UTM Parameters 101: The Complete Guide

UTM parameters are the foundation of marketing attribution. This complete guide teaches you everything from the basics to advanced strategies.

What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags you add to the end of URLs to track where traffic comes from.

yourstore.com/products

yourstore.com/products?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale

Those extra bits after the ? tell BlackBox (and other analytics tools) exactly where that click came from.

Why UTM Parameters Are Critical

Without UTMs:

• •Customer clicks your Facebook ad
• •Lands on yourstore.com/products
• •BlackBox sees: "Someone visited... from somewhere?"
• •Customer buys
• •Result: Sale marked as "Direct" ❌

With UTMs:

• •Customer clicks your Facebook ad
• •Lands on yourstore.com/products?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale
• •BlackBox sees: "Someone came from Facebook's Spring Sale ad campaign"
• •Customer buys
• •Result: Sale correctly attributed to Facebook Spring Sale ✅

The 5 UTM Parameters

There are 5 standard UTM parameters. Three are required, two are optional.

1. utm_source (Required)

• •utm_source=facebook (Facebook platform)
• •utm_source=google (Google Ads)
• •utm_source=newsletter (your email)
• •utm_source=instagram (Instagram)
• •utm_source=affiliate_john (specific affiliate partner)

• •Always use lowercase
• •Be consistent (pick "facebook" or "fb", not both)
• •Be specific for affiliates/influencers (use their name)

• •❌ "Facebook" (uppercase)
• •❌ "facebook.com" (too specific)
• •❌ "fb" one day, "facebook" the next (inconsistent)

2. utm_medium (Required)

• •utm_medium=cpc (cost-per-click paid ads)
• •utm_medium=email (email campaigns)
• •utm_medium=social (organic social posts)
• •utm_medium=referral (link from another website)
• •utm_medium=affiliate (affiliate program)
• •utm_medium=influencer (influencer partnerships)

• •Use standard medium types for consistency
• •Don't make up random medium values
• •"cpc" is for paid advertising (Facebook Ads, Google Ads, etc.)
• •"social" is for organic posts (free posts on social media)

• •Facebook Ad → cpc
• •Instagram organic post → social
• •Email campaign → email
• •Partner's blog post → referral

• •❌ utm_medium=facebook (that's a source, not a medium)
• •❌ utm_medium=paid (too vague, use cpc)

3. utm_campaign (Required)

• •utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024
• •utm_campaign=product_launch_jan
• •utm_campaign=blackfriday_2024
• •utm_campaign=abandoned_cart_series

• •Be descriptive but concise
• •Include the date or season
• •Use underscores for spaces
• •Make it meaningful (you'll read this in reports)

• •✅ spring_sale_2024
• •✅ new_product_launch_jan_15
• •✅ holiday_gift_guide

• •❌ campaign1 (meaningless)
• •❌ Spring Sale! (uppercase, special characters, space)
• •❌ test (you'll forget what this was)

4. utm_content (Optional)

• •utm_content=carousel_1 (carousel ad format)
• •utm_content=video_ad (video ad format)
• •utm_content=blue_cta (blue call-to-action button)
• •utm_content=header_link (link in email header vs footer)

You're running the same Facebook campaign with 3 ad variations:

?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=carousel

?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=video

?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=single_image

Now you can see which ad format drives the most sales!

• •Use for testing variations
• •Keep names short and clear
• •Use in emails to track which links get clicked

5. utm_term (Optional)

• •utm_term=running_shoes
• •utm_term=leather_boots
• •utm_term=winter+jacket

• •See which keywords drive conversions (not just clicks)
• •Calculate ROI per keyword
• •Find negative keywords (high cost, no conversions)

• •Use for search campaigns (Google, Bing)
• •Match the actual keyword you're bidding on
• •Less useful for social ads (they don't have keywords)

How to Add UTM Parameters to URLs

The Syntax

https://yourstore.com/products/shoes

https://yourstore.com/products/shoes?

https://yourstore.com/products/shoes?utm_source=facebook

https://yourstore.com/products/shoes?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale

https://yourstore.com/products/shoes?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024&utm_content=carousel_1

Special Cases

Base URL with existing parameters:

https://yourstore.com/products?color=blue&size=10

Add UTMs with & (not ?):

https://yourstore.com/products?color=blue&size=10&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale

UTM Naming Best Practices

1. Always Use Lowercase

• •utm_source=facebook
• •utm_source=Facebook

2. Use Underscores for Spaces

• •utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024
• •utm_campaign=spring sale 2024

3. Be Descriptive But Concise

• •utm_campaign=holiday_gift_guide
• •utm_campaign=hgg
• •utm_campaign=holiday_gift_guide_for_men_and_women_2024_black_friday

4. Stay Consistent

Pick a convention and stick with it:

• •spring_2024 or 2024_spring or spring_sale_jan_15

• •spring_sale or spring-sale (pick one)

• •facebook or fb (pick one)

5. Include Dates When Relevant

• •utm_campaign=blackfriday_2024
• •utm_campaign=weekly_newsletter_jan_15

6. Avoid Special Characters

• •utm_campaign=flash_sale
• •utm_campaign=flash_sale!
• •utm_campaign=50%_off

Common UTM Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Mistake 1: Inconsistent Capitalization

• •Day 1: utm_source=Facebook
• •Day 2: utm_source=facebook

Mistake 2: Using UTMs on Internal Links

Homepage → Products page with ?utm_source=homepage

Mistake 3: Forgetting UTMs on Paid Campaigns

Mistake 4: Making UTMs Too Long

utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024_womens_shoes_discount_promo_instagram_stories

Mistake 5: Not Using utm_content for A/B Tests

Platform-Specific UTM Tips

Facebook Ads

• •utm_source=facebook
• •utm_medium=cpc
• •utm_campaign=[campaign_name]
• •utm_content=[ad_variation]

Google Ads

• •utm_source=google
• •utm_medium=cpc
• •utm_campaign=[campaign_name]
• •utm_term=[keyword] (for search campaigns)

Email Marketing

• •utm_source=klaviyo (or your ESP name)
• •utm_medium=email
• •utm_campaign=weekly_newsletter_jan_15
• •utm_content=header_cta (to track which link was clicked)

Influencer Campaigns

• •utm_source=influencer_sarahsmith (unique per influencer)
• •utm_medium=influencer
• •utm_campaign=spring_collab_2024
• •utm_content=instagram_reel

Organic Social Posts

• •utm_source=instagram
• •utm_medium=social (not cpc - this is organic)
• •utm_campaign=product_announcement
• •utm_content=story_link

Testing Your UTMs

Step 1: Click the Link

Open an incognito/private browser window and click your UTM link

Step 2: Check the URL Bar

Look at the URL - do you see all your UTM parameters?

yourstore.com/products?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale

Step 3: Check BlackBox

Wait 30 seconds, then check your BlackBox dashboard:

• •Do you see a visit from utm_source=facebook?
• •Does the campaign name appear correctly?

Step 4: Test a Purchase (Optional)

Make a test purchase and verify it shows the correct attribution

Tools for Creating UTMs

BlackBox UTM Builder (Recommended)

Go to UTM Builder →

• •Channel-specific templates
• •Real-time validation
• •Bulk URL generator
• •Best practices built-in

Google Campaign URL Builder

Free tool from Google (but no validation)

Spreadsheet Template

Create a tracking spreadsheet with your UTM conventions

UTM Tracking Spreadsheet

Keep a record of all your campaigns:

• •Easy reference for your UTM conventions
• •Ensures consistency across team
• •Historical record of all campaigns

Advanced UTM Strategies

Strategy 1: UTM Taxonomy

Create a company-wide UTM naming convention document

• •Sources: Always platform name (facebook, google, klaviyo)
• •Medium: Only use cpc, email, social, referral, affiliate
• •Campaigns: Format = [season]_[product]_[year] (spring_shoes_2024)
• •Content: Format = [format]_[variation] (carousel_1, video_2)

Strategy 2: UTM Presets

Create saved presets for recurring campaigns:

• •utm_source=klaviyo
• •utm_medium=email
• •utm_campaign=weekly_newsletter_[DATE]
• •utm_content=[LINK_LOCATION]

Strategy 3: Dynamic UTM Parameters

For advanced users: Use merge tags in email platforms:

?utm_source=klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign={% campaign.name %}&utm_content={% link.index %}

Common Questions

A: Yes! "Facebook" and "facebook" are treated as different sources. Always use lowercase.

A: No. Search engines ignore UTM parameters.

A: Yes, they're visible. Keep them professional and not too long.

A: No! Never. It breaks attribution. Only use on external marketing links.

A: As short as possible while staying descriptive. Full URL should be under 150 characters ideally.

A: You can update the ad links, but historical data keeps the old UTMs. Be careful changing mid-campaign.

A: Yes! Facebook Pixel tracks conversions but doesn't integrate with your full attribution data. UTMs give you a complete picture.

Your UTM Checklist

Before launching any campaign:

• •☐ All parameters are lowercase
• •☐ Spaces replaced with underscores
• •☐ Source, medium, campaign are filled in
• •☐ Campaign name is descriptive
• •☐ Using utm_content for ad variations
• •☐ Tested the link (clicked it and checked dashboard)
• •☐ Added to campaign tracking spreadsheet
• •☐ No UTMs on internal links

Key Takeaways

1. UTM parameters are tags added to URLs to track marketing sources

2. Three parameters are required: source, medium, campaign

3. Two are optional but useful: content (for A/B tests), term (for keywords)

4. Always use lowercase and underscores

5. Be consistent with your naming conventions

6. Test every link before launching a campaign

7. Never use UTMs on internal site links

8. Use utm_content to track ad variations

9. Keep a tracking spreadsheet of all campaigns

Go to UTM Builder →

• •Facebook Ads UTM Setup
• •Google Ads UTM Setup
• •Email Marketing UTMs