What are UTM parameters and how do you use them?

A tagged URL can look like this: “example.com/product?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=launch&utm_content=video”. The ? starts the query string, each & separates a parameter, and the value after = is what appears in your reports.

The three essential UTMs and what each one answers

Those are the five classic UTM parameters. GA4 also documents utm_id, utm_source_platform, utm_creative_format, and utm_marketing_tactic; the last two are not currently reported in Analytics properties. For complete manual campaign tagging, Google recommends using source, medium, and campaign together, then adding the other fields only when they answer a useful reporting question.

Source versus medium: where versus how

Source names the specific place: linkedin, newsletter, instagram, or a partner's name. Medium describes the channel type: social, paid_social, email, affiliate, or referral. Campaign groups one initiative across every source and medium you use to promote it.

How to create and test a UTM link

1. 1

   Start with the reporting question

   Decide whether you need to compare channels, campaigns, or creative. That question determines the useful fields and prevents tagging for its own sake.

2. 2

   Use the exact destination page

   Link to the relevant product, guide, or form rather than the home page. If the URL already contains ?, append the first UTM with &; otherwise start with ?.

3. 3

   Set source, medium, and campaign

   For example: ?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=august_guide. Add content or term only when you plan to compare those values.

4. 4

   Test the destination and redirects

   Open the finished URL in a private window and make sure the parameters survive every redirect. A working page is not enough if the campaign labels were removed on the way.

5. 5

   Shorten the completed URL

   Paste the full tagged URL into taap.at. The short link gives you a clean public address, records the open, and redirects to the tagged destination.

Where to find UTM data in Google Analytics 4

1. 1

   Open Traffic acquisition

   In GA4, go to Reports, Acquisition, then Traffic acquisition. This report focuses on how sessions started.

2. 2

   Choose a session-scoped dimension

   Use Session source / medium or Session campaign to inspect the manual labels without confusing them with the channel that first acquired the user.

3. 3

   Run a test before launch

   Visit the link yourself and confirm that the values arrive with the planned spelling. Standard reports can take time to populate, so testing should cover both the destination and collection.

Naming rules that keep reports usable

• Use lowercase: linkedin and LinkedIn can appear as separate values in reporting.
• Pick one separator, such as an underscore, and keep it consistent. This is a governance rule, not a GA4 technical requirement.
• Maintain an approved source, medium, and campaign list so teams do not create near-duplicate labels.
• Never put names, email addresses, phone numbers, or other personal data in UTM values; they remain visible in the URL.
• Reserve campaign tags for inbound traffic. Track internal banners, menus, and CTAs with events instead of UTMs.
• Keep Google Ads auto-tagging when it is available; do not replace the gclid with manual UTMs without reviewing attribution settings.

UTMs, short links, and conversions measure different things

A UTM describes acquisition context, a short link records the open before redirecting, and GA4 measures sessions and configured events on your site. None of them proves a sale on its own. Revenue attribution also needs a purchase event, CRM record, or another reliable commercial outcome.