# What are UTM parameters? UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a link, such as utm_source and utm_medium, that tell analytics tools like Google Analytics where a visitor came from when they click that link. - Canonical URL: https://movermarketing.ai/learn/tracking/what-are-utm-parameters - Topic: [Tracking & Attribution](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/tracking) - Format: Explainer - Publisher: Mover Marketing AI, reviewed by Nicholas DiMoro ## Learning objectives After reading this article you will be able to: - Define the UTM parameters Google Analytics recognizes - Build a tagged link for a moving company campaign - Avoid common UTM mistakes, including conflicts with Google Ads auto-tagging ## What are UTM parameters? UTM parameters are short tags added to the end of a link. When someone clicks the tagged link, the tags are sent to the analytics tool, which records where the visitor came from. Google explains it this way: "By adding utm campaign parameters to the destination URLs you use in referral links and ad campaigns, you can view which campaigns refer traffic." A tagged link looks like this: ```text https://www.example.com/?utm_source=summer-mailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer-sale ``` The visitor lands on the same page either way. The tags only change what Google Analytics records. ## Which UTM parameters does Google Analytics use? Google lists these parameters: | Parameter | What it identifies | Google's examples | |---|---|---| | `utm_source` | The referrer | google, newsletter4, billboard | | `utm_medium` | The marketing medium | cpc, banner, email | | `utm_campaign` | The campaign | spring_sale | | `utm_term` | The paid keyword | | | `utm_content` | The creative or link, to tell versions apart | two links in one email | | `utm_id` | The campaign ID | | Google says: "When you add parameters to a URL, you should always use utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign." It also lists `utm_source_platform`, `utm_creative_format`, and `utm_marketing_tactic`, and notes that the last two "isn't currently reported in Google Analytics properties." ## Where would a moving company use UTM parameters? On links the business controls that analytics would otherwise lump together or misclassify: - **Email campaigns** to past customers or realtors. - **Social media posts and paid social ads**, such as Facebook or Instagram. - **QR codes** on trucks, yard signs, door hangers, and printed mailers, which would otherwise show up as direct traffic. - **Links in partner directories** or referral sites. - **The website link on a Google Business Profile**, so visits from the profile can be told apart from other Google traffic. For example, a QR code on a mailer could point to `https://www.example.com/?utm_source=mailer&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=spring-mailer`. ## What are the best practices for UTM parameters? Google's recommendations focus on consistency: - **Use lowercase.** Google says naming is case sensitive: "Keywords with different capitalization, such as Meta and meta, are treated as different values. Use lowercase as a standard practice." - **One value per platform.** "Use only one unique utm_source for each distinct platform." - **One value per channel.** "Use only one unique utm_medium for each distinct channel." - **Match campaign names** to the campaign's real name, so one campaign doesn't split into several rows. - **Use the URL builder** to avoid typos. Google offers a Campaign URL Builder for website links. A shared spreadsheet of approved source, medium, and campaign values keeps everyone who creates links consistent. ## How do UTM parameters work with Google Ads auto-tagging? Google Ads tags its own clicks automatically when auto-tagging is on, and Google Analytics prefers those values. Google says: "If you use manual tagging and auto tagging together, Google analytics uses the auto-tagged values for source, medium, and other traffic-classification dimensions." You can still add `utm_content` and `utm_term` manually. Google also warns that if the auto-tagged click ID can't be used, "Google Analytics will derive all cross-channel traffic source dimension values from UTM parameters, exclusively." Adding a stray UTM parameter to an ad link can therefore change how its traffic is classified. Auto-tagging also supplies the click ID used for [offline conversion tracking](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/tracking/offline-conversion-tracking). ## Do any platforms add UTM parameters automatically? Some do. OpenAI says ChatGPT "automatically includes the UTM parameter utm_source=chatgpt.com in referral URLs," so visits from ChatGPT search show up as their own source in Google Analytics. See [how businesses get recommended by ChatGPT](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/ai-search/how-to-get-recommended-by-chatgpt). UTM parameters track website visits, not phone calls. Calls need [call tracking](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/tracking/what-is-call-tracking). ## FAQs ### What are UTM parameters? UTM parameters are tags added to a link's URL that tell Google Analytics where the visitor came from. The three Google says to always use are utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign. ### Can you give an example of a URL with UTM parameters? Google's example is https://www.example.com/?utm_source=summer-mailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer-sale, which identifies a visitor who clicked a link in a Summer Sale email. ### What are common UTM mistakes? Inconsistent capitalization and naming, which Google Analytics treats as different values, and adding UTM parameters to Google Ads links that already use auto-tagging. Google recommends lowercase and one consistent value per source and medium. ### Do I need UTM parameters on Google Ads links? Not for source and medium when auto-tagging is on. Google Analytics uses the auto-tagged values for source, medium, and other traffic classifications, though you can add utm_content and utm_term manually. ## Related articles - [What is call tracking?](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/tracking/what-is-call-tracking) - [What is offline conversion tracking?](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/tracking/offline-conversion-tracking) - [How do businesses rank in ChatGPT and get recommended?](https://movermarketing.ai/learn/ai-search/how-to-get-recommended-by-chatgpt) ## Our take - [Moving Company Marketing Strategies: 9 Channels That Work](https://movermarketing.ai/blog/digital-marketing-for-moving-companies) ## Sources - [Google Analytics Help: URL builders: Collect campaign data with custom URLs](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10917952) - [Google Analytics Help: Traffic-source dimensions, manual tagging, and auto-tagging](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11242870) - [OpenAI Help: Publishers and developers FAQ](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12627856-publishers-and-developers-faq)