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UTM builder for campaign URLs
A UTM link is your page address with up to six tags added after a question mark, such as utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale. Analytics tools read them to tell you which campaign each visit came from. Paste your URL, pick a preset or fill in the fields, and copy the tagged link.
By Alain Abulafya, founder of PPCleaner · Updated
PPCleaner
UTMs tell you which campaign brought the visit. PPCleaner tells you which searches wasted the click. Every night, it blocks the Google Ads search terms that were never going to buy.
Start 7 days freeWhat are UTM parameters?
UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a URL to tell analytics tools where a visit came from. The name comes from Urchin, the analytics product Google bought in 2005 and turned into Google Analytics. Google Analytics 4 still reads them, and so do most other analytics tools and CRMs.
| Parameter | What it records | Example |
|---|---|---|
utm_source | The site or platform that sent the visit | google, facebook, newsletter |
utm_medium | The type of traffic | cpc, paid_social, email |
utm_campaign | The campaign or promotion | spring_sale |
utm_term | The paid keyword | running shoes |
utm_content | Which ad or link was clicked | banner_blue |
utm_id | Your campaign identifier | c_1042 |
UTM tracking for Google Ads
Google Ads has its own tracking: with auto-tagging turned on, it adds a gclid parameter to every click, and Google Analytics uses it to attribute the visit to the right campaign, ad group and keyword. You don't need UTM tags for Google Analytics in that case.
UTM tags are still useful when other tools must see where the visit came from, such as a CRM, a form tool or another analytics product. The cleanest way to add them is the Final URL suffix in your account, campaign or ad group settings. Google appends it to every final URL, so you don't have to edit each ad. ValueTrack parameters such as {campaignid}, {keyword} and {creative} are filled in by Google at each click.
Naming rules that keep reports clean
- Pick one case and stick to it. Analytics tools treat
Facebookandfacebookas two different sources. - Avoid spaces. Use an underscore or a hyphen:
spring_sale. - Use the mediums your analytics tool expects. Google Analytics 4 puts
cpctraffic from a search engine in Paid Search, andpaid_socialfrom a social network in Paid Social. A made-up medium lands in Unassigned. - Never tag internal links. A UTM link from one page of your site to another starts a new session and erases the real source of the visit.
Once the traffic is tagged, the next question is what each click costs. The CPC checker and the ROAS calculator answer it.
Frequently asked questions
Which UTM parameters are required?
Only utm_source is strictly required by Google Analytics, but always set utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign together: without the medium, the visit cannot be put in the right channel.
Do I need UTM tags on Google Ads if auto-tagging is on?
Not for Google Analytics, which reads the gclid that auto-tagging adds. Add UTM tags through the Final URL suffix if another tool, such as a CRM, needs to see the campaign.
Are UTM parameters case-sensitive?
Yes. Google Analytics reports Email and email as two different mediums. Keep everything lowercase, which is what the builder does by default.
Do UTM parameters affect SEO?
Not if you only use them on links from ads, emails and social posts. Don't put them on internal links or in your sitemap; search engines then treat the tagged URL as a duplicate of the page.
Is anything I type sent to PPCleaner?
No. The link is built in your browser.