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What Is a UTM Parameter? The Five Tags

A UTM parameter is a tag added to the end of a web address, such as utm_source=card, that tells analytics software where a visit came from. There are five standard ones: utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term and utm_content. They change nothing about the page itself.

The Five Standard Tags

The utm_source tag names the origin, such as a newsletter or a card. The utm_medium tag names the channel type, such as email or print. The utm_campaign tag names the effort the link belongs to. The utm_term tag records a search keyword, and utm_content tells apart two links in the same campaign. The first three are the ones in common use.

How They Look

They follow a question mark after the address, joined by ampersands, for example the card link followed by ?utm_source=card&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=expo. The visitor lands on the same page as without them. Analytics software such as Google Analytics reads the tags and files the visit under that source and campaign.

Using Them on a Printed Code

A code on paper otherwise tends to show up as direct traffic, indistinguishable from someone typing the address. Tagging the link behind it as source card and medium print separates it. Because a printed code cannot be changed after it is printed, decide the tags first. A code pointing at a redirect you control can have its destination changed later.

Common Mistakes

Inconsistent capitalisation splits one source into several, since Card and card are counted separately. Tagging links inside your own site overwrites the real source of the visit. And tags in a link are visible to anyone, so they should never contain personal data or anything private.

Frequently asked questions

What does UTM stand for?

Urchin Tracking Module, named after the analytics company whose software Google bought and developed into Google Analytics.

Do UTM parameters change how a page looks?

No. They only add information to the address for analytics software to read. The visitor sees the same page.

Can I put UTM parameters behind a QR code?

Yes. Encode the full address including the tags. The tags are fixed once the code is printed, unless the code points at a redirect you can change.

Keep reading

Related terms

Card AnalyticsCard analytics are the counts a digital business card keeps of how often it has been opened. For a linked card this is possible at all because every scan passes through a server before reaching the card, which a printed card or a code holding raw contact details cannot do.Short LinkA short link is a brief web address that redirects to a longer one. For a contact card it is what the QR code actually contains, so the code stays sparse and quick to scan, and it is what lets the destination change without the printed code changing.Dynamic QR CodeA dynamic QR code encodes a short, fixed redirect link rather than the destination itself, so the destination can be changed at any time without altering or reprinting the code. Because the printed pattern never changes, a dynamic code can be edited after printing and can count its scans.QR Code ScanningQR code scanning is the act of pointing a phone camera at a QR code so the phone reads the pattern and acts on what it holds, usually by offering to open a web address. Modern iPhones and Android phones do this in the built-in camera app, with no separate scanner required.

Put this into practice with your own card

Put your details on one card page, share it by link or QR code, and change them whenever they change. The printed code keeps working. No credit card required to start.

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