UTM Tracking Guide

UTM parameters are standardized query parameters used to label traffic sources, mediums, campaigns and related dimensions so analytics tools can group sessions consistently.

Reviewed for accuracy: August 30, 2026 · Independent editorial

The core parameters

utm_source identifies the source, utm_medium the channel type and utm_campaign the campaign. Optional parameters such as content and term can distinguish creatives or keywords.

Naming conventions

Choose lowercase values, avoid unnecessary spaces, and define a shared vocabulary before campaigns launch. Consistency matters more than clever naming.

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Do not overwrite internal journeys

Avoid adding UTMs to ordinary internal links. Doing so can create fake new acquisition sessions or overwrite the original source in some analytics systems.

Combine UTMs with click IDs

UTMs are useful labels; unique click IDs provide event-level continuity. Performance stacks often use both.

Governance

Maintain a campaign naming sheet or generator so teams do not create near-duplicate values such as facebook, fb, meta and meta_ads for the same source.