What Are UTM Parameters?
UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags added to the end of a URL that tell analytics tools where traffic came from. Lynkd's built-in UTM builder makes it easy to add these parameters to every link you create.
The Five UTM Parameters
There are five standard UTM parameters you can use:
- 1utm_source: Identifies where the traffic comes from (e.g., google, newsletter, facebook).
- 2utm_medium: Identifies the marketing channel (e.g., cpc, email, social, referral).
- 3utm_campaign: Identifies the specific campaign or promotion (e.g., spring_sale, product_launch).
- 4utm_content: Differentiates between similar content or links within the same campaign (e.g., hero_banner, sidebar_link).
- 5utm_term: Identifies paid search keywords. Only used for paid search campaigns.
Using the UTM Builder
When creating a link in Lynkd, expand the UTM Parameters section to access the builder. Enter your values for each parameter and they will be automatically appended to the destination URL. Your short link stays clean while the tracking data is passed through to Google Analytics and other tools.
UTM Templates
If your team creates links for the same channels regularly, set up UTM templates. A template pre-fills the source and medium fields so your team only needs to enter the campaign name. This ensures consistent naming conventions across all your links.
To create a template, go to Settings, then UTM Templates. Click 'Create Template', enter a name (e.g., 'Twitter Organic'), and fill in the default UTM values. The template will appear as an option in the UTM builder whenever you create a new link.