How to use UTM parameters
Good UTM tags turn analytics into a clear list of which campaigns bring visitors and sales. Bad tags split one channel into many rows or hide it as Unassigned. A few simple rules keep your data clean.
Recommended values by channel
| Channel | utm_source | utm_medium |
|---|---|---|
| Google Ads | cpc | |
| Microsoft Advertising (Bing) | bing | cpc |
| Facebook or Instagram ads | facebook or instagram | paid_social |
| Organic social post | linkedin, instagram, x | social |
| Email newsletter | newsletter | |
| Partner or affiliate | partner name | affiliate |
| Printed QR code | flyer, poster | referral |
Naming rules that keep reports clean
- Lowercase only.
- Hyphens instead of spaces.
- No personal data such as email addresses in UTM values.
- Same spelling every time: decide between newsletter and email-newsletter once.
- Short, readable campaign names with a date or quarter.
Common mistakes
- Tagging internal links, which restarts sessions.
- Using a medium GA4 doesn't know, so traffic is Unassigned.
- Forgetting utm_source, so the other tags are ignored.
- Adding the tags after the # part of the URL, where they are never sent.