Glossary
UTM Parameters (UTM)
Small tags added to the end of a link so your analytics can tell where a visitor came from, which campaign sent them, and which ad or email they clicked.
UTM parameters are short pieces of text you add to the end of a link so your analytics software can record where a visitor came from. When someone clicks the tagged link, those tags travel with them and show up in your reports.
There are five of them:
utm_source = where the click came from (google, newsletter)
utm_medium = the type of traffic (cpc, email, social)
utm_campaign = the specific promotion (spring-sale)
utm_content = which link or ad (top-banner, blue-button)
utm_term = the keyword, mostly for paid search
A full link looks like this:
yoursite.com/review?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=launch
The point is simple. Without tags, your analytics can only say a visitor arrived. With tags, it can say the visitor arrived from your Tuesday email, clicked the button in the middle, and read the review. That is the difference between guessing which traffic works and knowing.
Two habits keep the data clean. Use the same spelling every time, because "Email" and "email" count as two different sources. And only tag links coming into your site from outside, never links between your own pages.
For a plain walkthrough with more examples, read what UTM parameters are.