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UTM Builder
Create tracking URLs in one click by our free UTM Builder.
What Are UTM Parameters?
UTM parameters (Urchin Tracking Module parameters) are short pieces of text added to the end of a URL that tell Google Analytics exactly where a visitor came from, which campaign sent them, and what specific link they clicked. When a user clicks a link containing UTM parameters, Google Analytics records all of this tracking information automatically, giving you precise data about which marketing channels, campaigns, and content are driving the most traffic and conversions to your website.
Without UTM parameters, Google Analytics groups much of your traffic under 'Direct' or 'Referral' — making it impossible to tell which specific email newsletter, social media post, or paid ad was responsible for a conversion. UTM parameters solve this attribution problem completely.
How to Use the UTM Builder
- Enter the destination URL you want to track in the URL field
- Fill in the UTM Campaign Source (e.g., google, newsletter, facebook)
- Fill in the UTM Campaign Medium (e.g., cpc, email, social)
- Fill in the UTM Campaign Name (e.g., summer-sale-2024, product-launch)
- Optionally add UTM Term (for paid search keywords) and UTM Content (for A/B testing)
- Click 'Build URL' — your complete tracking URL is generated instantly
- Copy the UTM URL and use it in your campaigns
The 5 UTM Parameters Explained
|
UTM Parameter |
Purpose |
Example Value |
Required? |
|
utm_source |
Identifies the traffic source |
google, facebook, newsletter |
Yes |
|
utm_medium |
Identifies the marketing medium |
cpc, email, organic, social |
Yes |
|
utm_campaign |
Names the specific campaign |
spring-sale, brand-awareness |
Yes |
|
utm_term |
Identifies paid search keywords |
free+seo+tools, buy+online |
Optional |
|
utm_content |
Differentiates similar links |
blue-button, header-link |
Optional |
UTM Parameter Best Practices
- Always use lowercase letters in UTM values — Google Analytics treats 'Email' and 'email' as two separate sources
- Use hyphens instead of spaces in UTM values — our builder automatically converts spaces to hyphens
- Be consistent with your naming conventions across all campaigns so your data is comparable
- Create a UTM naming convention document for your team so everyone uses the same values
- Never use UTM parameters on internal links within your own website — this breaks session data in Analytics
- Use URL shorteners (bit.ly, TinyURL) for UTM links used in social media posts for cleaner appearance
- Test each UTM link in a browser and verify it shows up correctly in Google Analytics Real-Time reports
Common Campaign Source and Medium Combinations
|
Marketing Channel |
utm_source |
utm_medium |
|
Google Search Ads |
|
cpc |
|
Facebook Ads |
|
paid-social |
|
Email Newsletter |
mailchimp (or your ESP) |
|
|
Organic Social Media |
facebook / instagram / twitter |
social |
|
YouTube Video |
youtube |
video |
|
Affiliate Partners |
partner-website-name |
affiliate |
|
QR Code (print) |
flyer / business-card |
qr-code |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the UTM Builder free to use?
A: Yes, completely free with no account required. Build as many UTM tracking URLs as you need.
Q: Do UTM parameters affect Google SEO rankings?
A: UTM parameters in URLs do not directly affect SEO rankings. However, Google may index URLs with UTM parameters as separate pages if it discovers them through crawling. To prevent this, add UTM parameter patterns to your canonical tags and configure URL parameter handling in Google Search Console.
Q: Can I use UTM parameters with shortened URLs?
A: Yes. Build your full UTM URL first using our builder, then paste it into your URL shortener. The UTM parameters are preserved through the redirect and will still be recorded by Google Analytics when the link is clicked.
Q: Do UTM parameters work with Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
A: Yes. UTM parameters work identically with both Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4. GA4 automatically reads and processes all five standard UTM parameters the same way.
