A practical guide to UTM parameters
Choose consistent campaign labels, build a tracking URL, and avoid common mistakes that make campaign reports harder to read.
Give each parameter one job
UTM parameters add campaign labels to a destination URL. Use utm_source for the publisher or placement, such as newsletter or a partner name. Use utm_medium for the channel, such as email or social. Use utm_campaign to group links from the same initiative, such as autumn_launch.
Use utm_content to distinguish placements or creative variants, such as header_button and text_link. Use utm_term when you need a keyword or another term-level label. Leave optional fields empty when they do not answer a useful reporting question.
Agree on names before creating links
Choose one spelling and one casing convention for each value. For example, consistently use newsletter, email, and autumn_launch. Mixing Email, e-mail, and email can split one channel into several rows, depending on the analytics system.
Keep a shared list of campaign names when several people create links. Lowercase words separated by underscores are a readable convention. The important part is consistency across every link in the same campaign.
Build and test the complete URL
Enter a full destination URL in UTM Builder, then add the source, medium, and campaign values. The builder encodes parameter values and preserves unrelated query parameters and the page fragment. Existing values for the five supported UTM parameters are replaced by your current fields.
Open the generated link before publishing it. Confirm that it lands on the intended page and that any redirects preserve the parameters. Then check your analytics platform's campaign reports after test traffic is recorded; creating a URL does not configure analytics by itself.
Keep campaign labels useful and non-personal
Use UTM parameters for campaign links that lead people to your site. Avoid adding them to internal navigation: doing so may complicate attribution, depending on your analytics setup. Record internal interactions with the event model supported by your analytics platform instead.
Do not put names, email addresses, customer IDs, or secrets in a tracking URL. URLs can appear in logs, browser history, screenshots, and reports. A label such as autumn_launch usually answers the campaign question without identifying a person.