UTM Parameters Explained

What each of the five tags means, with an example you can copy.

The five tags

UTM tags are short labels added to the end of a link. When someone clicks, your analytics reads them and tells you where the visit came from.

Tag	It answers	Example	In utmSnap
`utm_source`	Where did the visit come from?	newsletter	Required
`utm_medium`	What kind of channel was it?	email	Required
`utm_campaign`	Which campaign was it part of?	spring-sale-2026	Required
`utm_term`	Which search word was paid for?	running-shoes	Optional
`utm_content`	Which version of the ad or link?	header-button	Optional

What each tag means

`utm_source`

Where the visit came from: the site, newsletter or platform that holds your link.

Examples: newsletter, facebook, google

Tip: Name the place, not the kind of channel. The kind goes in the medium.

`utm_medium`

The kind of channel the link was in.

Examples: email, paid-social, cpc, social

Tip: Keep to a short list of mediums, because reports are often grouped by medium.

`utm_campaign`

The campaign the link belongs to.

Examples: spring-sale-2026, product-launch

Tip: Use the same campaign name on every link in the campaign, across all channels, so you can add them up.

`utm_term`

The search word you paid for.

Examples: running-shoes, crm-software

Tip: Only useful for paid search. Leave it out everywhere else.

`utm_content`

Which version of the ad or link was clicked.

Examples: header-button, footer-link, video-ad

Tip: Use it to compare two links that are otherwise the same, such as two buttons in one email.

A finished link

The tags come after a question mark and are joined with an ampersand. Here is one with the three required tags, split into its parts the way the builder shows it:

Web addresshttps://example.com/sale: The page people land on. It never changes.
The joiners? & =: A question mark starts the tags, an ampersand adds the next one, and an equals sign gives each tag its value.
Sourcenewsletter: Where the visit came from.
Mediumemail: The kind of channel it was.
Campaignspring-sale-2026: Which campaign the link belongs to.

A link with all five tags

A paid search ad can also carry the search word and the version of the ad. The last two tags use their own colour, the same one the builder gives them:

Termrunning-shoes: The search word you paid for.
Contentvideo-ad: Which version of the ad was clicked.

Where the tags go in a link

Tags are added to the end of the web address. A question mark starts them, and an ampersand (&) joins each one to the next. Each tag is written as the name, an equals sign and the value, for example utm_source=newsletter.

The order of the tags does not matter. Leave out the ones you do not need, but do not leave an empty tag in the link. Do not put spaces in values: use a hyphen instead.

Which ones should I use?

Start with source, medium and campaign. They answer where, how and why, and every analytics tool understands them. Add term and content only when you need to tell two similar links apart, such as two buttons in one email.

In utmSnap the first three are required, so a link cannot be finished without them. Term and content are optional. Agree one spelling for each name with the UTM naming convention.

Common mistakes

Leaving out the medium
Not this?utm_source=newsletter
Write this?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring-sale-2026
Without all three, reports cannot place the visit in a channel.
Using the source for the kind of channel
Not thisutm_source=social
Write thisutm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social
The source is the place, and the medium is the kind.
Two question marks
Not this?utm_source=a?utm_medium=b
Write this?utm_source=a&utm_medium=b
Only the first tag starts with a question mark. After that, use an ampersand.
A search word on a link that is not a search ad
Not thisutm_term=spring on an email link
Write thisleave utm_term out
An unused tag only adds noise.
Misspelled tag names
Not thisutm_sorce=newsletter
Write thisutm_source=newsletter
A misspelt name is ignored, so the visit shows no source.

What UTM tags do not do

A UTM tag does not change the page, what the visitor sees or how fast the link opens. It only adds a label that your analytics reads. Anyone who clicks can see the tags in the address bar, so keep them free of private details.

utmSnap only builds the link. Your analytics tool reads the tags.

Questions people ask

Are UTM tags case sensitive?

In most analytics tools, yes, so use lowercase everywhere. See the UTM naming convention.

Which tags are required?

In utmSnap, source, medium and campaign. Term and content are optional.

Can I use UTM tags on links inside my own site?

Avoid it. It can replace the real source of the visit.

How do I build a link without making mistakes?

Use the builder. It shows the finished link as you type, split into its parts, and Copy link copies it.

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We count visits and clicks. We never track you or see the links you build. Your work is saved in this browser only.

The five tags

What each tag means

utm_source

utm_medium

utm_campaign

utm_term

utm_content