UTM Parameters Explained: How to Track Every Marketing Campaign

You just launched an email campaign, posted on three social platforms, and ran a paid ad — all pointing to the same landing page. Traffic spikes. Great. But which channel actually drove those visits?

Without UTM parameters, you're guessing. With them, you know exactly where every click came from.

What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags you add to the end of a URL. When someone clicks a tagged link, Google Analytics (or any analytics tool) reads those tags and attributes the visit to the right source.

A UTM-tagged URL looks like this:

https://yoursite.com/pricing?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_launch

Ugly, right? That's where short links come in — but more on that later.

The 5 UTM Parameters

There are five standard UTM parameters. Three are required, two are optional.

Required

Optional

A Real-World Example

Say you're promoting a webinar. You'll share the link in your newsletter, on Twitter, on LinkedIn, and through a paid Google ad. Here's how to tag each:

Newsletter:

https://yoursite.com/webinar?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=feb_webinar

Twitter post:

https://yoursite.com/webinar?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=feb_webinar

LinkedIn post:

https://yoursite.com/webinar?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=feb_webinar

Google Ad:

https://yoursite.com/webinar?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=feb_webinar&utm_term=marketing+webinar

Now when you check your analytics, you'll see exactly how many registrations came from each channel.

UTM Naming Conventions That Won't Bite You Later

This is where most marketers mess up. Inconsistent naming turns your analytics into a mess. A few rules:

1. Always use lowercase. UTM parameters are case-sensitive. Twitter, twitter, and TWITTER show up as three different sources. Just pick lowercase and stick with it.

2. Use underscores, not spaces. Spaces become %20 in URLs. Use underscores or hyphens: spring_launch, not spring launch.

3. Keep source names consistent. Decide on a name once and use it forever:

• ✅ twitter (always)
• ❌ twitter, x, x.com, Twitter (mixing these ruins your data)

4. Document your conventions. Keep a simple spreadsheet with approved values for source, medium, and campaign naming patterns. Share it with your team.

5. Be specific with campaigns. feb_webinar_2026 is better than webinar. You'll thank yourself when you're comparing campaigns six months later.

The Problem: UTM Links Are Ugly

Here's the elephant in the room. A UTM-tagged URL can easily hit 150+ characters:

https://yoursite.com/products/premium-plan?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_launch_2026&utm_content=pinned_tweet

Nobody wants to see that in a tweet or a bio link. It looks spammy, it's hard to share verbally, and it takes up precious character real estate.

The Fix: Short Links + UTM Tracking

This is where a URL shortener like y.hn solves the problem cleanly. Take that 150-character monster and turn it into:

y.hn/spring

The UTM parameters are still there — they're preserved in the redirect. Your analytics still capture everything. But your audience sees a clean, trustworthy 12-character link.

Even better, y.hn's built-in analytics give you click data on top of what Google Analytics captures. You get two layers of tracking:

1. y.hn dashboard: Real-time clicks, geographic data, device breakdown, referrer info

2. Google Analytics: Full UTM attribution, conversion tracking, user flow

How to Set Up UTM Tracking with y.hn

Here's the practical workflow:

Step 1: Build your full URL with UTM parameters. Use Google's Campaign URL Builder or just add them manually.

Step 2: Go to y.hn and paste the full UTM-tagged URL.

Step 3: Optionally set a custom slug that matches your campaign (e.g., y.hn/spring).

Step 4: Share the short link. Done.

The short link redirects to the full UTM-tagged URL. Google Analytics sees the parameters. y.hn tracks the click. You get complete visibility.

Common UTM Mistakes to Avoid

Tagging internal links. Don't add UTM parameters to links within your own site (like navigation links). It overwrites the original source in analytics and makes your data unreliable.

Forgetting to tag. If you share a bare URL without UTMs, that traffic shows up as "direct" or "referral" — which tells you almost nothing useful. Make it a habit to tag every external link.

Using UTMs on paid platforms that auto-tag. Google Ads has auto-tagging (gclid). Adding UTMs on top can sometimes cause conflicts. Check your platform's documentation.

Sharing raw UTM links in public. People can see your campaign tags. It's not a security risk, but it looks unprofessional. Use a shortener.

Tracking Offline Campaigns with UTM + QR Codes

UTM parameters aren't just for digital channels. Combine them with QR codes to track offline marketing:

• Business cards: QR code linking to yoursite.com?utm_source=business_card&utm_medium=print
• Flyers: Different UTM tags for each distribution area
• Event banners: Track which events drive the most traffic

y.hn generates QR codes for every short link automatically. Create a UTM-tagged short link, download the QR code, and print it on your materials.

Measuring What Matters

Once your UTM tracking is set up, focus on these questions:

• Which source drives the most traffic? (Are your Twitter posts actually working?)
• Which medium converts best? (Email vs. social vs. paid)
• Which campaign had the best ROI? (Was the spring launch worth the effort?)
• Which content variant wins? (Did the header CTA outperform the sidebar?)

The answers are in your analytics dashboard — but only if you tagged your links properly.

Quick Reference: UTM Cheat Sheet

Start Tracking Today

Every untagged link is lost data. It takes 30 seconds to add UTM parameters, and a URL shortener like y.hn makes the links shareable without the ugly query strings.

Set up your naming conventions, tag your next campaign, and finally know which marketing channels are actually pulling their weight.

Create a free y.hn account →