UTM Parameter Quick Reference
Rules and examples for how to correctly tag inbound links
For an introduction to UTM tags and link tagging in general, see my accompanying post The definitive link tagging guide.
So many parameters — how can we make sense of which tags and values to use where? The following table is here to save the day:
Feel free to add any corrections/updates as comments to the original Google Doc — thanks!
Examples
Refer to the examples below for how to tag links coming from various different traffic sources:
Display/banner ads
utm_source=adwords&utm_medum=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=final_reductions&utm_term=widget+delivery+london
utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=retargeting_group1&utm_content=5pc_discount
Social media
Links from posts/status updates versus profiles/bios:
utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post
utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=profile
Posts from different accounts:
utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=username
Newsletters:
utm_source=list_name&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_date_or_name&utm_content=body_link_1
Links in signatures:
utm_source=email-signature&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Employee+Name
Online docs/presentations/video
Slideshare — track clicks on contained links
utm_source=slideshare&utm_medium=???&utm_campaign=deck_name&utm_content=link_ref
YouTube — track annotations in your YouTube videos
utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=video+name&utm_content=annotation_ref
Offline(!)
For offline ads, use a URL shortener (ideally your own custom short domain) and redirect to a fully expanded URL:
Print ads:
utm_medium=offline&utm_source=billboard
utm_medium=offline&utm_source=flyer
utm_medium=offline&utm_source=Newspaper+Name
TV? (A trade-off between brand recognition of your primary domain name versus traceability — test!)
utm_medium=TV&utm_source=channel
QR codes:
Prove that nobody uses QR codes by including utm_medium=qr-code..
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Other examples: learning from the wild
For another take on how to best put UTM tags to work, the following post details a great range of real-world examples from various companies — each critiqued with commentary on what the author recommends as good vs. bad practice: http://www.terminusapp.com/blog/mistakes-big-companies-make-utm-parameters/
