Links that tell you where traffic came from
Without parameters, analytics shows you that someone visited. It cannot tell you whether they came from a newsletter, a partner, a paid ad or a link in a PDF. UTM parameters fix that.
Enter the destination and the campaign details. The builder validates the URL, shows the live result and gives you a QR code for print or events.
How to build a UTM link
- Paste the full destination URL, including https://.
- Add the source, medium and campaign.
- Add term and content if you are running ads or testing variants.
- Copy the URL, open it to check, or download the QR code.
What each parameter means
| Parameter | What to put there | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Where the traffic comes from | newsletter, instagram, partner |
| Medium | The type of traffic | email, social, cpc, referral |
| Campaign | The specific campaign name | spring-sale, launch-2026 |
| Term | The paid keyword | running-shoes |
| Content | The variant or placement | hero-button, footer-link |
A consistent naming system
Decide on lowercase names and stick to them. facebook and Facebook become two different sources in most reports. The same applies to email and e-mail.
Keep the medium to a short list: email, social, cpc, referral, affiliate, print. When everyone uses the same vocabulary, the reports stay readable.
Testing the link
Open the finished URL once. The page should load normally and the parameters should remain in the address bar. If the site redirects and strips them, your analytics will not see the campaign.
For QR codes on printed material, use a link you will not change later. A printed QR with a dead destination is worse than no QR at all.
Once the campaign is live, the UULE Generator helps you check local results and the Schema Markup Generator handles structured data.
Frequently asked
What is a UTM link?
A UTM link is a normal URL with extra parameters that tell your analytics where a visitor came from, such as source, medium and campaign.
Which parameters are required?
Only the destination URL is required. Most analytics setups work well with source, medium and campaign. Term and content are optional and useful for paid ads and A/B tests.
Does this shorten my link?
No. It adds parameters, so the URL gets longer. Use a shortener afterwards if the link needs to be typed or read aloud.
Are the parameters case sensitive?
Analytics tools treat them as case sensitive. Use lowercase and be consistent, otherwise the same campaign appears twice in reports.
What is the referral code for?
It adds a ref parameter that many affiliate and referral programmes read. Leave it empty if you are only tracking a campaign.