UTM Link Generator

Save time on your campaigns with our easy-to-use UTM Builder tool!

What is a UTM tracking code?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) is a set of parameters that are appended to the end of a URL leading to your website and allows you to easily track website traffic or the effectiveness of any advertising or affiliate campaign. There are 5 UTM parameters, each covering a separate data segment.

Why should I use UTM codes?

Using these parameters can become an important tool in your digital marketing process. The data you gather will tell you more about where your traffic is coming from, including specific platforms.

For example, if you are running a campaign on Facebook and included specific content that users can click on, you can track traffic through that URL, allowing you to see how well the campaign is performing. Of course, this applies to all social media platforms!

Moreover, since banners on websites, blogs, paid ads, and social media are just a small part of a branding campaign, using UTM helps you pinpoint the key performers of your campaign and, alternatively, aspects of your campaign that are ineffective.

How to create a UTM code?

There are two simple ways to create a UTM code. The easiest way is to use our UTM Builder, which will instantly generate a ready-to-use URL according to your needs. All you need to do is fill in the gaps in the generator, add some campaign details, and your URL will be generated in seconds!

The second option is to manually create the URL by adding each UTM parameter to the end of your link, attached using a "?" symbol after the main part of your URL, followed by the "&" symbol between all the parameters.

What should a correct UTM code look like?

Here’s an example of how this current page would look for Instagram: https://www.sas.com.ru/en/utm-builder?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=utm-builder-launch

"?": The question mark signals to your analytics software that there will be more UTM parameters in the URL.

"&": Indicates that another UTM parameter will follow.

utm_source=instagram tells you that the person came to your website via the link from Instagram.

The utm_medium=social tells you that the traffic to the website came from a social media channel.

utm_campaign=utm-builder-launch means that the campaign is called utm-builder-launch.

Are UTM codes case-sensitive?

Yes, UTM codes are case-sensitive, so it’s best to use lowercase letters and strictly adhere to the naming scheme in your campaign. Our UTM Builder tool can help you easily switch between uppercase and lowercase. Additionally, we’ve implemented a feature in the tool to remove spaces and replace them with dashes.

Can I track Google Ads campaigns?

Yes, you can track a Google Ads campaign; however, you don’t need to use UTM parameters to see the performance of ads in your Google Analytics property. You can simply link both accounts to send data with the GCLID (Google Click Identifier) parameter of the ad.

This allows you to automatically create an internal link between the click and the session and then import everything in both directions without additional setup. This is definitely a simpler, more convenient, and accurate way than using UTM for tracking Google Ads.

What are custom UTM parameters?

A custom UTM parameter is a subset of customizable URL parameters that fall outside the five core parameters. It’s an advanced feature that can be used to track sources, channels, or campaigns beyond the capabilities of the standard parameters. To set up values inside parameters, you simply add dashes between them.

The five core UTM code parameters usually include: Campaign (name or ID), Channel, Source, Term, and Content.

UTM Builder: What is it and why is it needed?

While creating a URL or adding UTM parameters may seem simple, this process can be strict and error-prone, especially considering the wide range of URLs and steps that need to be followed to create them.

Using our UTM Builder is your safest way to ensure that your UTM codes are right for your campaign, accurate, and functional. It streamlines the process in a simple and effective way so you can focus on other aspects of your campaign.

When should I use UTM parameters?

There are many different reasons to use UTM parameters, and they are a very useful tool for marketers when collecting data and tracking the performance of published media and online marketing campaigns. Here are a few examples of their use:

1. When you are running an ad campaign on Google or social media and want to know website traffic and where your users are coming from.

2. You used other ways to attract readers and potential clients from various channels and want to learn more about where they are coming from.

3. You send newsletters to your subscribers using email marketing services and want to track their performance metrics.

Who defines these UTM parameters?

URLs with UTM parameters can be automatically detected by many analytics tools, including Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, and Kissmetrics.

What are the five UTM parameters?

There are five UTM parameters that you can add to your URLs:

1. utm_source

2. utm_medium

3. utm_campaign

4. utm_term

5. utm_content

What is Source?

The source parameter is the website, platform, or channel from which the visit originates. For example, if you are running a campaign on Facebook, you can add the following example to each link you post on your Facebook page. This way, you will be able to track all specific traffic coming from Facebook.

Example: utm_source=facebook

What is Medium?

The medium tracking tag informs you of the type of marketing channel from which your visitor arrived. You can use terms like "social", "email", "display", "cost-per-click", etc., which remap default channel categories in Google Analytics.

Example: utm_medium=social-cpc

What is Campaign Name?

This is the overall name of the campaign that the link is part of. We say "overall" because a good campaign is one where the same name is used across multiple channels. Using a campaign-based tracking tag allows you to group all content from one campaign in your analytics. It’s recommended to use a product name or description so you can track what the URL is used for.

Example: utm_campaign=product-launch

What is Term?

The term or keyword tracking code identifies terms for which you paid in PPC ads. If you paid for a Google ad, this keyword will trigger the ad containing the link, and you can add the code to the link you send to Google to run the ad. It’s best to use this UTM parameter for tracking variations in text.

Additionally, feel free to be unique and creative with the keywords you create! You can use these terms to specify your ad title on Facebook or email subject line.

Example: utm_term=best-headline-since-sliced-bread

What is Content?

The content part of the code helps distinguish between different ads and messages placed on the same platform. It is used for tracking specific types of content coming from the same destination, from a common source and medium. When it comes to A/B testing, this code is especially handy for images or ad copy or for PPC campaigns. Also, you can use this parameter to specify where the link is placed — header, body text, image, or footer. Or create your own advanced UTM parameters.

Example: utm_content=ad-version-2b

What are the required UTM parameters?

The required UTM parameter is utm_source. However, adding utm_medium and utm_campaign is considered best practice when creating a URL. The last two parameters, term and content, are optional but add extra context when tracking your campaign, so it’s recommended to add as many parameters as possible and be as specific and unique as you can.

How to avoid mistakes when using the UTM code generator?

1. Make sure the URL contains only one question mark (?).
2. Check that each parameter starts with an ampersand (&).
3. Avoid special characters that may interfere with analytics, such as #, & and =.
4. Don’t forget to specify http or https in the URL.
5. Ensure your parameters are in lowercase.