UTM Codes in Google Analytics 4 (GA4): A Step-by-Step Tutorial

In this guide, you’ll learn about UTM codes, which are the foundation for marketing campaign measurement in Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

What Is a UTM Code?

A UTM code is a snippet of text appended to the end of a link URL that points back to your website. It helps you track and measure the performance of your digital marketing campaigns.

When a UTM-coded link is clicked, it sends data to Google Analytics (GA) about the marketing campaign and associates it with the visit. So UTMs are a way to automatically collect campaign data for deeper analysis.

Check out the section of the URL below that begins with the question mark (?). This is the UTM code.

What Are UTM Parameters?

You might also hear UTM codes called “UTM parameters.” However, this is not technically correct.

The UTM code is the entire snippet of text that follows the question mark. UTM parameters are the individual bits of text within that code. Each parameter is separated by an ampersand (&).

Each UTM parameter identifies a different aspect of the marketing campaign associated with the UTM-coded link.

You can see three UTM parameters in the example below, beginning with utm_source.

UTM Parameters in GA4

There are five main GA UTM parameters:

• utm_source: The specific source or platform that is sending the traffic, like...