U
UTM Parameters
Definition
UTM parameters are tags you add to the end of a link so your analytics can tell you exactly where a visitor came from.
In plain English
Add ?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=launch to a link and every click carries that label into your analytics.
Without them, a click from your newsletter, your video description and your LinkedIn post all blur into “direct” or “referral”. With them, each gets its own line in the report.
Why it matters
You can't improve what you can't attribute. UTMs are how you learn that your newsletter converts five times better than social, or that one video description drives more sales than a month of posting.
A few extra characters on a link, and guessing becomes measuring.
How it works
- utm_sourceWhere it came from: newsletter, youtube, linkedin.
- utm_mediumThe channel type: email, social, cpc.
- utm_campaignThe specific push: spring-launch, black-friday.
- Keep naming consistentyoutube and YouTube become two separate rows. Pick lowercase and never deviate.
Never UTM your internal links
Tagging a link between two of your own pages resets the original source and destroys your attribution. UTMs are for links pointing in from outside.
Watch it in a real build
Related terms
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