What is UTM parameters?

UTM parameters are short tags added to the end of a web link that tell analytics tools where a visitor came from, such as which network or campaign.

UTM parameters help you see which social posts actually send people to your website and lead to sales. Without them, much social traffic can look like it came from nowhere. With them, you can compare networks, campaigns and even individual posts.

A UTM-tagged link includes parts like source, medium and campaign, added after a question mark in the URL. When someone clicks, website analytics tools read these tags and record the visit. You can build these links by hand or with free link builders. The link still goes to the same page.

Use a consistent naming system, such as always writing network names in lowercase. Keep a simple spreadsheet of the links you create. Shorten long tagged links if they look messy in posts. Check your website analytics regularly to see which tagged links perform best.

Example

A home bakery adds UTM tags to its Instagram and Facebook links to see which network brings more online cake orders.