UTM parameters are query-string tags appended to a URL so that analytics can attribute the visit to a specific source, medium and campaign. They are read by the analytics tool, not by the website, and they travel with the link wherever it is shared.
The five parameters.
| utm_source | Where the traffic came from — newsletter, qr_card, linkedin |
|---|---|
| utm_medium | The kind of channel — email, print, social, cpc |
| utm_campaign | The initiative — spring_launch, conference_2026 |
| utm_term | Paid keyword; optional |
| utm_content | Which variant of the link was clicked; optional |
| Case sensitivity | Values are case-sensitive in most analytics tools |
| Where the name comes from | Urchin Tracking Module, after the analytics product Google acquired in 2005 |
Source, medium and campaign are the three that reports are built on. Pick lowercase-with-underscores and never deviate: Email and email become two separate rows in every report you run afterwards.
Where this shows up.
Without tags, a scan from a printed card, a tap from a conference badge and a click from an email signature all arrive as the same anonymous direct visit. With them, you find out which of the three is worth doing again.
The common mistake.
Tagging internal links between your own pages. UTM tags restart the attribution, so an internal click overwrites the source that brought the person in and your own site starts appearing as its own best traffic source.
Sources.
Every figure above is from one of these. They are the standard, the registry or the platform’s own documentation — read them rather than take our word for it.
- Collect campaign data with custom URLs Google Analytics Help
- Campaign URL Builder Google Analytics Demos & Tools
- UTM parameters Wikipedia
- Urchin, the analytics product the name comes from Wikipedia