The Quick Version
Give every link you share on social media its own tag, so you know which platform, post and placement sent each visitor. Then track what those visitors do on your site, so you can compare platforms by sales, not likes.
Platform insights only tell part of the story. Instagram, for example, shows website taps in aggregate but not a breakdown of which link inside your bio was tapped.
Step-by-Step Setup
- Decide your namingLowercase platform names for utm_source (instagram, tiktok, youtube), "social" for utm_medium, and a campaign name.
- Tag your bio linksOne tagged link per platform, so the same page shows which platform sent the visit.
- Tag post, story and video linksUse utm_content to tell posts or placements apart.
- Use branded short linksLong UTM links look messy in captions and descriptions; a short link on your own domain hides the tags.
- Track conversionsOpt-ins and sales recorded by your analytics or tracker.
- Review weeklyCompare platforms and posts by conversions and revenue per click.
Example Tags
| Placement | utm_source | utm_medium | utm_content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram bio | social | bio-link | |
| TikTok bio | tiktok | social | bio-link |
| YouTube description | youtube | social | video-setup-guide |
| Facebook group post | social | group-post-0612 |
Organic vs Paid Social
Keep paid and organic separate. Paid ads should use a medium like "paid-social" or "cpc", so your organic posts aren't credited with ad sales, or the other way round. Paid platforms also need conversion data sent back to them, which is a different job. See our Facebook ads tracking guide.
Why Social Traffic Goes Missing
- In-app browsers often don't pass referrer information.
- People copy and paste links into messages.
- Visitors return later by typing your address, on another device.
Tags fix the first two. First-party tracking that remembers the original click helps with the third. See cross-device tracking.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Mixing "Instagram" and "instagram", which splits your data.
- One untagged link used everywhere.
- Judging platforms by clicks instead of sales.
- Forgetting to update bio links when a campaign ends.
Social Tracking With ClickMagick
ClickMagick's Smart Links give you clean, branded short links for social posts, bios and video descriptions, and its campaign tracking credits opt-ins and sales back to the exact platform and post. That turns "which platform is working?" into a revenue answer. See ClickMagick vs Bitly.
See which posts and platforms actually make you money.
Try ClickMagick FreeFrequently Asked Questions
How do I track clicks from social media?
Give every link you share its own UTM tags or tracking link, so your analytics or tracker knows which platform, post and placement sent each visitor.
Does Instagram show bio link clicks?
Business and creator accounts see website taps in Insights, but not a per-link breakdown. A tagged bio link or link-in-bio page with analytics fills that gap.
Why does social traffic show as direct in Google Analytics?
In-app browsers and copied links often don't pass referrer information. Tagging every social link with UTMs stops that traffic being lumped into direct.
Can I track sales from organic social posts?
Yes. Use tagged links and a conversion tracker, and you can see revenue by platform and even by post or video.
What should I use for utm_source on social?
Use the platform name in lowercase, such as instagram, tiktok, youtube or facebook, and stick to it everywhere so reports stay clean.