How to Create a UTM Link for Google Analytics & GA4

UTM links help marketers understand exactly where traffic comes from, which campaigns drive conversions, and which channels generate the best results.

Whether you are running LinkedIn ads, email newsletters, TikTok campaigns, or Shopify promotions, proper UTM tracking is essential for accurate attribution and cleaner Google Analytics reporting.

Yet despite their importance, many marketers still build UTM links manually — or skip tracking entirely because the process seems technical. This guide changes that. By the end, you will know exactly how to create a UTM link for any campaign in under two minutes.

What Is a UTM Link?

A UTM link is a standard URL extended with tracking parameters that pass campaign information to Google Analytics. When a user clicks a UTM link, GA4 reads those parameters and attributes the visit to the correct source, medium, and campaign in your reports.

A regular URL looks like this:

https://example.com/pricing

A UTM link for the same page looks like this:

https://example.com/pricing?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=product_launch_q1&utm_content=carousel_v1

The extra parameters after the question mark are the UTM tags. Each one carries a specific piece of campaign information that GA4 uses to build your attribution reports.

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The 5 UTM Parameters Explained

Before creating your first UTM link, understand what each parameter does:

utm_source — Who sent the traffic?

Identifies the platform or publisher. Examples: google, linkedin, newsletter, facebook

utm_medium — How did the traffic arrive?

Identifies the marketing channel type. Examples: email, social, cpc, paid_social, affiliate

utm_campaign — Which campaign is this?

Names the specific promotion or initiative. Examples: black_friday_2026, saas_demo_push, q2_product_launch

utm_content — Which version was clicked? (optional)

Differentiates between ad creatives, links, or CTA buttons. Examples: hero_button, carousel_v1, video_ad

utm_term — Which keyword? (optional)

Used for paid search keyword tracking. Examples: utm_builder_tool, b2b_marketing_software

Step-by-Step: How to Create a UTM Link

Enter Your Destination URL

Start with the exact page you want users to land on. This should be a specific page — not just your homepage — so GA4 can track landing page performance accurately.

https://example.com/pricing

Choose Your UTM Source

Select the platform that will display or send your link. Use the platform name in lowercase. For email campaigns, use your email platform name or a descriptive identifier:

googlelinkedinfacebookinstagramtiktoknewslettermailchimptwitter

Choose Your UTM Medium

Select the channel category. This is critical for GA4 default channel group classification. Use these standardized values:

Paid search / Google Ads	cpc
Paid social ads	paid_social
Organic social posts	social
Email campaigns	email
Display ads	display
Affiliate traffic	affiliate

Name Your Campaign

Give your campaign a descriptive, consistent name. This is what appears in your GA4 Campaign report. Use underscores instead of spaces, always lowercase:

product_launch_q1black_friday_2026summer_salewebinar_aprilbrand_awareness

Add utm_content for Creative Tracking (Optional)

If you are running multiple ad variations, email CTAs, or link placements, add a content tag to differentiate them. This powers A/B testing insights in GA4:

hero_buttoncarousel_v1video_adfooter_ctareel_ugc

Generate & Test Your UTM Link

Use a UTM builder tool to combine all your parameters into a clean, properly encoded URL. Then click the link yourself to verify it loads correctly and the parameters appear in the browser address bar.

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Complete UTM Link Examples by Channel

LinkedIn Sponsored Ad:

https://site.com/demo?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=q1_product_launch&utm_content=carousel_v1

Email Newsletter CTA:

https://site.com/sale?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=hero_button

Google Search Ad:

https://site.com/pricing?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand_search_exact

Instagram Reel:

https://site.com/shop?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=summer_launch&utm_content=reel_ugc

Best Practices for Creating UTM Links

Always Use Lowercase: GA4 treats LinkedIn and linkedin as two different sources. Enforce lowercase for every parameter value without exception.
Use Underscores, Not Spaces: Spaces become %20 in URLs, polluting your GA4 reports. Use product_launch, not product launch.
Separate Paid and Organic: Use paid_social for ads and social for organic posts. Mixing them corrupts GA4 channel group classification.
Never Tag Internal Links: UTM parameters on links between pages within your own website will overwrite the original session attribution and destroy your source/medium data.
Use a Builder Tool: Manual construction is slow and error-prone. A dedicated UTM builder ensures parameters are always formatted correctly and consistently.
Test Before Publishing: Click your UTM link before launching any campaign. Confirm the destination page loads and the parameters are visible in the browser URL.

Where to Find Your UTM Data in GA4

Once users start clicking your UTM links, GA4 populates attribution data across several reports:

Reports → Acquisition → Traffic Acquisition: Sessions by source/medium
Reports → Acquisition → User Acquisition: First-touch channel for new users
Reports → Acquisition → Overview: High-level channel summary
Advertising → Attribution → Conversion Paths: Multi-touch journey analysis
Explore → Free Form: Build custom reports filtered by campaign name or content

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Final Thoughts

Creating UTM links is one of the highest-value marketing skills you can develop. Once you understand the five parameters and how they interact with GA4, building properly formatted tracking links becomes second nature.

The key is consistency. Use lowercase values. Stick to standardized mediums. Separate paid from organic traffic. Document your conventions. And use a dedicated builder tool to eliminate the human errors that come from manual URL construction. Clean attribution starts with clean links — and clean links start here.