UTM parameters

Tags added to URLs that help analytics identify a visit’s source, medium, and campaign.

UTM parameters add campaign labels to a link. Common fields are utm_source for the origin, utm_medium for the channel, and utm_campaign for the campaign name. The destination’s analytics system reads these labels when it can record the visit.

A newsletter link might end with ?utm_source=weekly-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=september-guide. Use consistent capitalization and naming so reports group related visits together. Avoid putting personal or sensitive information into these visible URL fields.

Without tags, email traffic may appear as direct, referral, or another source depending on the tool and available information. UTM tags improve classification but do not capture every visit or prove causation. Privacy settings and stripped parameters can still leave gaps.

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