UTM builder: create your campaign links
Fill in source, medium and campaign name, and copy a link that tells your analytics tool where a visit came from. Each field is checked as you type.
Everything runs in your browser. What you type is not sent anywhere and not stored.
The page visitors should land on. Start with https://. Existing parameters and a # part are kept.
Where the link is placed, like newsletter, google or linkedin.
The kind of link, like email, social or cpc.
Your name for the campaign. Use the same one in all its links.
Tells two links of one campaign apart, like header and footer.
For paid search ads: the keyword you bought.
What UTM parameters mean
UTM parameters are the extra details at the end of a link, like ?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring-sale. Visitors don’t notice them, and the page opens as usual. An analytics tool reads them when the link is opened and files the visit under that campaign.
| Parameter | What it tells you | Example |
|---|---|---|
| utm_source | Where the link is placed: the website, app or list it was sent from. | newsletter |
| utm_medium | The kind of link: email, paid search, a social post. | email |
| utm_campaign | The campaign the link belongs to. | spring-sale |
| utm_term | The keyword of a paid search ad. | running-shoes |
| utm_content | Which link it was, when one campaign has several. Also called link variant or campaign content. | header |
utm_source
- What it tells you
- Where the link is placed: the website, app or list it was sent from.
- Example
newsletter
utm_medium
- What it tells you
- The kind of link: email, paid search, a social post.
- Example
email
utm_campaign
- What it tells you
- The campaign the link belongs to.
- Example
spring-sale
utm_term
- What it tells you
- The keyword of a paid search ad.
- Example
running-shoes
utm_content
- What it tells you
- Which link it was, when one campaign has several. Also called link variant or campaign content.
- Example
header
Source, medium and campaign name are the three to fill in every time. Add a link variant when a campaign has several links you want to compare, and a search term for paid search ads.
How to name your UTM parameters
- Write everything in lower case.
Emailandemailcan be counted as two different values. - Use dashes instead of spaces:
spring-sale, notSpring Sale. - Reuse the same names. Decide your list of sources and media once, and pick from it every time.
- Keep names short and descriptive, with letters, digits and dashes only.
A naming convention you can copy, with examples, is in UTM parameters: how to use them and what to look out for.
Common UTM mistakes the builder warns about
These mistakes most often split numbers or hide where visitors came from:
- Capital letters. Many reports treat
Emailandemailas two values. Privatrak lowercases source and medium, but keeps the capitals of campaign name, link variant and search term. - UTM parameters on links inside your own site. When a visitor clicks such a link, the parameters can replace the real source of the visit in many analytics tools. Use them only on links that lead to your site from elsewhere.
- Missing parameters. A link with a campaign name but no source or medium is hard to place in a report.
- Spaces and special characters. They are encoded in the link, which makes it long and easy to get wrong.
- Email addresses in a link. Links show up in analytics reports, server logs and the referrer sent to the next site. Keep personal details out of them.
- The # part in the wrong place. A link can end with a
#part that jumps to a section of the page. UTM parameters go before it, not after it. The builder puts them in the right place.
UTM builder questions
Is this UTM builder free?
Yes. You need no account, and there is no limit. It runs in your browser.
Is the link I build sent anywhere?
No. Everything happens in your browser. The values you enter go neither to Privatrak nor to anyone else, and they are not stored. Reload the page and the form is empty.
Which UTM parameters do I need?
Source, medium and campaign name. Add a link variant if one campaign has several links, and a search term for paid search ads.
Should I use UTM parameters on links inside my own website?
No. Use them only on links from other places that lead to your site: newsletters, ads, social posts and partner websites. On your own pages, a link with UTM parameters can replace the real source of the visit.
What happens to a link that already has parameters or a # part?
The builder keeps the other parameters and the # part. It replaces any UTM parameters that are already there and puts the new ones before the # part.
Does Privatrak read UTM parameters?
Yes, all five. Visitors from campaign links appear on the Sources and Campaigns pages, counted once per day and without cookies.