---
title: "How to use UTM parameters: a tagging standard"
author: "Performetic Ekibi"
url: "https://www.performetic.com/en/blog/how-to-use-utm-parameters"
published: "2026-04-23T08:00:00.000Z"
updated: "2026-10-05T02:41:54.668Z"
---

# How to use UTM parameters: a tagging standard

> UTM parameters are tags added to a link that tell GA4 which source, medium and campaign a visit came from. Always use utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign. Values are case sensitive, so without lowercase values, a fixed vocabulary and a written naming standard, your campaign reports fragment quickly and traffic leaks into Unassigned.

## How do you use UTM parameters?

UTM parameters are tags appended to a link that tell your analytics tool where a visitor came from. Google Analytics recommends always using utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign. Getting them right takes three things: lowercase values, a predefined vocabulary and one naming standard that everyone on the team follows.

This guide briefly recaps what UTMs are and then focuses on the real problem. Most ecommerce brands do use UTMs, but inconsistently. The same Instagram campaign is tagged "Instagram" in one place, "ig" in another and "insta" in a third, and GA4 splits it into three rows. The fix is not technical. It is discipline.

## What are the UTM parameters and what does each one do?

The Google Analytics help page lists the parameters below. Treat the first three as mandatory. Google recommends adding utm_id and utm_source_platform when possible to reduce "(not set)" values.

| Parameter | What it tells you | Example value |
|---|---|---|
| utm_source | Who sent the traffic | facebook, google, newsletter |
| utm_medium | The marketing medium | paid_social, cpc, email |
| utm_campaign | Campaign name | 2026-04_spring-sale |
| utm_id | Campaign ID | 120210000000 |
| utm_term | Paid keyword | womens-running-shoes |
| utm_content | Creative or link variant | video-15s_v2 |
| utm_source_platform | Platform directing the traffic | ad-management-tool |

Google also documents utm_creative_format and utm_marketing_tactic, but notes they are not currently reported in GA4 properties. Adding them does no harm, just do not expect to see them in reports.

### What is the difference between utm_source and utm_medium?

Source answers "who sent this visit?" and medium answers "what type of channel was it?". For an Instagram ad, source is "instagram" and medium is "paid_social". For the link in your Instagram bio, source is still "instagram" but medium should be "social". Skip this distinction and paid and organic social blur together.

## Why do UTM values look messy in GA4?

The most common reason is capitalization. Google's help page states it plainly: parameter values are case sensitive, so utm_source=google and utm_source=Google are recorded as two different sources.

The second reason is GA4's default channel grouping. GA4 assigns sessions to channels such as Paid Social, Email and Organic Social using rules based on source and medium. If you invent a medium value (say "story" or "promo"), the session matches no rule and lands in Unassigned. Pick medium values GA4 already recognizes: a value starting with "paid" or containing "cpc" for paid social, "email" for email and "social" for organic social.

The third reason is links being reused outside their channel. A link from an email that gets forwarded on WhatsApp still reports as email. You cannot fully prevent this, but generating a separate link for every channel keeps the noise small.

## How do you build a UTM naming standard for ecommerce?

A standard is a short document that guarantees everyone tags the same campaign the same way. Build it in six steps:

1. **Lowercase everything.** No special characters, hyphens or underscores instead of spaces.
2. **Write a source vocabulary.** List the allowed values: facebook, instagram, google, tiktok, newsletter, sms, influencer handles. Nothing outside the list.
3. **Choose medium values that match GA4 channels.** paid_social, cpc, email, sms, social, referral, affiliate.
4. **Template your campaign names.** For example year-month_campaign_goal: 2026-04_spring-sale_prospecting. A date prefix makes reports sort naturally.
5. **Use utm_content to separate creatives.** Record format and version: video-15s_v2, carousel_v1.
6. **Keep one shared link log.** Record every link with date, owner and channel. Google's Campaign URL Builder works well for generating them.

## How do you add UTMs to Meta ads?

In Meta Ads Manager, the ad level has a URL parameters field under Tracking. According to Meta's help page, parameters entered there are appended to the website URL, and when the same parameter appears in both places, the value in the URL parameters field wins.

Meta also supports dynamic parameters, so you do not have to type campaign, ad set and ad names by hand:

utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}&utm_term={{adset.name}}

Other dynamic parameters Meta lists include {{campaign.id}}, {{adset.id}}, {{ad.id}}, {{placement}} and {{site_source_name}}. Because dynamic values copy your names exactly, this only produces clean data if your campaign names inside Meta follow the standard too.

Meta also notes that since 1 January 2024 some ad traffic may automatically receive source (Facebook or Instagram), medium (paid) and campaign, ad set and ad IDs. After defining your own parameters, check source and medium values in GA4 for a week to confirm what is coming from where.

## Should you use UTMs in Google Ads?

For Google Ads, auto-tagging comes first. Auto-tagging adds a GCLID to each click and, in linked GA4 properties, passes campaign, ad group and keyword data without manual UTMs. Google Ads help explains how auto-tagging uses this click information for conversion tracking and Analytics reporting.

Only add manual UTMs to Google Ads when you have a specific reason, such as a non-Google analytics tool that cannot read the GCLID. In that case, test the account settings and GA4 source data together so the two methods do not conflict.

## Example: every link for one campaign

As an example, here is how an apparel brand would apply the standard to an April sale:

| Channel | utm_source | utm_medium | utm_campaign | utm_content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta ad | facebook | paid_social | {{campaign.name}} | {{ad.name}} |
| TikTok ad | tiktok | paid_social | 2026-04_spring-sale | video-hook-a |
| Newsletter | newsletter | email | 2026-04_spring-sale | top-banner |
| SMS | sms | sms | 2026-04_spring-sale | link-1 |
| Influencer | jane-doe | social | 2026-04_spring-sale | story-swipe |

Select the campaign dimension in GA4 and every channel rolls up under one campaign name, while source and medium give you the breakdown. Giving every creator their own source makes influencer measurement much easier, which we cover in our [guide to measuring influencer marketing](/en/blog/how-to-measure-influencer-marketing).

## What should you avoid when using UTMs?

- **Never tag internal links.** A UTM on your own homepage banner overwrites the visitor's real source and corrupts channel reports.
- **Never put personal data in values.** No email addresses or phone numbers.
- **Never leave a parameter empty.** Meta also advises entering a value for every key or removing the parameter.
- **Test link shorteners.** Open the shortened link in a browser and confirm the parameters survive the redirect.

Even perfect UTMs produce misleading campaign reports if purchase events are missing. If you are unsure about the basics, start with our [GA4 ecommerce tracking setup guide](/en/blog/ga4-ecommerce-tracking-setup).

## Key takeaways

- Make utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign mandatory on every link.
- GA4 values are case sensitive, so write everything in lowercase.
- Choose medium values that match GA4 channel rules, or traffic ends up in Unassigned.
- Use dynamic parameters in Meta and auto-tagging in Google Ads.
- Keep the rules in a one-page standard and a shared link log.

If you want to know how reliable your campaign tags and GA4 channel reports really are, the Performetic team can review your measurement setup as part of a [free growth analysis](/en/contact).

## FAQ

### Do I have to use every UTM parameter?

No. Google Analytics recommends always using utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign. utm_content helps separate creatives and utm_term tracks keywords. utm_id and utm_source_platform are worth adding when possible because they reduce (not set) values in your reports.

### Why is my traffic showing as Unassigned in GA4?

GA4 assigns sessions to default channels using rules based on source and medium. When the medium value is something GA4's rules do not recognize, the session matches no channel and is reported as Unassigned. Standardizing medium values such as paid_social, cpc, email or social fixes most cases.

### Should I add manual UTMs to Google Ads?

Usually not. Google Ads auto-tagging adds a GCLID to every click and passes campaign data to a linked GA4 property automatically. Add manual UTMs only if another analytics tool cannot read the GCLID, and test that the two methods do not conflict.

### Should I tag my Instagram bio link?

Yes, it helps separate organic social traffic. Use instagram as the source, social as the medium and something like bio-link as the campaign. You will then see bio traffic separately from paid Instagram ads and get a clearer view of which content drives sales.

## Sources

- [URL builders: Collect campaign data with custom URLs (Google Analytics Help)](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10917952)
- [Default channel group (Google Analytics Help)](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891)
- [Add URL parameters to your Meta ads (Meta Business Help Center)](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1016122818401732)
- [Specifications for URL dynamic parameters (Meta Business Help Center)](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/2360940870872492)
- [About auto-tagging (Google Ads Help)](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3095550)