In short: The UTM builder creates a link with UTM parameters in seconds. You pick where you will share the link and the builder fills in the right source and medium. It shows which Google Analytics 4 channel the visit will land in, warns you about mistakes, creates a QR code for print and saves your links to a list you can download to Excel. Free and no sign-up.
What are UTM parameters?
UTM parameters are short additions at the end of a link that tell Google Analytics where a visit came from. With them you can see how many visitors and orders a specific newsletter, Facebook post or flyer with a QR code brought in. Without them, many of these visits disappear into direct or unknown traffic.
| Parameter | What it says | Example |
|---|---|---|
utm_source required | Where the visit came from: the specific website, network or list. | facebook, newsletter, flyer |
utm_medium required | The type of channel. Google Analytics uses it to assign the visit to a channel group. | social, paid_social, email, sms |
utm_campaign required | The campaign or promotion name you will find the results under. | autumn_sale_2026 |
utm_content | Tells variants apart within one campaign, for example two banners. | banner_a, video, button_top |
utm_term | The keyword, mainly for paid search ads. | bookkeeping_london |
How to name campaigns so nothing gets lost in reports
- Lowercase only. Google Analytics treats “Facebook” and “facebook” as two different sources and splits your results.
- No spaces or accents. Replace spaces with an underscore or hyphen, and accents can show up garbled in reports. The builder does this for you.
- Consistent source names. Always facebook, not fb one day and facebook.com the next. Decide once and stick to it.
- Medium that matches Google Analytics channels. social for organic posts, paid_social for ads, email for emails. Otherwise the visit ends up in the Unassigned channel.
- Campaigns with a time period. A name like autumn_sale_2026 is easy to find a year later and does not mix with the next sale.
- One shared list for the team. Download your saved links to Excel and share them so everyone uses the same names.
Which Google Analytics 4 channel the visit lands in
Google Analytics 4 sorts visits into default channel groups based on source and medium. If it does not understand a combination, the visit goes to the Unassigned channel and is hard to find in your channel report. These combinations work reliably:
| GA4 channel | utm_source | utm_medium |
|---|---|---|
| Organic Social | facebook, instagram, linkedin | social |
| Paid Social | facebook, instagram, linkedin | paid_social or cpc |
| newsletter, signature | email | |
| SMS | sms | sms |
| Affiliates | partner name | affiliate |
| Referral | website name | referral |
| Display | network name | display or banner |
| Paid Search | google, bing | cpc, for Google Ads auto-tagging is better |
GA4 has no default channel for print with QR codes, so those visits end up in Unassigned. You can find them in reports by source and medium, or create a custom channel group in Google Analytics.
When not to use UTM parameters
- On internal links on your own site. A UTM link in your menu or a banner on your site overwrites the original source, and reports will show the visitor as coming from somewhere else.
- With Google Ads auto-tagging switched on. Google Ads sends more accurate data through the gclid parameter. Manual UTM parameters can overwrite it.
- With personal data. Never put an email address, name or phone number in UTM parameters. The link is stored in browser history and in your analytics.
Useful terms
More free tools
A score and 24 checks that decide your visibility in Google and AI search.
An llms.txt file for ChatGPT and other AI, built from your own pages.
ROAS, cost of sale, margin, break-even and Google Ads budget.
Characters, words, platform limits and a SERP snippet preview.
Frequently asked questions
What is a UTM link?
A normal link to your website with UTM parameters added, for example utm_source=newsletter. Visitors see the same page, and Google Analytics uses the parameters to tell where they came from.
Which UTM parameters are required?
Always fill in utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign. utm_content and utm_term are optional and useful for telling apart ad variants or keywords.
Where do I see visits from UTM links in Google Analytics 4?
In the Traffic acquisition report. Choose the session source / medium or session campaign dimension and you will find the values from your links. The first data usually appears within a few hours.
Should I use UTM parameters in Google Ads?
If your Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked, keep auto-tagging switched on. It gives more accurate campaign and keyword data. UTM parameters matter most for other channels such as social media, email and print.
Why do I see visits in the Unassigned channel?
Usually because of an unusual medium in the UTM parameters, for example facebook_post instead of social. The builder shows you which channel GA4 will assign before you use the link.
Do capital letters in UTM parameters matter?
Yes. Google Analytics is case sensitive, so Facebook and facebook show up as two sources. That is why the builder converts values to lowercase without accents and spaces by default.
Do you store my links?
No. The builder runs entirely in your browser. Your list of saved links stays in your browser and we cannot see it on our server.
Want to know which campaigns really make money?
We manage ads on Google, Facebook and Instagram and measure results in orders and leads, not clicks. In a free consultation we review your campaigns and tracking.
The first 60 minutes are free, in person in Bratislava or online.
See also our Google Ads agency, Facebook and Instagram ads and the ROAS calculator.