UTM Builder

What is UTM Builder?

UTM Builder is a tool that helps marketers and business owners create URLs with UTM tracking parameters. UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags added to URLs that allow you to track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns in Google Analytics and other analytics platforms.

Instead of manually constructing URLs with tracking parameters, this tool provides a simple form where you can input your campaign details and instantly generate properly formatted tracked URLs.

How to Use This Tool

Step 1: Enter Your Base URL

Start with the webpage you want to track:

What to Input:

• Full URL including https:// or http://
• Landing page URL
• Product page URL
• Blog post URL
• Any destination page for your campaign

Examples:

• https://yourwebsite.com
• https://yourwebsite.com/products/item
• https://yourwebsite.com/blog/article-name
• https://shop.example.com/sale

Important:

• Must be a complete, valid URL
• Include the protocol (https://)
• Can already have query parameters
• Tool will append UTM parameters correctly

Step 2: Fill Campaign Source (Required)

Identify where your traffic comes from:

Campaign Source (utm_source):

• Identifies the source sending traffic
• Required parameter

Common Examples:

• google - Google Ads
• facebook - Facebook ads or posts
• newsletter - Email newsletter
• twitter - Twitter/X posts
• linkedin - LinkedIn campaigns
• instagram - Instagram posts or ads
• bing - Bing Ads
• partner_site - Partner website

Best Practices:

• Use lowercase
• Use underscores instead of spaces
• Be consistent across campaigns
• Be specific but concise

Step 3: Fill Campaign Medium (Required)

Specify the marketing medium:

Campaign Medium (utm_medium):

• Identifies the marketing channel type
• Required parameter

Common Examples:

• email - Email marketing
• cpc - Cost-per-click ads
• social - Social media posts
• display - Display advertising
• banner - Banner ads
• affiliate - Affiliate links
• referral - Referral traffic
• video - Video campaigns

Best Practices:

• Keep it generic (channel type, not specific campaign)
• Use standard terms for consistency
• Lowercase with underscores
• Match to your analytics taxonomy

Step 4: Fill Campaign Name (Required)

Name your specific campaign:

Campaign Name (utm_campaign):

• Identifies the specific campaign
• Required parameter

Examples:

• summer_sale_2024
• product_launch
• black_friday
• new_year_promo
• q1_webinar
• ebook_download

Best Practices:

• Descriptive and memorable
• Include date/period if relevant
• Use underscores for spaces
• Consistent naming convention
• Reflects campaign objective

Step 5: Add Campaign Term (Optional)

For paid search campaigns:

Campaign Term (utm_term):

• Identifies paid search keywords
• Optional parameter
• Mainly for Google Ads and paid search

When to Use:

• Paid search campaigns (Google Ads, Bing Ads)
• Tracking specific keywords
• A/B testing keyword variations
• Keyword-level performance analysis

Examples:

• productivity app
• best email software
• affordable crm
• project management tool

Best Practices:

• Use for paid search only
• Can use + for multiple words or spaces
• Track broad, phrase, exact match separately
• Match to actual keyword bid

Step 6: Add Campaign Content (Optional)

Differentiate similar content or links:

Campaign Content (utm_content):

• Differentiates similar content or links
• Optional parameter
• Useful for A/B testing

When to Use:

• Multiple links in same email
• A/B testing different ads
• Different placements (header vs footer)
• Different creative variations

Examples:

• header_cta
• footer_link
• button_green
• ad_variant_a
• banner_300x250
• text_link

Best Practices:

• Descriptive of link location or variation
• Useful for conversion optimization
• Helps identify best-performing creatives
• Consistent naming for comparison

Step 7: Generate and Copy URL

Get your tracked URL:

What Happens:

• Tool combines base URL + UTM parameters
• Creates properly formatted query string
• Handles existing URL parameters correctly
• Displays full tracked URL

Parameter Breakdown:

• Shows each UTM parameter and its value
• Visual confirmation of your tracking setup
• Easy to verify before using

Copy Function:

• Click "Copy URL" button
• URL copied to clipboard
• Paste into your marketing materials
• Ready to use immediately

Test URL:

• Click "Test URL" to open in new tab
• Verify the page loads correctly
• Check that parameters are preserved
• Confirm tracking setup

Step 8: Use Your Tracked URL

Deploy in your marketing campaigns:

Where to Use:

• Email campaigns (newsletter links)
• Social media posts and ads
• Paid search ads (Google Ads, Bing)
• Display advertising
• Affiliate links
• Print materials (QR codes)
• Partner websites
• SMS campaigns

Best Practices:

• Use URL shortener if needed (bit.ly, etc.)
• Test the link before sending
• Keep a spreadsheet of all campaign URLs
• Be consistent with naming conventions
• Document your UTM strategy

Step 9: Track in Analytics

Monitor your campaign performance:

In Google Analytics:

• Navigate to Acquisition → Campaigns → All Campaigns
• View traffic by campaign name
• Filter by source, medium, or content
• Analyze conversion rates
• Compare campaign performance

What You Can Track:

• Traffic volume by campaign
• User behavior and engagement
• Conversion rates and revenue
• Campaign ROI
• Best performing sources/mediums

Reports to Check:

• Campaign performance
• Source/Medium report
• Behavior flow
• Goal completions
• E-commerce transactions (if applicable)

Step 10: Use Quick Presets (Optional)

Try pre-configured examples:

Available Presets:

• Email Campaign: Newsletter campaign setup
• Social Media: Social post tracking
• Paid Search: Google Ads campaign
• Display Ad: Banner advertising

How to Use Presets:

• Click preset button
• Review populated fields
• Modify for your specific campaign
• Generate URL

Why Use Presets:

• See proper formatting examples
• Learn best practices
• Save time on common setups
• Template for your own campaigns

UTM Parameter Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Consistency is Critical:

• Always use lowercase
• Use underscores for spaces
• Avoid special characters
• Be descriptive but concise

Bad Examples:

• Summer Sale! (spaces, capitals, punctuation)
• 2024-Q1-NewProduct-Launch-Version2 (too long, inconsistent)
• test (not descriptive)

Good Examples:

• summer_sale_2024
• q1_product_launch
• email_newsletter_jan

Campaign Taxonomy

Create a System:

• Document your naming conventions
• Share with your team
• Use consistently across all campaigns
• Create templates for common campaign types

Example Taxonomy:

Source: platform name (google, facebook, newsletter)
Medium: channel type (cpc, email, social)
Campaign: objective_timeframe (summer_sale_2024, webinar_q1)
Content: variant_placement (banner_a, header_cta)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Inconsistent Capitalization:

• Newsletter vs newsletter = different sources in analytics
• Always use lowercase

Using Spaces:

• URLs may break or encode oddly
• Use underscores: summer_sale not summer sale

Too Generic:

• campaign1, test, promo don't tell you anything
• Be specific: black_friday_2024, spring_email_series

Too Specific:

• email_newsletter_march_15_version_b_header_link_green_button
• Breaks down reporting, hard to manage
• Use campaign/content separation

Not Documenting:

• Forgetting what campaigns were for
• Team members using different conventions
• Keep a master spreadsheet

Common Use Cases

Email Marketing

Newsletter Links:

Source: newsletter
Medium: email
Campaign: weekly_digest_jan2024
Content: top_article / product_promo

Promotional Emails:

Source: email_list
Medium: email
Campaign: flash_sale_48hr
Content: hero_banner / footer_link

Social Media Marketing

Organic Posts:

Source: facebook
Medium: social
Campaign: product_launch_week
Content: post_1

Paid Social Ads:

Source: facebook
Medium: paid_social
Campaign: lead_gen_q1
Content: ad_variant_a

Paid Advertising

Google Ads:

Source: google
Medium: cpc
Campaign: brand_keywords_2024
Term: best productivity app
Content: ad_text_a

Display Advertising:

Source: ad_network
Medium: display
Campaign: awareness_campaign
Content: 300x250_banner

Affiliate and Partner Marketing

Affiliate Links:

Source: affiliate_name
Medium: affiliate
Campaign: partnership_q1
Content: homepage_banner

Partner Websites:

Source: partner_blog
Medium: referral
Campaign: guest_post_series
Content: author_bio_link

Troubleshooting

URL Already Has Parameters

Issue:

• Base URL already has ? and query parameters

Solution:

• Tool automatically handles this
• Adds & instead of ? for UTM parameters
• No manual editing needed

Example:

• Base: https://example.com/page?id=123
• Result: https://example.com/page?id=123&utm_source=...

Parameters Not Showing in Analytics

Possible Causes:

1. Analytics not installed: Verify tracking code on landing page
2. URL redirects: Some redirects strip parameters
3. Client-side routing: SPAs may not preserve parameters
4. Tag manager issues: Check GTM configuration

Solutions:

• Test URL in incognito mode
• Check Real-Time reports in Analytics
• Verify with Google Tag Assistant
• Check for redirects that strip parameters

URL Too Long

Issue:

• Very long URLs hard to use, may break

Solutions:

• Shorten parameter values
• Use URL shortener (bit.ly, tinyurl)
• Remove optional parameters (term, content)
• Abbreviate campaign names

Tip:

• Most URL shorteners preserve UTM parameters
• Test shortened URL before deploying