UTM Parameters - ClickSpot

UTM Parameters

Add UTM parameters to your short links to track exactly where your traffic comes from and measure campaign performance in Google Analytics and other analytics tools.

What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags added to URLs that help you track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. When someone clicks a link with UTM parameters, that information is captured by analytics tools.

There are five standard UTM parameters:

  • utm_source - Where the traffic comes from (e.g., twitter, newsletter, google)
  • utm_medium - The marketing medium (e.g., social, email, cpc)
  • utm_campaign - The specific campaign name (e.g., summer_sale, product_launch)
  • utm_term - Keywords for paid search campaigns
  • utm_content - Differentiate similar content or links (e.g., header_link, footer_link)

Adding UTM Parameters in ClickSpot

Using the UTM Builder

  1. Click Create Link or edit an existing link
  2. Click the UTM button in the form
  3. Fill in the UTM fields in the dialog:
    • Source (required for UTM tracking)
    • Medium
    • Campaign
    • Term (optional)
    • Content (optional)
    • Referral (optional)
  4. Click Save to apply the parameters
  5. The parameters are automatically appended to your destination URL

Manual Entry

You can also include UTM parameters directly in your destination URL when creating a link. ClickSpot will preserve them:

https://example.com/page?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=launch

UTM Parameter Examples

Social Media Campaign

  • Source: twitter
  • Medium: social
  • Campaign: product_launch_2025
  • Content: bio_link

Email Newsletter

  • Source: newsletter
  • Medium: email
  • Campaign: weekly_digest
  • Content: featured_article

Paid Advertising

  • Source: google
  • Medium: cpc
  • Campaign: brand_awareness
  • Term: url shortener

Viewing UTM Data in Google Analytics

After setting up UTM parameters, you can view the data in Google Analytics:

  1. Go to your Google Analytics property
  2. Navigate to Acquisition → Traffic acquisition
  3. Look for your source/medium combinations
  4. Use the secondary dimension to see campaign names

Best Practices

  • Be consistent - Use the same naming conventions across all campaigns (e.g., always lowercase, use underscores)
  • Keep it simple - Use clear, descriptive names you'll remember later
  • Document your conventions - Create a naming guide for your team
  • Don't over-tag - You don't need to use all five parameters for every link
  • Avoid spaces - Use underscores or hyphens instead of spaces

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Inconsistent naming - "Twitter" vs "twitter" vs "tw" creates separate entries in reports
  • Missing source - Without utm_source, other parameters won't be properly tracked
  • Using UTM for internal links - Only use UTM parameters for external campaigns, not internal site navigation