What are UTM links?
UTM links are ordinary URLs with special tags appended that tell your analytics tool where a visit came from. UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module, after the tool Google later turned into Google Analytics.
Adding these tags turns a plain URL:
into one that carries its own origin story:
Analytics now knows this visit came from a paid Facebook ad in the summer sale campaign, instead of filing it away as unattributed traffic.
The five parameters and what each one means
| Parameter | Required? | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
utm_source | Yes | The platform or site that sent the traffic | google, facebook, newsletter |
utm_medium | Yes | The type of marketing channel | cpc, social, email, referral |
utm_campaign | Yes | The campaign grouping your ads | summer_sale_2026 |
utm_term | No | The paid keyword | running_shoes |
utm_content | No | Distinguishes two ads in the same campaign | video_a, image_b |
The golden rule
utm_medium describes the type of channel; utm_source describes the name of the platform. Mixing them up corrupts your reports: use source=facebook with medium=cpc, never the reverse.
How to use the builder
- Paste your landing page URL into the first field — the page you want visitors to arrive on.
- Pick a preset if you are running on Meta, Google or TikTok, and source and medium fill in automatically.
- Name the campaign using a convention your whole team agrees on.
- Add optional fields when you need to tell several ads in one campaign apart.
- Copy the finished URL with one tap and drop it into your ad.
About the lowercase option
UTM values are case sensitive, so Facebook and facebook appear as two separate sources in your reports. Leave the automatic lowercase option on to avoid splitting your data.
Naming conventions that keep reports clean
- Always use lowercase — reports treat different cases as different values.
- Replace spaces with an underscore
_or hyphen-; never leave raw spaces. - Keep parameters in Latin characters — put Arabic in your content, not in URL parameters, since some systems encode it unreadably.
- Agree a fixed vocabulary for
medium: cpc, social, email, affiliate and nothing else. - Put the period in the campaign name, such as
ramadan_2026, so sorting later is easy. - Never UTM-tag internal links on your own site — it resets the session and destroys attribution.
Common mistakes that ruin tracking data
- Tagging internal links: the single most common error. Google Analytics starts a fresh session and credits the conversion to your own internal link instead of the real source.
- Inconsistent capitalisation:
Emailandemailshow up as two separate rows. - Leaving spaces in values: they become
%20and make reports unreadable. - Forgetting the question mark: the first parameter needs
?and the rest need&. The builder handles this for you. - Tagging a URL that already has parameters: the builder detects this and appends correctly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between utm_source and utm_medium?
utm_source names the platform the visit came from, such as facebook or google. utm_medium describes the channel type, such as cpc, social or email. Source answers "where from", medium answers "by what means".
Are UTM parameters case sensitive?
Yes. Facebook and facebook are recorded as two different sources, which splits your data across rows. This is why we recommend leaving the automatic lowercase option enabled.
Do UTM links hurt SEO?
They can create duplicate content issues if indexed, so use them only on external and paid links, and make sure your pages carry a correct canonical tag.
Should I use UTM links inside my own site?
No. Tagging internal links starts a new session in analytics and overwrites the original traffic source, which completely breaks attribution. Use custom events instead.
How many parameters do I actually need?
Three are effectively mandatory: source, medium and campaign. Add term and content only when you need to distinguish between keywords or multiple ad creatives.
Is my data sent to a server?
No. The builder assembles the URL entirely inside your browser. We never see or store your links.
Can I use Arabic characters in UTM parameters?
Technically yes, but it is not advisable. Arabic characters get percent-encoded in the URL and display unreadably in some reports. Keep parameters in lowercase Latin characters.
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