If one colleague writes the source as Facebook, another as facebook and a third as fb, a report may split one channel across several rows. It then becomes difficult to see which campaigns generated enquiries and what is worth continuing.
UTM tags help transmit information about a visit through a link. Their usefulness depends on a consistent naming dictionary, retained parameters and a connection to the enquiry. Tags do not create sales tracking by themselves.
What the parameters mean
Start manual tagging with three fields:
- utm_source — the visit’s source: a platform, newsletter or partner;
- utm_medium — the channel type, such as email or paid_social;
- utm_campaign — the campaign or initiative name.
Additionally, utm_content helps distinguish creatives and links, while utm_term identifies a paid keyword. utm_id serves as a campaign identifier. Choose additional fields for the task rather than filling them with random words.
Parameter purposes and recommendations for combining them are described in Google’s official UTM guidance.
Approve a naming dictionary before launch
Choose one spelling for each source and medium. For example, use facebook for manually tagged Facebook links, instagram for Instagram and newsletter for email newsletters. This is an example of an internal dictionary, not mandatory naming for every project.
Specify lowercase letters and one separator, such as an underscore. UTM values are case-sensitive: Google and google can appear as different values.
The campaign name should remain recognisable. One possible template is market_language_service_initiative, written in Latin characters. Avoid details that change frequently if they would break the connection with historical records.
Do not use a colleague’s name as the source. Keep the responsible person in the link registry rather than mixing them with the acquisition channel.
Hypothetical tagged link example
Suppose an agency runs a Czech Facebook ad for its advertising service. The internal campaign name is cz_cs_ads_test, and the creative variant is creative_a.
Example link:
https://iuntsevich.cz/cz/advertising?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=cz_cs_ads_test&utm_content=creative_a
This is a hypothetical template, not an active agency campaign. Here, cz represents the market and cs the language under the example’s naming dictionary.
If the original URL already contains parameters after ?, new pairs are generally added with &. Where there is a # fragment, parameters must come before it. Use a URL builder rather than assembling complex addresses manually.
Maintain a link registry
For each link, retain the destination page, source, medium, campaign, content variant, placement, owner and verification date.
Do not recreate a link from memory for every publication. Use the agreed version from the registry. If you use dynamic advertising platform parameters, check the supported syntax and actual values after following the link separately.
For multiple languages, distinguish market and language under one consistent rule. A language tag alone does not identify the country served. The structural plan is covered in our article on advertising in multiple languages.
Do not replace Google Ads auto-tagging
UTM tags and automatic advertising identifiers perform different tasks. For a Google Ads and GA4 integration, Google recommends auto-tagging; when both approaches are used, precedence depends on the availability of automatic data.
Do not disable auto-tagging merely for a nicer campaign name or remove GCLID during a redirect. Align manual parameters with the integration and check the result in the report. Google’s guidance on manual tagging and auto-tagging.
The medium name also affects grouping. If you choose a non-standard utm_medium, check how GA4 classifies it. Default channel group rules.
Carry the tags through to the enquiry
Check that parameters survive redirects, language switching and navigation to the form. If the form or booking process is on another domain, transmission and measurement need separate configuration.
Agree on which values will reach the CRM and when they are retained. Do not overwrite a received enquiry’s source with every subsequent visit.
Use ordinary URLs for internal links between website pages; events are a better way to measure internal navigation. Adding UTMs within the website can contaminate campaign information and complicate interpretation.
Do not put names, phone numbers, emails or other personal information in tags. The URL is visible to the user and can reach logs and analytics. Google specifically requires preventing the transmission of personally identifiable information to Analytics. Google’s guidance.
Check the link before publishing
- Open the complete URL and check the intended page and language.
- Make sure values follow the dictionary and are not repeated in the URL.
- Check parameter retention after redirects.
- Submit a control enquiry and find its source in the CRM.
- Check data arrival in GA4, allowing for report processing.
- Make sure the link contains no personal data.
- Save the verified version in the registry.
UTM describes a tagged visit, not every previous interaction someone had with the business. A forwarded link, a device change or unavailable measurement can limit conclusions. To assess enquiries, supplement tagging with GA4 events for service websites.
When arranging advertising setup and management, agree on a tag dictionary, link registry and source transmission. Include these tasks when discussing the commercial proposal, clarifying the website and CRM configuration scope.