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Ads and acquisition

What are UTM parameters?

UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a URL that tell your analytics which source, campaign and ad sent a visitor.

Formula

?utm_source=meta&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=fall-launch&utm_content=video-1

Source names the site, medium the type of traffic, campaign the push and content the ad. Analytics tools group visits and orders by each tag.

A real store example

Honeylove CrossOver Bra page: nearly 500 Meta ads linked here.

Honeylove also runs ads to separate pages for its SuperPower Short and CloudEmbrace Bra. When hundreds of ads share one URL, the UTM tags on each ad's link are the only way analytics can tell which creative sent which visitor.

Open the pageSee their ads

How to improve UTM parameters on your store

  1. Agree on one naming scheme

    "Meta", "meta" and "facebook" show up as three sources. Write the scheme down and use it everywhere.

  2. Tag every link you control

    Ads, emails, SMS, creator links and bio links all need tags, or their visits land in direct traffic.

  3. Read orders by tag, not just visits

    The point of tagging is to see which campaign sells. Group orders, not only sessions, by UTM campaign.

Ask Replo: "show sessions and orders by UTM campaign last week".

Report by campaign

UTM parameters questions

What does UTM stand for?
UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module, after Urchin, the analytics company Google bought and turned into Google Analytics. The name stuck even though the tags now work with almost every analytics tool.
Do UTM parameters affect SEO?
No, as long as your pages set a canonical URL without them. Search engines then treat the tagged and untagged links as one page. Don't use UTM tags on links between your own pages.
Which UTM parameters are required?
Source, medium and campaign are the three most tools expect. Content and term are optional: content tells two ads apart, and term records the keyword for search ads.

Related terms

Browse the glossary

Marketing attribution

Marketing attribution is deciding which ads, emails and touchpoints get credit for a sale.

Meta Pixel

The Meta Pixel is a snippet of code on your site that reports visits and purchases back to Meta so it can measure and optimize your ads.

ROAS

ROAS (return on ad spend) is the revenue an ad campaign brings in for every dollar spent on it: revenue from ads divided by ad spend.

MER

MER (marketing efficiency ratio) is total store revenue divided by total marketing spend, across every channel.

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