How Do UTM Parameters Work in Tracking Campaigns?

As a marketer, you work hard to create ads, emails, and social media posts to drive traffic and sales.

But how do you figure out which efforts are actually bringing people to your website?

Without clear tracking, you’re left guessing what’s working and what’s not. UTM parameters then play a crucial role in this situation.

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are little bits of extra text you attach to the end of a URL. These act as tags that tell tools like Google Analytics exactly where your traffic is coming from. For example, they can tell you which Facebook post, email, or ad sent a visitor to your site. With this information, you can confidently see what’s successful and tweak your marketing for better results.

This guide will explain what UTM parameters are, the types of UTMs you can use for email campaigns, and how they help you track performance. If you’ve never used UTMs or just want to improve your tracking, this is the perfect starting point to measure your marketing impact effectively.

What are these UTM tracking codes?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) codes are small bits of text added to the end of a URL that help marketers track where website traffic is coming from.

Think of them as labels that identify which marketing effort—an email, social media post, or ad—brought a visitor to your site.

By using UTM codes, you can measure how well specific campaigns, channels, or content pieces are performing.

1. UTM Parameters: These are the “tags” that start with "utm_" and are used to organize your traffic data. There are five key parameters:

• utm_source: Tells you where your traffic is coming from (e.g., "Google," "Facebook").
• utm_medium: Explains the type of channel (e.g., "email" or "social").
• utm_campaign: Identifies the specific campaign (e.g., "spring_sale," "newsletter_10").
• utm_content: Helps to separate similar content within the same campaign, like distinguishing a banner ad from a text link.
• utm_term: Tracks specific keywords from a paid search campaign (e.g., "running_shoes").

2. Tracking Variable – This is just the custom bit that comes after the "=" sign in each parameter. It’s your label for what you want to track, like the campaign name or channel.

For example, a UTM-tagged URL might look like this:

http://yourwebsite.com/your-post-title/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=summer_sale

Main Types of UTM Parameters for Email Campaigns

Using UTM parameters in email campaigns is simple once you understand the basics.

These little tags can be added to your email links to help you see where your traffic is coming from and what’s working best.

The five main types of UTM parameters are Medium, Source, Campaign, Content, and Term. Below is a straightforward guide to each one.

1. Medium (utm_medium)

This tells you the type of marketing channel that’s bringing people to your site. For email campaigns, this should always be set to "email" to separate it from other channels like social media or ads.

Example: &utm_medium=email

2. Source (utm_source)

The source is the specific place or tool where the traffic is coming from. If you’re running an email campaign, this could be "newsletter," "CRM," or the name of your email tool, like "Mailchimp" or "HubSpot".

Example: &utm_source=newsletter

3. Campaign (utm_campaign)

This is used to identify the exact campaign that’s sending traffic. Pick a name that makes sense for you, like "holiday_sale", "weekly_update", or "new_product_launch", so you can easily track its performance.

Example: &utm_campaign=holiday_sale

4. Content (utm_content)

If your email has more than one link (e.g., a button and a text link), this tag lets you see which people are clicking more. It’s perfect for comparing different parts of your email.

Example: &utm_content=cta_button for a button or &utm_content=text_link for a text link.

5. Term (utm_term)

Though the term is mostly for paid search campaigns, it can also be used in emails to track specific segments or keywords. For example, if you’re targeting different audience groups, you can see which group performs better.

Example: &utm_term=premium_membership.

How to set up UTM codes for email campaigns

Now that you understand the basic types of UTM parameters, let's break down how to actually set them up in your email campaigns in simple terms.

You have two main ways to do this:

1. Setting Up UTM Parameters Manually

This method is great if you want complete control over what the tracking codes look like and how they work. It’s a little more work, but it lets you fully customize everything.

Steps to Manually Create UTM Codes:

1. Use a UTM Builder - Tools like Google Analytics Campaign URL Builder make creating UTM links easy. Just fill in the blanks!
2. Stay Clear and Consistent - Use simple, logical names for your UTM values. For example, utm_campaign=spring-sale is much clearer than something long and complicated.
3. Stick to Lowercase - Tools like Google Analytics differentiate between "Email" and "email." To avoid confusion, always use lowercase letters.
4. Don’t Repeat Yourself - Avoid redundancy in your parameters. If utm_medium=email is already there, no need to add "email" again in utm_campaign.
5. Link Parameters with & - Separate the UTM parameters using the & symbol. This ensures every parameter gets recognized.

Example of a Manual UTM Code

yoursite.com/your-page/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring-sale&utm_content=cta-button

This link tracks visitors from a newsletter about a Spring Sale, specifically those who clicked on a CTA button.

Pros of Manual UTM Setup:

• You have full control over every detail.
• Customize everything for better insights.
• Keep things consistent across campaigns with your own naming rules.

Cons of Manual UTM Setup:

• It can be time-consuming, especially for big campaigns.
• There’s a higher risk of mistakes when typing things manually.

2. Automating UTM Parameters

If you want to save time, most email marketing platforms—like Mailchimp, HubSpot, or ActiveCampaign—can add UTM codes to your links automatically. This method is easier but less customizable.

Steps to Automate UTM Codes:

1. Turn On UTM Tracking - Find the setting in your platform to automatically add UTM codes to links in your emails.
2. Adjust Naming Rules - Some platforms allow you to tweak the default UTM values to match your preferences.
3. Check Your Results - Once emails are sent, open Google Analytics. Go to Acquisition → Campaigns to confirm that data is tracking as expected.

Pros of Automatic UTM Setup:

• Saves you time and effort.
• Reduces chances of human error.
• Ensures consistent tracking across all links.

Cons of Automatic UTM Setup:

• You might not be able to customize every little detail.
• The platform’s default naming might not match your ideal setup.

3. Using UTM Parameters in Google Analytics

Once your email campaigns have UTM codes, head over to Google Analytics (Acquisition → Campaigns) to see how your campaigns are performing.

Example of a UTM Code in Action:

For a Spring Sale email:

yoursite.com/your-page/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring-sale-2025&utm_content=cta-button

What it tracks:

• utm_source=newsletter - Traffic came from your newsletter.
• utm_medium=email - Visitors arrived via email link.
• utm_campaign=spring-sale-2025 - This campaign tracks your spring sale for the year 2025.
• utm_content=cta-button - Identifies that the visitor clicked on a CTA button.

Comparing Traffic Sources:

If you’re also running Facebook ads for the same campaign, you might use a UTM code like this instead:

yoursite.com/your-page/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring-sale&utm_content=shoead

How to use the UTM Parameters in Google Analytics

UTM parameters are an easy way to see how well your marketing campaigns are working. They help you figure out which emails, ads, or social media posts bring you the most visitors and conversions.

Think of UTM codes as custom labels you add to your links so you can trace their performance.

1. Structure of a UTM-Tagged URL

A UTM-tagged URL consists of your base URL followed by UTM parameters, separated by ? and joined using a period&.

Basic Example: yoursite.com/your-page/?utm_campaign=spring-sale

This tracks visitors coming from a Spring Sale campaign.

To differentiate annual campaigns, add a year to the parameter: yoursite.com/your-page/?utm_campaign=spring-sale-2025

This helps track year-over-year performance in Google Analytics.

2. Common UTM Parameters and Their Purpose

3. Tracking Multiple UTM Parameters

For deeper tracking, combine multiple UTM parameters.

Example: Tracking an Email CTA Button yoursite.com/your-page/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring-sale-2025&utm_content=cta-button

• utm_source=newsletter → Traffic comes from a newsletter
• utm_medium=email → Medium is email
• utm_campaign=spring-sale-2025 → Campaign name
• utm_content=cta-button → Tracks users clicking the CTA button

Example: Tracking a Facebook Ad yoursite.com/your-page/ utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring-sale&utm_content=shoead

• utm_source=facebook → Traffic from Facebook
• utm_medium=cpc → Paid traffic (cost-per-click)
• utm_campaign=spring-sale → Spring Sale campaign
• utm_content=shoead → Ad promoting shoes

4. Viewing UTM Data in Google Analytics

Once users visit your site using a UTM-tagged link, you can track their activity in Google Analytics:

To access UTM data in GA4:

1. Log in to Google Analytics.
2. Go to Reports → Acquisition → Traffic Acquisition.
3. Use the filters for Source, Medium, and Campaign to analyze performance.

For more detailed tracking:

• Use Conversions → Events to see which UTM links led to sales.
• Set up Goals or Custom Reports to track specific campaign results.

Benefits of using UTM as a Marketer

One of the most important parts of marketing is knowing how well your campaigns are working, and UTM codes are a simple yet powerful tool to help you track and measure performance while improving your strategies.

By using UTM codes, you can track where your traffic is coming from—whether it’s a Facebook ad, an email, or a blog post—and identify which sources and campaigns generate the most clicks, leads, or sales.

They give you detailed insights into what marketing methods deliver the best results, allowing you to see what works and which channels are driving conversions, such as search engine clicks or social media ads.

With this data, you can allocate your budget more effectively and focus on campaigns that deliver the highest ROI, making UTM codes an essential part of any data-driven marketing strategy.

Tips for using UTM Codes

1. Use consistent tags

Always stick to a clear naming system for your UTM codes. This avoids confusion and makes data easier to analyze.

Examples:

• For newsletters, always type: utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=monthly-newsletter.
• For Facebook ads, use: utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social.

2. Keep everything lowercase

UTM codes are case-sensitive, so utm_source=Facebook and utm_source=facebook will show as two different sources. To avoid this:

• Use lowercase for all tags (e.g., utm_medium=email).
• Stick to one consistent format for all campaigns.

3. Be specific but brief

Short and clear UTM names help avoid confusion.

Bad Example:

• utm_campaign=sale (too vague)

Good Example:

• utm_campaign=holiday-sale-2025

4. Keep a record

Create a shared document or spreadsheet to list all UTM links your team creates. This avoids duplicate codes, errors, and messy data.

5. Link UTM Data to your CRM

Combine UTM data with your CRM platform (like HubSpot or Salesforce) for better insights. By doing this, you can:

• Track where your leads are coming from.
• Link sales and conversions back to specific campaigns.
• Make smarter decisions based on clear data.

Takeaways

Using UTM codes makes it easy to track how well your marketing is doing. These little pieces of code get added to your links and help you see exactly where your traffic is coming from.

For example, you can figure out if people are clicking on your Facebook ad, email campaign, or blog link. This lets you know what works and what doesn’t.

Instead of guessing, you can focus your money and energy on the ads or campaigns that bring in the most clicks, leads, or sales. It’s like having X-ray vision for your marketing—simple, but super helpful for making smart decisions.