bio | instagram | social | Organic Social |
| Email marketing | the sending tool | email | |
| Affiliate | the partner’s name | affiliate | Affiliates |
| Flyer or poster with a QR code | flyer | offline | Unassigned, until you create a channel |
In Google Ads, with auto-tagging on, gclid takes priority over the UTM and the session lands in Paid Search even without utm_medium=cpc. The gclid vs. UTM guide explains when the UTM is used.
Rules that prevent GA4 errors
- Lowercase everything. Google says values are case sensitive:
utm_source=googleandutm_source=Googlebecome two rows in the report. - No accents and no spaces. Use hyphens between words:
summer-sale. - Always the three required ones. A missing parameter shows up as
(not set)in reports. - Never on internal links. A UTM on a banner inside your own site starts a new session and erases the visit’s real source. See UTMs on internal links.
- A fixed list of names. The whole team writes
instagram, notigone day andInstathe next.
How to build a link with UTMs
You can write the link by hand, but that is where case, accent and misplaced & errors start. The most common options:
- Google’s Campaign URL Builder. Free, builds the link from form fields. It doesn’t check the GA4 channel or keep a history.
- Spreadsheet. Good for batches, but relies on formulas and on someone checking every row.
- UTM Builder. Free. You pick the channel, the link comes out lowercase and accent-free, and the tool shows which GA4 channel it will land in before you publish. It also makes the QR code and keeps a history in your account.
Where to see UTMs in GA4
In Reports, Acquisition, Traffic acquisition, switch the primary dimension to Session source / medium or Session campaign. utm_content and utm_term are in the Manual ad content and Manual term dimensions: the utm_content and utm_term in GA4 guide shows the path. According to Google’s data freshness page, processing can take 24 to 48 hours, and numbers can change in that window.
FAQ
Are UTMs required?
No. But without them GA4 only has the referrer, and clicks from apps, email, PDFs, messages and QR codes often arrive without one, as Direct.
Do UTMs hurt SEO?
Don’t use UTMs on internal links or on links you want Google to index. For campaign links that point to your site, the landing page should have a canonical tag pointing to the address without parameters.
Do I need to register UTMs in GA4?
There is no registration. The campaign shows up when the first visit with it arrives. The do I need to register UTMs in GA4? guide explains what has to be right.