What Is a UTM Link and How Do You Build One?

What Is a UTM Link?

A UTM link (Urchin Tracking Module) is a regular URL with special tracking parameters added to the end. When someone clicks the link, Google Analytics reads those parameters and logs exactly where that visitor came from.

Example:

https://yoursite.com/sale?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=winter_sale

The 5 UTM Parameters

• utm_source — Where the traffic is coming from. Examples: google, newsletter, instagram
• utm_medium — The marketing channel. Examples: cpc, email, social
• utm_campaign — The specific campaign name. Examples: summer_sale, launch_2026
• utm_term — For paid search — the keyword that triggered the ad.
• utm_content — For A/B testing ads — which version was clicked.

Why Use UTM Links?

Without UTM parameters, Google Analytics shows most social and email traffic as "Direct". With UTM links, you know exactly which campaign, platform, and ad drove a conversion.

How to Build UTM Links

Use the UTM Link Builder to generate clean, properly-encoded UTM links in seconds:

1. Paste your destination URL
2. Fill in the source, medium, and campaign fields
3. Copy the generated URL and use it in your campaign

UTM Best Practices

• Always use lowercase — Google and google appear as separate sources in Analytics
• Use underscores instead of spaces
• Be consistent with naming conventions across your team
• Never use UTM parameters on internal links — it resets sessions in Analytics