A UTM code (Urchin Tracking Module) is a short piece of text added to the end of a URL to help track where your website traffic is coming from.
Marketers and SEO specialists use UTM codes to see how visitors find their site—whether it’s from social media, email campaigns, ads, or other sources.
Why Use UTM Codes?
UTM codes help answer questions like:
- Which marketing channel brings in the most traffic?
- Which campaign leads to the most conversions?
- How are users interacting with specific links?
This data is tracked in tools like Google Analytics, giving you a clearer picture of your marketing performance.
What Does a UTM Code Look Like?
Here’s a URL without a UTM code:
https://www.example.com/product
With UTM code added:
https://www.example.com/product?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_sale
Main UTM Parameters Explained
UTM codes include five parameters (but you don’t have to use all of them every time):
- utm_source – Where the traffic comes from
Example: google, facebook, newsletter - utm_medium – The type of channel
Example: email, social, cpc (cost-per-click) - utm_campaign – Name of the campaign
Example: spring_sale, black_friday - utm_term – Keywords (used mostly for paid search ads)
Example: shoes, running+gear - utm_content – To differentiate between similar links
Example: button1, banner_ad
How to Create UTM Codes
You can use free tools like the Google Campaign URL Builder to easily add UTM codes to your links.
Just enter your URL and campaign details, and the tool will generate the UTM link for you.
Summary
A UTM code is a small piece of tracking text added to a URL to help you see how visitors arrive at your site. It’s a valuable tool for measuring the success of your online marketing and SEO efforts.