UTM parameters

What are UTM parameters?

UTM parameters (Urchin Tracking Module) are small pieces of text that you add to the end of a link when you share it in ads, newsletters, or social media posts. When a visitor clicks on the link, analytics tools like Google Analytics 4 automatically read the parameters and track where the visitor came from. Without UTM parameters, a lot of traffic ends up being classified as “direct” or unknown, and then you can’t see which marketing efforts are actually working.

The five UTM parameters

• utm_source: Where the traffic comes from, e.g., Facebook, Google, or a newsletter
• utm_medium: The channel type, e.g., CPC (paid clicks), email, or social
• utm_campaign: The campaign name, e.g., black-friday-2026
• utm_term: The keyword in paid search campaigns
• utm_content: The specific ad or link variant, e.g., banner-a

A link with UTM parameters might look like this:

dinshop.dk/offer?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer-sale

Why are UTM parameters important for your online store?

By consistently using UTM parameters, you can view revenue per campaign and channel in GA4 and allocate your ad budget to where it generates the most sales. This is the foundation of all campaign tracking, and when combined with conversion tracking, you can follow a visitor all the way from click to purchase.

Use Google’s free Campaign URL Builder to create links, and stick to a consistent naming convention—for example, always use lowercase letters and always use “facebook” instead of both “Facebook” and “fb.” Otherwise, your reports will be split into multiple lines for the same channel.