What are UTM parameters?
UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a URL (?utm_source=…&utm_medium=…) that tell Google Analytics where a visit came from. Source is the platform (facebook, google, newsletter), medium is the type of traffic (paid_social, cpc, email) and campaign is your campaign name.
utm_content separates ads or creatives inside one campaign and utm_term records the keyword or audience. Only source, medium and campaign are needed for most reports.
Naming rules that keep reports clean
UTM values are case-sensitive: “Facebook” and “facebook” show up as two different sources. This builder lowercases everything, turns spaces into underscores and strips characters that break URLs.
The presets use mediums that GA4’s default channel grouping recognises — cpc for search ads, paid_social for social ads, email for newsletters — so traffic lands in the right channel instead of “Unassigned”.
Frequently asked questions
Which UTM parameters are required?
utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign. utm_content and utm_term are optional and useful for comparing creatives or keywords.
Should I add UTMs to Google Ads links?
If Google Ads auto-tagging (gclid) is on and linked to GA4, you usually do not need UTMs on Google Ads. Many agencies still add them so the source survives in CRMs and form tools that cannot read gclid.
Do UTM parameters affect SEO?
Not when used on paid, email and social links. Do not add UTMs to internal links on your own website — that overwrites the original source of the visit.
Why is my traffic showing as Unassigned in GA4?
Usually because utm_medium does not match GA4’s channel rules (for example “Paid-Social” or “social_paid”). Use lowercase values such as cpc, paid_social or email.
Is anything I type stored?
No. Links are built in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers.
