Term · Marketing & analytics
UTM parameters
UTM parameters are short tags added to the end of a URL — for example ?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring-sale — that tell analytics tools where a visitor came from. They make traffic from social posts, emails, messengers, QR codes and partner links measurable.
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Explained
The five parameters
utm_source— the specific source:instagram,newsletter,partner-name.utm_medium— the type of traffic:social,email,cpc,messenger,qr.utm_campaign— the campaign:novruz-2026,spring-sale.utm_content— the variant: which ad, link or placement.utm_term— keyword or audience, mostly for paid campaigns.
Rules that keep data clean
- Lowercase, hyphens instead of spaces, Latin characters.
- A fixed list of allowed sources and mediums.
- One shared sheet where all tagged links are created.
- Never tag internal links on your own site — it breaks session attribution.
Beyond analytics
Capturing UTM values in website forms and passing them to the CRM links each lead to its campaign, so sales and revenue can be attributed. See end-to-end analytics and the full UTM tags guide.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do Google Ads links need UTM tags?
Google Ads uses auto-tagging with GA4; manual UTM tags are optional for consistency with other tools.
Can UTM tags hurt SEO?
Not when used on external links; the page's canonical tag points to the clean URL.