UTM frequently asked questions

A UTM source generator — also called a campaign URL builder — is a tool that appends utm_source and the other standard UTM parameters to a destination URL. The tagged link tells analytics platforms which campaign, channel and source sent each visitor. This one runs entirely in your browser and encodes every value correctly as you type.

Analytics documentation recommends including utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign on every campaign URL. utm_term and utm_content are optional: use term for paid-search keywords and content to tell similar links apart, such as two buttons in the same email.

utm_source names the specific origin — instagram, newsletter. utm_medium names the type of channel — social, email. Source is specific; medium is the broader channel family that analytics reports group on. See what utm_source is for the full explanation.

UTM values are case-sensitive in analytics reports. Email and email are recorded as two different mediums. Standard practice is lowercase everywhere and one separator style (hyphens or underscores) for multi-word values — see the naming conventions guide.

No. Adding UTM parameters to links inside your own website overwrites the visitor's original campaign source in your analytics, corrupting attribution. UTM tags belong on links shared outside your site: emails, social posts, ads, QR codes and partner pages.

Yes. GA4 reads the standard utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term and utm_content parameters and uses them to populate session source, medium and campaign dimensions in traffic acquisition reports.

No. It only assembles the tagged URL. Clicks are recorded by your own analytics setup when someone opens the link, and the URL stays full-length. Use a link shortener separately if you need a short link for print or character-limited posts.

Values in a query string must be URL-encoded: spaces become %20 and reserved characters like &, = and # are encoded so they cannot break the query string. A campaign URL builder handles this automatically — and it is simpler to avoid spaces entirely with hyphens or underscores.

Yes. A QR code encodes a URL, so building the full tagged URL first and generating the QR code from it gives every scan complete campaign attribution. Tag the source with the specific print placement (e.g. spring_flyer) and the medium as print or qr.

No. The builder runs 100% in your browser. Your URLs and parameter values never leave your device — no account, no server upload, no tracking.