Glossary · Traffic sources & UTMs
What are UTM parameters?
UTM parameters are five standard query-string tags — utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term and utm_content — added to a link so analytics tools can attribute the visit to a specific source, channel and campaign.
UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module, after Urchin Software, which Google acquired in 2005 and turned into Google Analytics. Every analytics tool now reads them.
Also called: UTM codes, UTM tags, Campaign parameters
Updated
The five UTM parameters
| Parameter | Answers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| utm_source | Who sent the visit? | newsletter, google, x |
| utm_medium | What kind of channel? | email, cpc, social |
| utm_campaign | Which campaign? | october-launch |
| utm_term | Which keyword or audience? | privacy+analytics |
| utm_content | Which link or creative? | header-cta |
Source and medium are the essentials; campaign is strongly recommended. Google Analytics 4 also reads utm_id, utm_source_platform, utm_creative_format and utm_marketing_tactic, but those aren't widely supported elsewhere.
UTM parameters example
https://example.com/pricing?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=october-launch&utm_content=hero-button
Every visitor who clicks this link is attributed to the newsletter, in the email channel, as part of the October launch, via the hero button — regardless of which email client they used or whether a referrer was sent.
Why UTM parameters matter
Referrers are often missing (apps, email clients) or vague (origin-only). UTMs are the one source signal you fully control, so they're how you prove which newsletter, partner or post produced sign-ups and revenue. Without them, campaigns blur into direct traffic and generic referral.
UTM best practices and common mistakes
- Lowercase everything.
Newsletterandnewsletterbecome two sources in most tools. - Pick a naming convention and write it down. One medium per channel type (
email, notemail,e-mailandnewsletter). - Never tag internal links. A UTM on a link inside your own site starts a new attribution and overwrites the real source.
- Don't put personal data in UTMs. Email addresses in a URL end up in logs, analytics and referrers of third parties.
- Keep tags on redirects. Link shorteners and redirects must pass the query string through.
How VisitTrack uses UTM parameters
The VisitTrack script reads utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign from the landing URL and stores them on the session; the Overview's Campaigns tab and the channel breakdown use them, and the visitor's first-touch UTMs are credited for later payments in revenue attribution. utm_term and utm_content are not currently captured, so use campaign names for distinctions you need to report on. When there are no UTMs, ad click ids (gclid, fbclid and others) fill in the source and mark the visit as paid. Build consistent links with the UTM builder and check existing ones with the UTM parser.
Frequently asked questions
Do UTM parameters affect SEO?
Not if used correctly. Tag only external links you share, never internal links, and keep a canonical URL on pages so search engines index the clean version rather than tagged duplicates.
Which UTM parameters are required?
None are technically required, but utm_source and utm_medium are the minimum for useful channel reporting, and utm_campaign lets you compare campaigns. Always set utm_source: Google Analytics and most other tools build their reports around the source/medium pair.
Are UTM parameters case-sensitive?
Yes, in most analytics tools. Use lowercase consistently so the same source isn't split into several rows.
Related terms
- utm_sourceutm_source is the UTM parameter that identifies the specific site, platform or publisher that sent a visit — for example google, newsletter, x or a partner's name.
- utm_mediumutm_medium is the UTM parameter that describes the type of marketing channel that sent a visit — such as email, cpc, social, referral or affiliate — and is what most tools use to assign the visit to a channel group.
- utm_campaignutm_campaign is the UTM parameter that names the specific campaign, launch or promotion a link belongs to, so visits and conversions from every channel in that campaign can be grouped together.
- Channel groupingChannel grouping is the set of rules an analytics tool uses to sort every visit into a marketing channel — such as direct, organic search, paid search, social, email or referral — based on its referrer, UTM parameters and ad click ids.
- Click IDA click ID is a unique identifier that an ad platform or social network appends to a link's URL when someone clicks it — such as gclid for Google Ads, fbclid for Meta or twclid for X — so the click can be matched to a later conversion.
- First-touch attributionFirst-touch attribution is an attribution model that gives 100% of the credit for a conversion or payment to the source of the visitor's very first visit, ignoring every visit that came after it.
Tools and guides
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