What UTM Parameters Are
UTM parameters are short tags added to the end of a link that tell your analytics where a visitor came from. The link yoursite.com/offer?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=spring-sale tells Google Analytics, ClickMagick and similar tools that the visitor clicked a paid Facebook ad from your spring sale campaign.
Without them, tools guess from the referring site, and plenty of traffic ends up labelled "direct" or credited to the wrong channel. With them, every click carries its own label.
The Five UTM Parameters
| Parameter | Answers | Examples | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| utm_source | Where did they come from? | facebook, google, newsletter, vendor-name | Yes |
| utm_medium | What type of traffic? | paid-social, cpc, email, solo-ad | Yes |
| utm_campaign | Which campaign? | spring-sale, webinar-may | Yes |
| utm_content | Which ad, creative or link? | video-hook-a, header-button | Optional |
| utm_term | Which keyword or audience? | running-shoes, lookalike-1pct | Optional |
ClickMagick treats source, medium and campaign as required when tracking clicks in its Campaigns tool, and the other two as optional. In Google Analytics 4, content and term appear as "manual ad content" and "manual term".
Copy-Ready Examples by Channel
| Channel | Example parameters |
|---|---|
| Meta ads | utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}} |
| Google Ads | utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}&utm_term={keyword} |
| Email newsletter | utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly-0412&utm_content=main-button |
| Solo ad | utm_source=vendor-name&utm_medium=solo-ad&utm_campaign=lead-magnet-a |
| Instagram bio | utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bio-link |
The curly-brace values are dynamic parameters. Meta fills in names such as campaign and ad, and Google's ValueTrack parameters fill in IDs and keywords, so you don't have to type them for every ad.
Naming Rules That Keep Reports Clean
- Use lowercase everywhereUTMs are case-sensitive, so "Facebook" and "facebook" become two sources.
- Pick one separatorHyphens or underscores, never spaces. Stick to it.
- Keep a UTM dictionaryA shared sheet listing approved sources, mediums and campaign naming patterns.
- Don't mix value typesClickMagick's guidance is never to put different kinds of values in one parameter. Source is a source, not a source plus a date.
- Put detail in content and termRather than stuffing everything into the campaign name.
Common UTM Mistakes
- Tagging internal links. UTMs on links between your own pages overwrite the visitor's original source. Only tag links coming into your site.
- Inconsistent sources. "fb", "facebook" and "meta" split one channel into three.
- Forgetting some ads. One untagged ad set can hide a large share of spend.
- Long, ugly links in public places. Use a short branded link for bios, print and SMS.
- Personal data in UTMs. Never put email addresses or names in URLs.
Reading UTM Data
In Google Analytics 4, open the Traffic acquisition report and switch the dimension to session source/medium or session campaign. In ClickMagick, UTMs drive the source, campaign and ad breakdowns in your reports, alongside conversions, revenue and synced ad costs.
The difference is what you see next to the UTM data. GA4 shows sessions and on-site events. A tracker like ClickMagick shows attributed revenue and return per campaign and ad, with bot clicks filtered out.
A Simple Template to Copy
source: platform name (facebook, google, newsletter, vendor-name)
medium: paid-social, cpc, email, social, solo-ad, affiliate
campaign: offer-or-goal-month (spring-sale-apr)
content: creative or link name (video-a, header-button)
term: keyword or audience (brand, lookalike)
Once your links are tagged consistently, every tool you use will tell the same story about where visitors come from. That's the foundation for attribution.
Turn your UTM-tagged clicks into revenue per campaign and ad.
Try ClickMagick FreeFrequently Asked Questions
What are UTM parameters?
UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a URL, such as utm_source=facebook, that tell analytics and tracking tools where a visitor came from. There are five standard tags: source, medium, campaign, content and term.
Which UTM parameters are required?
Source, medium and campaign are the ones to always fill in. Google Analytics needs source and medium for channel grouping, and ClickMagick treats source, medium and campaign as required when tracking clicks. Content and term are optional.
Are UTM parameters case-sensitive?
Yes. 'Facebook' and 'facebook' show up as different sources in reports. Use lowercase for everything to avoid split data.
Do UTM parameters affect SEO?
Not when used on links from ads, emails and social posts to your site. Avoid adding UTMs to internal links between your own pages, because that overwrites the original source of the visit.
Do I need UTMs if Google Ads auto-tags clicks?
Auto-tagging handles Google's own reporting, but UTMs help other tools, such as an independent tracker, see campaign details. Many advertisers use both, often filling UTMs automatically with Google's ValueTrack parameters.