Tracking Utm Campaigns

Tracking UTM Campaigns

UTM parameters are tags you add to URLs to track where your traffic comes from. Alpha Insights automatically detects and reports on UTM-tagged traffic, connecting campaigns directly to profit. This comprehensive guide shows you how to use UTMs effectively, avoid common mistakes, and maximize your tracking accuracy.

Prerequisites: Website tracking must be enabled. See Understanding Website Analytics for setup instructions.

What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are additions to URLs that identify the source, medium, and campaign of your traffic. They were originally developed by Urchin Software (acquired by Google in 2005) and have become the industry standard for campaign tracking.

Example URL without UTM:

https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt

Example URL with UTM parameters:

https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_sale

What happens: The visitor sees the same page and content, but Alpha Insights can now track that they came from your Facebook spring sale campaign! This data is:

Stored in the session’s landing_page field
Extracted and analyzed for reporting
Connected to any orders placed during that session
Viewable in UTM campaign reports

The Five UTM Parameters

1. utm_source (Required)

What it is: Identifies where the traffic originated (the platform, website, or publication)

Common values:

facebook – Facebook posts or ads
google – Google sources (if not using gclid)
newsletter – Email newsletters
instagram – Instagram organic or paid
tiktok – TikTok content or ads
linkedin – LinkedIn posts
twitter – Twitter/X posts
pinterest – Pinterest pins
youtube – YouTube descriptions
blog_post – Your own blog
partner_website – Partner or affiliate sites

Format rules:

Use lowercase only
No spaces (use underscores: email_newsletter)
Be specific but not too granular
Use same name consistently

❌ Bad examples:

utm_source=Facebook (uppercase – will show separately from “facebook”)
utm_source=fb (abbreviation – mix with “facebook” creates confusion)
utm_source=My Facebook Page (spaces and capitals)

✅ Good examples:

utm_source=facebook
utm_source=newsletter
utm_source=partner_blog

2. utm_medium (Required)

What it is: Identifies the type of marketing channel or method

Standard values (recommended to use these):

cpc – Cost per click (paid ads)
social – Organic social media
email – Email marketing
referral – Links from other sites
display – Display advertising (banners)
affiliate – Affiliate marketing links
video – Video platform links
podcast – Podcast show notes
qr – QR codes
sms – Text message campaigns
influencer – Influencer partnerships

Why standardization matters: Using email consistently allows Alpha Insights to aggregate all email traffic together, regardless of source (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, etc.).

How Alpha Insights uses utm_medium:

utm_medium=email → Forces “Email” traffic classification
utm_medium=cpc from Google/Bing → Likely paid search
Overrides referrer-based detection in most cases

3. utm_campaign (Highly Recommended)

What it is: Identifies the specific campaign or promotion

Use for:

Seasonal promotions
Product launches
Email campaign series
Testing different approaches
Comparing campaign performance

Naming best practices:

Include date or season: spring_sale_2024
Be descriptive: black_friday_early_access
Use consistent naming: Always product_name_launch format
Avoid generic names: Not “sale” or “promo”

Good examples:

utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024
utm_campaign=black_friday
utm_campaign=new_product_launch_tshirt
utm_campaign=welcome_series_email1
utm_campaign=abandoned_cart_recovery
utm_campaign=customer_winback_q1
utm_campaign=influencer_sarah_jan2024

Organizational tip: Create a naming convention document. Examples:

Sales: {season}_{type}_{year} → spring_sale_2024
Launches: {product}_launch_{month} → widget_launch_march
Email: {type}_email{number} → welcome_email1

4. utm_content (Optional but Powerful)

What it is: Differentiates between versions of the same ad/link

Use for A/B testing:

Different ad creatives
Button colors or text
Image variations
Link placements in emails
Headlines or copy variations

Examples for split testing:

Version A: utm_content=banner_red_button
Version B: utm_content=banner_blue_button

Email links:
utm_content=header_cta
utm_content=product_image_link
utm_content=footer_link

Ad variations:
utm_content=image_lifestyle
utm_content=image_product_only
utm_content=video_testimonial

Use case: Email link tracking

Hero CTA:     utm_content=hero_cta
Product 1:    utm_content=product1_image
Product 2:    utm_content=product2_image
Footer link:  utm_content=footer_shop_now

Then in reports, see which email element drives most conversions!

5. utm_term (Optional, Rarely Used)

What it is: Originally for paid search keywords

When to use:

Manually tracking specific keywords in paid search (though Google Ads auto-tracks this)
Tracking specific search terms in organic campaigns
Very rarely needed in modern tracking

Example:

utm_term=red_t_shirts
utm_term=organic_cotton_clothing

Note: Google Ads automatically populates keyword data via gclid, so manually adding utm_term is usually unnecessary and may conflict with auto-tagging.

Creating UTM Links

Method 1: Manual Construction

URL structure:

Base URL?utm_source=value&utm_medium=value&utm_campaign=value&utm_content=value

Step-by-step example:

1. Start with your page URL:
   https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt

2. Add question mark (starts query parameters):
   https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt?

3. Add utm_source:
   https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt?utm_source=facebook

4. Add ampersand and utm_medium:
   https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

5. Add utm_campaign:
   https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_sale

6. Final URL (optional utm_content):
   https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=carousel_ad

Technical notes:

First parameter uses ?
Subsequent parameters use &
No spaces allowed (URL encoding converts spaces to %20)
Order doesn’t matter, but source/medium/campaign is conventional

Method 2: Google Campaign URL Builder (Recommended)

Free tool: ga-dev-tools.google/campaign-url-builder

How to use:

Enter your website URL (e.g., https://yourstore.com/products)
Fill in Campaign Source (e.g., facebook)
Fill in Campaign Medium (e.g., social)
Fill in Campaign Name (e.g., spring_sale_2024)
Optionally add Campaign Term and Campaign Content
Click “Generate URL”
Copy the generated URL
Use it in your marketing materials

Pro tip: Save your generated URLs in a spreadsheet to:

Maintain consistency across campaigns
Track what URLs you’ve used
Reference for future campaigns
Share with team members
Document naming conventions

Method 3: Spreadsheet Template

Create a Google Sheet or Excel template with columns:

Base URL	Source	Medium	Campaign	Content	Final URL
yourstore.com/products	facebook	social	spring_sale	image1	[formula generates]

Excel formula for Final URL column:

=A2&"?utm_source="&B2&"&utm_medium="&C2&"&utm_campaign="&D2&"&utm_content="&E2

UTM Best Practices & Naming Conventions

1. Always Use Lowercase

Why: Facebook and facebook are treated as different sources in reports

❌ Wrong:

utm_source=Facebook
utm_source=FACEBOOK
utm_source=facebook (inconsistent mixing)

✅ Right:

utm_source=facebook (always)

2. Use Underscores, Not Spaces

Why: Spaces break URLs or get encoded to %20, making them ugly and hard to read

❌ Wrong:

utm_campaign=spring sale 2024
(becomes: utm_campaign=spring%20sale%202024)

✅ Right:

utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024

3. Be Consistent

Choose one naming system and stick to it:

❌ Inconsistent:

Sometimes newsletter, sometimes email, sometimes mailchimp
Creates 3 separate sources in reports!

✅ Consistent:

Always utm_source=newsletter for all email campaigns
Or always utm_source=mailchimp if you want provider-specific tracking
Document your choice and train your team

4. Be Descriptive But Concise

❌ Too vague:

utm_campaign=promo
utm_campaign=sale
utm_campaign=test

❌ Too long:

utm_campaign=black_friday_biggest_sale_of_the_year_2024_limited_time_offer

✅ Just right:

utm_campaign=black_friday_2024
utm_campaign=spring_sale_early_access
utm_campaign=product_launch_widget

5. Include Dates When Relevant

Makes year-over-year comparisons easier:

utm_campaign=black_friday_2023
utm_campaign=black_friday_2024

utm_campaign=email_newsletter_jan2024
utm_campaign=email_newsletter_feb2024

6. Use Hierarchical Structure

Organize parameters from general to specific:

utm_source=facebook (platform)
utm_medium=social (type)
utm_campaign=spring_sale (promotion)
utm_content=carousel_ad (specific creative)

Common UTM Templates by Channel

For Social Media Organic Posts:

utm_source={platform}      → facebook, instagram, twitter, linkedin
utm_medium=social
utm_campaign={campaign_name}
utm_content={post_type}    → photo, carousel, video, story

Example:

https://yourstore.com/products?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024&utm_content=reel

For Email Campaigns:

utm_source={provider_or_newsletter}  → newsletter, klaviyo, mailchimp
utm_medium=email
utm_campaign={campaign_name}
utm_content={link_location}          → hero_cta, product1, footer_link

Examples:

Welcome series email 1:
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=welcome_series_email1&utm_content=hero_cta

Abandoned cart:
utm_source=klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=abandoned_cart&utm_content=product_image

Promotional blast:
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024&utm_content=shop_now_button

For Paid Social Ads:

utm_source={platform}      → facebook, instagram, tiktok
utm_medium=cpc
utm_campaign={campaign_name}
utm_content={ad_variation}  → image_a, video_b, carousel_c

Example:

utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=carousel_lifestyle

Pro tip for Facebook: Also add meta_cid={{campaign.id}} for campaign-level profit tracking

For Google Ads:

Note: Google Ads uses auto-tagging with gclid parameter, but you can add UTMs for additional tracking:

utm_source=google
utm_medium=cpc
utm_campaign={campaign_name}
utm_content={ad_variation}
utm_term={keyword} (optional, redundant with auto-tagging)

Better approach: Use google_cid={{campaignid}} for Alpha Insights campaign attribution, let gclid handle the rest.

For Influencer Partnerships:

utm_source={platform}           → instagram, youtube, tiktok
utm_medium=influencer
utm_campaign={influencer_name}
utm_content={content_type}      → story, post, video, bio_link

Example:

utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sarah_may_collab&utm_content=story_swipeup

Why this works: You can track each influencer’s performance and ROI!

For Affiliate Links:

utm_source={affiliate_name}  → affiliate_jane, coupon_site_x
utm_medium=affiliate
utm_campaign={promotion}
utm_content={placement}      → banner, text_link, review

Example:

utm_source=affiliate_blog_jane&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=june_promotion&utm_content=sidebar_banner

For Offline Marketing (QR Codes, Print):

utm_source={location_or_material}  → flyer, business_card, billboard
utm_medium=qr
utm_campaign={campaign}
utm_content={specific_location}    → store_counter, magazine_ad

Example:

QR code on business cards:
utm_source=business_card&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=networking_q1&utm_content=front_card

Billboard:
utm_source=billboard&utm_medium=offline&utm_campaign=summer_2024&utm_content=highway_101

Pro tip: Use URL shorteners (bit.ly) for printed materials, but track the destination URL with UTMs

Where to Use UTM Links

Email Marketing (ALWAYS)

Use UTMs on every single link in your emails:

Newsletter links
Promotional email links
Abandoned cart recovery emails
Welcome series
Post-purchase follow-ups
Re-engagement campaigns
Transactional emails with promotional content

Why: Email referrers are often stripped or inconsistent. UTMs ensure accurate tracking.

Social Media Posts (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Facebook posts
Instagram bio link (use link-in-bio tools with UTMs)
Instagram story links
TikTok bio link
Twitter/X posts
LinkedIn posts and articles
Pinterest pins
YouTube video descriptions

Why: Social platforms often strip referrer data. fbclid auto-added by Facebook is helpful, but UTMs give you campaign-level detail.

Paid Advertising (REQUIRED)

Facebook Ads destination URLs (add UTMs + meta_cid={{campaign.id}})
Instagram Ads
TikTok Ads
LinkedIn Ads
Twitter Ads
Display ads (banner networks)
Native advertising (Taboola, Outbrain)
Sponsored content

Google Ads note: Uses auto-tagging with gclid. Adding UTMs is optional but can provide additional context. If adding UTMs, ensure auto-tagging is still enabled.

Influencer & Affiliate Links (ESSENTIAL)

Give each influencer a unique UTM link
Track which influencers drive most sales and profit
Include campaign identifier for multi-influencer campaigns
Use utm_content to differentiate post types (story vs feed post)

Example tracking:

Influencer Sarah - Instagram story:
yourstore.com/products?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sarah_may&utm_content=story

Influencer Sarah - Feed post:
yourstore.com/products?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sarah_may&utm_content=feed_post

Offline Marketing

QR codes on flyers → point to URL with UTMs
Business cards → use short URL (bit.ly) pointing to UTM URL
Print ads → create vanity URL (yourstore.com/magazine) that redirects to UTM URL
TV/Radio spots → easy-to-remember URL that redirects to UTM URL
Event banners and signage

Tip: Create memorable URLs that redirect:

Print: "Visit yourstore.com/spring"
Redirects to: yourstore.com?utm_source=magazine&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024&utm_content=march_issue

DO NOT Use UTMs For:

❌ Internal links on your own website (messes up attribution)
❌ Links within the same email (only external links)
❌ Navigation menus on your site
❌ Footer links on your own site

Rule: Only use UTMs for external links that bring people TO your site, not for internal navigation.

Viewing UTM Data in Alpha Insights

Traffic Channels Report

The Traffic Channels report shows all your UTM campaign data. To learn about customizing reports and adding filters, see Using Report Filters.

Go to Alpha Insights → Website Traffic → Traffic Channels
Scroll to “Website Traffic Data By UTM Campaign” section
See all campaigns with their performance metrics

Data columns shown:

Campaign name: Value from utm_campaign parameter
Session count: Number of visits from this campaign
User count: Unique visitors (by IP)
Transactions: Number of orders
Total revenue: Revenue generated by campaign
Conversion rate: % of sessions that converted

How to use this data:

Sort by Total Revenue to see top-performing campaigns
Sort by Conversion Rate to find highest-quality campaigns
Compare campaigns over time to identify trends
Calculate ROI by comparing revenue to campaign costs

Realtime Dashboard

Go to Alpha Insights → Website Traffic → Realtime Dashboard
See “UTM Campaign Performance” section
View campaigns as they drive traffic in real-time

Use during:

Campaign launches – verify tracking is working
Email sends – watch traffic spike from specific campaigns
Social media posts – see immediate impact
Paid ad launches – confirm UTMs are correctly applied

Referral URL Analysis

Go to Alpha Insights → Website Traffic → Traffic Channels
View “Website Traffic Data By Referral URL” section
See detailed breakdown of referring domains with UTM parameters

Shows full URL including UTMs:

https://yourstore.com/products?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_sale

Website Sessions Report

Go to Alpha Insights → Website Traffic → Website Sessions
View “landing_page_campaign” column
See utm_campaign value for each individual session
Click session to see full landing page URL with all parameters

Analyzing UTM Campaign Performance

Key Questions to Answer

1. Which source drives the most revenue?

Analysis example:

Facebook (utm_source=facebook):
- Sessions: 2,000
- Revenue: $8,000
- Orders: 100
- Revenue per session: $4.00
- Conversion Rate: 5.0%

Email (utm_source=newsletter):
- Sessions: 500
- Revenue: $4,500
- Orders: 75
- Revenue per session: $9.00
- Conversion Rate: 15.0%

Insight: Email has 4x fewer sessions but generates 2.25x more revenue per session.
Email conversion rate is 3x higher.
Action: Prioritize email list growth and email marketing budget.

2. Which campaigns converted best?

Campaign A (utm_campaign=spring_sale):
- Sessions: 3,000
- Orders: 105
- Conversion rate: 3.5%
- AOV: $80
- Total Revenue: $8,400

Campaign B (utm_campaign=new_arrivals):
- Sessions: 1,500
- Orders: 32
- Conversion rate: 2.1%
- AOV: $95
- Total Revenue: $3,040

Insight: Spring sale converts 67% better, but new arrivals has 19% higher AOV.
Action: Run more promotional campaigns, but include higher-value products.

3. Which content/variation performed best?

utm_content=red_button:    125 orders, 4.2% conversion
utm_content=blue_button:   92 orders, 3.1% conversion
utm_content=green_button:  78 orders, 2.6% conversion

Insight: Red button outperforms by 35% vs blue, 62% vs green.
Action: Use red buttons in all future campaigns. Test variations of red (shades, sizes).

4. What’s the ROI of paid campaigns?

To calculate profit-based ROAS, you need to add product costs. See Cost of Goods Manager to get started.

Campaign: utm_campaign=facebook_spring_ads
- Sessions: 5,000
- Revenue: $15,000
- Orders: 250
- Product Costs: $6,000
- Gross Profit: $9,000
- Ad Spend: $3,000
- Net Profit: $6,000
- ROAS: 5.0 ($15,000 / $3,000)
- Profit ROAS: 3.0 ($9,000 / $3,000)

Insight: Campaign is profitable with 3.0 profit ROAS (good benchmark is >2.0).
Action: Scale campaign budget gradually, monitor ROAS decline at higher spend.

Advanced UTM Strategies

Multi-Touch Attribution with UTMs

Track customer journey across multiple touchpoints. For detailed information on how attribution works, see the Session Management guide.

Customer clicks Facebook ad:
utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=discovery_ads
Later clicks email link:
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nurture_series
Finally searches brand and clicks Google ad:
utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand_keywords
Alpha Insights attributes order to the last session’s UTMs (last-click attribution)

To see full journey:

Use Website Sessions report
Filter by IP address or user ID
View all sessions from same visitor
Analyze which touchpoints assisted conversion

Campaign-Specific Deep Tracking

For major campaigns, use unique UTMs for every placement:

Black Friday campaign example:

Email 1 (Early access):
utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=email1_early_access

Email 2 (Reminder):
utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=email2_reminder

Facebook post:
utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=facebook_organic_post

Facebook carousel ad:
utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=facebook_carousel_ad

Instagram story:
utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=instagram_story

Instagram feed ad:
utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=instagram_feed_ad

Website banner (internal):
utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=homepage_banner

Blog post CTA:
utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=blog_announcement

Then analyze:

Which placement drove most traffic?
Which converted best?
What was profit per session by placement?
Where should you invest more next time?

Geographic Variations

Testing different messaging by region:

utm_campaign=summer_sale_us
utm_campaign=summer_sale_uk
utm_campaign=summer_sale_au

Or more granular:
utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_content=us_messaging
utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_content=uk_messaging
utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_content=au_messaging

Audience Segmentation Testing

utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=new_customers
utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=vip_customers
utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=cart_abandoners
utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=past_purchasers
utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=email_subscribers

Analyze: Which audience segment has highest conversion and profit? Double down on winners.

Common UTM Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Not Using UTMs Consistently

Problem: Sometimes using them, sometimes not. Causes inaccurate data and attribution.

Solution:

Use UTMs on every single external link
Create templates and checklists
Train all team members
Review links before publishing

Mistake 2: Inconsistent Naming

Problem: “Facebook”, “facebook”, “fb”, “FB” all used randomly → creates 4 separate sources in reports

Solution:

Document naming conventions
Create a “UTM cheat sheet” for your team
Use templates and URL builders
Periodically audit your UTM parameters in reports

Mistake 3: Too Generic Campaign Names

Problem: utm_campaign=promo or utm_campaign=sale used multiple times → can’t differentiate

Solution:

Always include date or season: promo_march_2024
Be specific: spring_clearance_sale not just sale
Include product if relevant: tshirt_launch_promo

Mistake 4: Using Spaces in Parameters

Problem: utm_campaign=spring sale becomes spring%20sale in URLs (ugly and hard to read)

Solution:

Always use underscores: spring_sale
Or hyphens: spring-sale (but be consistent)
Never use spaces

Mistake 5: Using UTMs on Internal Links

Problem: Adding UTMs to navigation links or footer links on your own site → breaks attribution

Example of what NOT to do:


Products

Why it’s bad: Every page navigation creates a “new session” with source “internal”, overwriting the real traffic source.

Solution:

Only use UTMs on external links (emails, social posts, ads)
Never add UTMs to your own site navigation
Keep internal links clean

Mistake 6: Not Testing UTM Links

Problem: Launch campaign, links are broken or UTMs are wrong. Can’t fix after launch.

Solution:

Click every UTM link before campaign goes live
Verify page loads correctly
Check UTMs appear in URL
Test on mobile and desktop
Use Realtime Dashboard to confirm tracking works

Mistake 7: Overcomplicating with Too Many Parameters

Problem: Creating 50+ variations for one campaign → data fragmentation, analysis paralysis

Example of too much:

utm_content=facebook_carousel_ad_variation_a_red_button_image_1_headline_test_1

Solution:

Keep it simple and organized
Use 3-5 content variations max per campaign
Test one variable at a time
Combine minor variations

Mistake 8: Not Documenting Your UTM Strategy

Problem: Team members use different naming, no consistency, analysis difficult

Solution:

Create a UTM naming convention document
Include examples for each channel
Share with entire team
Update as you add new channels
Store all UTM links in shared spreadsheet

Troubleshooting UTM Tracking

Issue: UTM data not showing in reports

Check:

Website analytics is enabled (Settings → General Settings → Enable WooCommerce Event Tracking = True)
UTM parameters are in correct format (?utm_source=...)
Links are actually being clicked (test them yourself)
You’re not excluded from tracking (check “Exclude These Roles From Tracking” setting)
Data appears in Realtime Dashboard first (historical reports aggregate with delay)
Landing page cookie is being set (check browser dev tools)

Issue: Some campaigns show, others don’t

Possible causes:

Typo in UTM parameter name (use utm_source not utm-source or utmsource)
Campaign hasn’t generated any traffic yet
Date range in report doesn’t include campaign dates
Case sensitivity issue (“Facebook” vs “facebook” show separately)
Link not actually used or clicked

Issue: Data looks wrong or duplicated

Check:

Consistent naming – “Facebook” and “facebook” appear as two sources
URL encoding – spaces become %20, special characters encoded
Multiple UTMs accidentally added – only last one is used
UTMs on internal links – messes up attribution
Shortened URLs not redirecting correctly

Issue: Orders not attributed to correct campaign

Possible causes:

Customer clicked multiple campaigns – last one gets credit (last-click attribution)
Landing page cookie expired (10 minutes) – customer returned later via different source
Customer cleared cookies
Order placed from different device
UTMs not used on the link that converted

How to investigate:

Check order meta: _wpd_ai_landing_page field shows exact landing URL
View Website Sessions report for customer’s IP
See all sessions leading up to purchase
Understand multi-touch journey

UTM Tracking Checklist

Before launching any campaign:

□ Created UTM-tagged URLs for all external links
□ Used lowercase for all parameters
□ Used underscores instead of spaces
□ Named campaign descriptively (not generic like “sale”)
□ Followed your documented naming conventions
□ Added all URLs to tracking spreadsheet
□ Tested each link clicks through correctly
□ Verified UTMs appear in URL after click
□ Checked Realtime Dashboard shows test traffic
□ Confirmed campaign name appears in reports

After launching campaign:

□ Monitor Realtime Dashboard for initial traffic
□ Check Traffic Channels report after 24 hours
□ Verify campaign appears in UTM Campaign table
□ Review session data to confirm accurate tracking
□ Monitor conversion rates and adjust as needed

Best Practices Summary

Use UTMs on every external link – email, social, ads, partners, influencers
Never use UTMs on internal links – breaks attribution
Be consistent – document and follow naming conventions
Use lowercase and underscores – avoid spaces and capital letters
Be descriptive but concise – clear campaign names with dates
Test links before launching – verify tracking works
Document your strategy – share with team
Store links in spreadsheet – maintain organized records
Review reports regularly – weekly analysis of campaign performance
Combine with profit data – focus on ROAS and profit per session
Iterate and improve – learn from what works

UTM Parameter Quick Reference

Parameter	Required?	Purpose	Examples
utm_source	Required	Identify the platform/site	facebook, newsletter, google
utm_medium	Required	Identify channel type	social, email, cpc, referral
utm_campaign	Highly Recommended	Identify specific campaign	spring_sale_2024, welcome_email1
utm_content	Optional	Differentiate variations	red_button, hero_cta, image_a
utm_term	Rarely Used	Paid search keywords	red_t_shirts (auto-tracked by Google Ads)

Next Steps

Review Website Analytics Overview for tracking fundamentals
Read Traffic Source Analysis to optimize based on UTM data
Check Session Management to understand attribution timing
See Troubleshooting Guide if tracking isn’t working
Set up Facebook Campaign Tracking with meta_cid parameter
Configure Google Ads Tracking with google_cid parameter
Learn about Report Filters to filter by campaign
Explore Creating Custom Reports for campaign analysis

Ready to get started? Create your first UTM-tagged link using the Google Campaign URL Builder, test it in the Realtime Dashboard, and start tracking your campaign performance with Alpha Insights!

Tracking Utm Campaigns

Alpha Insights Documentation

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