UTM parameters are variants of URL parameters used by marketers to track the effectiveness of online marketing campaigns. There are five standard UTM parameters - source, medium, campaign, term, and content. They provide information about where a link was shared (source), the channel or type of link (medium), specific campaigns (campaign), search terms (term), and elements clicked (content). GCLID parameters are similarly used by Google Ads to track parameters like ad group, keyword, device, and customer ID for each ad click. Marketers can use UTM, GCLID, or both together depending on whether they are using Google Ads, Google Analytics, and other third-party tools to analyze campaign performance.

1. UTM Parameters

2. What is UTM?
Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) parameters are 5 variants of URL parameters
used by marketers to track the effectiveness of online marketing campaigns across
traffic sources and publishing media. They were introduced by Google Analytics'
predecessor Urchin and, consequently, are supported out-of-the-box by Google
Analytics.
This example URL has four of the five UTM parameters highlighted:
https://www.example.com/page?utm_content=buffercf3b2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=snapchat.com&utm_campaign=buffer

3. UTM Parameters
Parameter Purpose Example
utm_source* Identifies which site sent the traffic, and is a required
parameter.
utm_source=google
utm_medium Identifies what type of link was used, such as cost
per click or email.
utm_medium=cpc
utm_campaign Identifies a specific product promotion or strategic
campaign.
utm_campaign=spring_sale
utm_term Identifies search terms. utm_term=running+shoes
utm_content Identifies what specifically was clicked to bring the
user to the site, such as a banner ad or a text link. It
is often used for A/B testing and content-targeted
ads.
utm_content=logolink or
utm_content=textlink

4. Google Analytics Channel Grouping

5. Facebook Ads
We offer the following URL dynamic parameters to place on your ads:
● ad_id={{ad.id}}
● adset_id={{adset.id}}
● campaign_id={{campaign.id}}
● ad_name={{ad.name}}
● adset_name={{adset.name}}
● campaign_name={{campaign.name}}
● placement={{placement}}
● site_source_name={{site_source_name}}

6. Google Ads - gclid
What is a gclid?
The acronym “gclid” stands for Google Click Identifier. The gclid is essentially the
automated, information-rich younger brother of the utm. As the name suggests,
gclids were introduced in the 2010s by Google, and became the default tracking
parameter for clicks related to Google Ads.
A URL with a gclid looks like this:
https://www.callrail.com/blog/callrail-reporting-best-
practices/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsOuBpdnl5QIVEYzICh1T0g2FEAAYASAAEgJAV_D
_BwE

7. Google Ads - gclid
What parameters do gclids track?
Tracking values captured by gclids include:
1. Query match type: how your keyword was actually matched to the search query.
2. Ad group: the ad group associated with the keyword/creative and click.
3. Final URL: Google Ads Final URL
4. Ad Format: text, display, or video
5. Ad Distribution Network: Google Search vs Google Display
6. Placement domain: the domain on the content network where your ads were displayed.
7. Google Ads customer ID: the unique three-part number that’s assigned to your Google Ads account.
8. Hour of day the URL was clicked.
9. Placements: where your ads on the content network were placed.
10. Keyword Positions: what position your ad appeared in on Google Search.
11. Display targeting
12. Video campaigns
13. Shopping campaigns

8. Google Ads - tracking template
Example tracking template setup:
Let’s say that you sell specialty skin care products. When the user clicks on your ad about
moisturizers, you would like them to be directed to your landing page,
https://www.myskincare.com/moisturizers.html
You set the final URL to:
https://www.myskincare.com/moisturizers.com
If you want to track -- for each individual click -- which campaign, ad group, and keyword
triggered the ad that the user clicks on, you can set the tracking template to:
{lpurl}?campaignid={campaignid}&adgroupid={adgroupid}&keyword={keyword}&device={
device}

9. Google Ads - paramethers
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6305348#zippy=%2Cfinal-url-tracking-template-or-custom-parameter

10. UTM vs GCLID
Utm only
If you’re using neither Google Ads nor Google Analytics OR if you’re using Google Ads but NOT Google Analytics. In these
cases there’s no point in using gclid: no other software aside from Google Analytics can decipher the encrypted tracking
values, so utms are the only viable solution.
Gclid only
If you’re ONLY using Google Ads and Google Analytics, with no CRMs, in-house systems, or third-party analytics, then only use
gclids. In this case, don’t waste time manually creating utms: gclids will capture the same information as utms and plus,
they populate automatically saving you time.
Both utm and gclid
There are two scenarios in which it makes sense to use the belt and suspenders approach and apply a mixture of utms and
gclids. The first is if you’re using Google Ads, Google Analytics, AND some other software that reports on ad clicks. This might
include CRMs, eCommerce platform, in-house systems, or third-party analytics software.

11. Shopify
Analytics - Reports - Sales attributed to marketing - filter utm parameters (for example UTM
source = facebook)