The Five UTM Codes Explained
Google Analytics supports five different UTM parameters that marketers can implement to measure the origins of their referral traffic more accurately.
When adding UTM codes to a hyperlink, the utm_source and utm_medium parameters must always be included. Otherwise, marketers may include as many UTM parameters as they wish, and in any order they choose.
The five UTM parameters are:
1. Source
Tag: utm_source
Overview: The Source parameter should indicate the name of the platform where the link will be published, allowing marketers to determine which platforms are driving the most traffic to their landing pages.
Examples:
- utm_source=twitter
- utm_source=facebook
- utm_source=google
2. Medium
Tag: utm_medium
Overview: The Medium parameter should indicate the name of the marketing channel or medium where the tracked link will be featured. This will allow Google Analytics to measure traffic by channel and determine which ones are performing the best.
Examples:
- utm_medium=ppc
- utm_medium=socialmedia
- utm_medium=guestblog
3. Campaign
Tag: utm_campaign
Overview: The Campaign parameter should be used when a link is being published as part of a specific campaign or promotion. This allows marketers to attribute website traffic to specific marketing campaigns and see which ones are performing the best.
Examples:
- utm_campaign=blackfriday2022
- utm_campaign=backtoschool
- utm_campaign=productlaunch
4. Term
Tag: utm_term
Overview: The Term parameter is used to associate a link with a keyword(s) that you’ve paid for in a PPC advertising campaign.
Examples:
- utm_term=marketing+agency
- utm_term=seo+agency
- utm_term=ppc+agency
5. Content
Tag: utm_content
Overview: When you publish an advertisement or a piece of content that contains multiple links to your website, the Content parameter may be used to identify exactly which link of those links the user clicked on. This tag is often used in A/B testing applications and content-targeted advertising.
Examples:
- utm_content=sidebarlink
- utm_content=footerlink
- utm_content=headercta
- utm_content=adimage
- utm_content=adtext