Question 1

What is a UTM parameter?

Accepted Answer

UTM parameters are tags appended to a URL that tell analytics tools (like Google Analytics) where your traffic came from. There are 5 standard parameters: utm_source (who sent the traffic), utm_medium (the channel), utm_campaign (the campaign name), utm_content (the specific ad or link), and utm_term (the keyword). They help you measure exactly which campaigns, channels, and ads are driving clicks and conversions.

Question 2

What are the required UTM parameters?

Accepted Answer

For meaningful tracking, utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign are required. utm_source identifies who sent the traffic (e.g. google, facebook, newsletter). utm_medium describes the marketing channel (e.g. cpc, email, social). utm_campaign names the specific initiative (e.g. summer-sale, brand-awareness). utm_content and utm_term are optional and used for more granular tracking.

Question 3

Does capitalisation matter in UTM parameters?

Accepted Answer

Yes — analytics platforms treat UTM values as case-sensitive. 'Google' and 'google' will appear as two separate sources in your reports. Always use lowercase and hyphens instead of spaces. This tool automatically formats your parameters to lowercase and replaces spaces with hyphens as you type, so you never get inconsistent data.

Question 4

Should I use UTM parameters on internal links?

Accepted Answer

No. Adding UTM parameters to internal links (links between pages on your own site) will overwrite the original traffic source in your analytics. This is called 'self-referral' and it inflates certain campaign numbers while hiding the true source. Only use UTM parameters on external links — in ads, emails, social posts, and partner placements — that point back to your site.

Question 5

What is utm_content used for?

Accepted Answer

utm_content is used to differentiate between multiple links that point to the same URL within the same campaign. For example, if you have two CTAs in one email — a hero banner and a footer button — you can set utm_content=hero-banner and utm_content=footer-button respectively. This tells you which placement is driving more clicks without needing a separate campaign.

Question 6

What is utm_term used for?

Accepted Answer

utm_term is primarily used for paid search campaigns to identify which keyword triggered the ad. For example, if you're bidding on 'lead generation software', set utm_term=lead-generation-software. This helps you connect ad spend on specific keywords directly to conversions in your analytics, so you can cut underperforming keywords and double down on ones that convert.

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