Title: How to track UTM codes in Google Analytics 4? Author: Kriko Published: Nov 17, 2023 Last modified: Jul 18, 2026 --- 1. [Home](https://kriko.io/) / 2. [Blog](https://kriko.io/blog) / 3. [Conversion Optimization](https://kriko.io/blog/growth-hacking/conversion-optimization) # How to track UTM codes in Google Analytics 4? [ ⌊Uğur Eskici⌉ Uğur Eskici ](https://kriko.io/blog/author/ugureskici) Nov 17, 2023 11 mins read ![How to track UTM codes in Google Analytics 4?](https://kriko.io/wp-content/uploads/ 2026/07/google-analytics-utm-parametresi.jpg) ## ✍️ Contents 1. [ What Is UTM? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#what-is-utm) 2. [ Why Is UTM Tracking Important? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#why-is-utm-tracking-important) 3. [ What Are UTM Parameters and How Are They Used? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#what-are-utm-parameters-and-how-are-they-used) 4. [ Source ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#source) 5. [ Medium ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#medium) 6. [ Campaign ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#campaign) 7. [ Term ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#term) 8. [ Content ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#content) 9. [ Source Platform ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#source-platform) 10. [ Creative ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#creative) 11. [ Marketing Tactic ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#marketing-tactic) 12. [ How Is a UTM Code or Parameter Created? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#how-is-a-utm-code-or-parameter-created) 13. a. [ Define the UTM Parameters ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#define-the-utm-parameters) b. [ Use UTM URL Builder Tools ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#use-utm-url-builder-tools) c. [ Create and Share the URL ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#create-and-share-the-url) 14. [ Where Can I View UTM Codes in GA4? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#where-can-i-view-utm-codes-in-ga4) 15. [ What Should Be Considered When Creating UTM Tags? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#what-should-be-considered-when-creating-utm-tags) 16. [ Naming Standards ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#naming-standards) 17. [ Keep It Simple ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#keep-it-simple) 18. [ Who Created the URL? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#who-created-the-url) 19. [ Lowercase and Uppercase Letters ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#lowercase-and-uppercase-letters) 20. [ URL Shorteners ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#url-shorteners) 21. [ Frequently Asked Questions ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#frequently-asked-questions) 22. a. [ Question: What is UTM and how does it work? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#question-what-is-utm-and-how-does-it-work) b. [ Question: Which UTM parameters are used? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#question-which-utm-parameters-are-used) c. [ Question: Why should we use UTM codes? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#question-why-should-we-use-utm-codes) d. [ Question: How are UTM codes created? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#question-how-are-utm-codes-created) e. [ Question: What should I consider when creating UTM codes? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#question-what-should-i-consider-when-creating-utm-codes) f. [ Question: Which data can I analyse using UTM codes? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#question-which-data-can-i-analyse-using-utm-codes) g. [ Question: Where can I find UTM data in Google Analytics 4? ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#question-where-can-i-find-utm-data-in-google-analytics-4) There are many ways to determine whether your demanding and equally costly advertising campaigns are successful. One of these methods is the use of UTM codes created for advertising campaigns. By measuring your advertising campaigns with UTM codes, you can see the level of interest they generate. Now, let us take a closer look at what UTM is, how UTM codes should be structured, and why we should use them. Although there may be changes in the places where you can track campaign data and differences in which UTM parameters can be monitored in Google Analytics 4, you will still be able to use UTM parameters. ## What Is UTM? To achieve success in digital marketing, understanding and optimising campaign performance is critically important. This is exactly where the Urchin Tracking Module, more commonly known as UTM, comes into play. UTM is a special tagging system used by Google Analytics that enables you to track your campaigns, links, and advertisements. It allows you to analyse the behaviour of visitors arriving on your website in detail, determine which sources generate traffic, and monitor conversions. Through user- friendly tags, UTM parameters make it possible to track and evaluate various digital marketing strategies, from search results to social media campaigns. The measurements you obtain can help make your digital marketing efforts more effective and allow you to manage your budget more intelligently. ## Why Is UTM Tracking Important? UTM tracking is critically important for digital marketers because it provides valuable information for measuring and improving the effectiveness of online campaigns. UTM parameters, particularly when integrated with analytics tools such as Google Analytics, provide important clues about where, how, and under which conditions marketing efforts are effective. In this context, UTMs can be described as snippets added to the end of URLs. Through UTM tracking, you can distinguish between different campaign sources and channels and separate visitors coming from organic searches from those arriving through social media campaigns. This allows you to identify which strategies generate more traffic and conversions and allocate your marketing budget accordingly. When we look specifically at GA4, we can collect data through eight UTM parameters. These parameters, or snippets, are useful for measuring and analysing different traffic channels and marketing campaign performance. In the following sections, we will discuss what these parameters are and how they should be structured. To optimise our budget and avoid spending on unsuccessful strategies, it is highly important to add UTM codes to specific campaigns, advertisements, and even promotional copy in order to measure performance. For this reason, we generally use UTM parameters to analyse incoming traffic. ## What Are UTM Parameters and How Are They Used? UTM parameters are codes that contain information identifying the source, medium, campaign, or keyword associated with a campaign. They store eight different types of data that we want to track and help transfer this data to tools such as Analytics. Three of these parameters are required and should be used, while the others are optional. While Universal Analytics had five parameters, GA4 increased this number to eight, allowing us to track more data. Let us take a closer look at the UTM parameters available in GA4. ## Source The `utm_source` parameter provides information about where the traffic comes from. It identifies the source from which the visitor who clicked on the campaign arrived. For example, this parameter may contain values such as “facebook”, “newsletter”, or “google”. ```language-text utm_source=google utm_source=facebook utm_source=newsletter ``` These values allow you to track incoming traffic sources. All the codes above are examples. ## Medium The `utm_medium` parameter provides information about the medium associated with the traffic source. It identifies the medium or media type through which the visitor clicked. For example, it may contain values such as “cpc”, cost per click, “email”, or “organic”. Example: ```language-text utm_medium=ppc ``` ## Campaign The `utm_campaign` parameter identifies the campaign associated with the visitor’s click. This parameter can be used for a product launch or a specific promotional campaign. Imagine that you created a campaign for Black Friday this year. By assigning this parameter to the campaign, you can distinguish and measure it separately from your other campaigns. Example: ```language-text utm_campaign=blackfriday23 ``` From this point onwards, all additional parameters are optional, but they can be highly useful for attribution and obtaining richer insights from your data. ## Term The `utm_term` parameter refers to the keywords defined for the campaign. It is generally used in Google Ads paid search campaigns. This parameter allows you to go into greater detail within campaigns and can even help you analyse the performance of the products or services included in the campaign. Example: ```language-text utm_term=running+shoes ``` ## Content The `utm_content` parameter is used to distinguish between different content variations when you have multiple advertising assets within a campaign. It is not limited to advertisements, as its use may vary according to your strategy. It can be particularly useful when conducting A/B tests. For example, if a newsletter contains multiple URLs and you want to see which one users clicked, you can use the following structure: ```language-text utm_content=kriko_blog_second_content utm_content=kriko_blog_first_content ``` ## Source Platform The `utm_source_platform` parameter provides information about the platform sending traffic to our website. It may collect values related to Google Ads, Shopping, Search Ads 360, and Display & Video 360. Example: ```language-text utm_source_platform=Google_Ads ``` ## Creative The `utm_creative` parameter is particularly useful for visual advertisements or different content variations. It can be used to compare the performance of different creative elements within a campaign. Example: ```language-text utm_creative=dog_image ``` ## Marketing Tactic This parameter is used to provide more information about targeting strategies, such as remarketing or audience targeting. It may also contain other information, including bidding strategies and audience details. Example: ```language-text utm_marketing_tactic=90days_remarketing ``` Note: The `utm_creative_format` and `utm_marketing_tactic` parameters are not currently available in GA4 reports. These parameters may be added to GA4 in the future and become available for use at that time. Finally, an example UTM code using all required parameters together is shown below: ```language-text https://www.example.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=summer_sale ``` From this URL, we can see that the visitor arrived through Facebook using the CPC method and was associated with the Summer Sale campaign. ## How Is a UTM Code or Parameter Created? Creating a UTM parameter is a very simple process. You can create a UTM code manually or use online tools. The important point is to understand the logic behind creating UTM parameters. We can evaluate the UTM parameter creation process in three stages. ### Define the UTM Parameters * Determine which campaign you want to track, `utm_campaign`. * Define the source, `utm_source`, and medium, `utm_medium`. * Depending on your needs, define the keyword, `utm_term`, content, `utm_content`, creative, `utm_creative`, and placement or marketing tactic, `utm_marketing_tactic`. ### Use UTM URL Builder Tools Various online tools are available, including Google’s UTM URL Builder. When you enter the parameter values, these tools generate a complete UTM-tagged URL for you. ### Create and Share the URL * Obtain the UTM-tagged URL created through the tool. * Copy this URL and use it instead of the standard links in your campaign. To create a web UTM code for GA4: [https://ga-dev-tools.google/ga4/campaign-url-builder/](https://ga-dev-tools.google/ga4/campaign-url-builder/) Example image: To create a UTM code for Google Play: [https://ga-dev-tools.google/ga4/campaign-url-builder/play/](https://ga-dev-tools.google/ga4/campaign-url-builder/play/) The UTM-tagged URL you create by following these steps will allow you to monitor your campaign’s performance in greater detail. By using Google Analytics 4 or another analytics tool, you can understand which sources, media, and content influence your campaign and optimise your strategies accordingly. ## Where Can I View UTM Codes in GA4? After accessing your GA4 account, click the Reports section. On the screen that opens, follow Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition. By clicking the highlighted section of the screen, you can access campaign data associated with sessions and select the report you want by following the steps above. After clicking the plus sign, you can access session-based or user-based campaign details from the menu that opens. Once you have made the relevant selections, you can review the data associated with all the UTM codes you have defined. ## What Should Be Considered When Creating UTM Tags? As seen in the previous example, we noticed that some source and medium data appeared as “Unassigned” for session content, and this may be related to the way the URLs were tagged. To make the best use of campaign data, it is important to follow certain best practices. If the structure is not configured correctly, your data may be classified as Unassigned and you may experience measurement problems. ## Naming Standards Creating naming rules to standardise your URLs makes your data easier to understand. This creates a structure that anyone reviewing the data can understand, even years later. It also keeps your data clean and organised and prevents fragmentation. For example, you should decide whether to use “facebook” or “facebook.com” and apply the selected format consistently. ## Keep It Simple Use names that are easy to understand for your campaigns, content, and keywords. Keeping UTMs close to GA4’s default channel grouping names may also be highly useful. ## Who Created the URL? Adding the name of the person who created the UTM links makes it easier to contact them when a problem occurs and may also help others understand the logic behind the UTM structure. ## Lowercase and Uppercase Letters Decide whether you will use lowercase or uppercase letters when creating UTM links. Lowercase letters are generally recommended. ## URL Shorteners People may feel concerned when clicking on complicated or lengthy URLs. URL shorteners can help reduce this concern. Following these practices not only helps you obtain clean data in GA4, but also makes the data easier for other users to understand when you are not available. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Question: What is UTM and how does it work? **Answer:** UTM, Urchin Tracking Module, is a special tagging system used to track and analyse online campaigns. Through parameters added to URLs, it allows us to monitor campaign sources, media, and performance. It can be integrated with analytics tools such as Google Analytics to analyse the resulting data. ### Question: Which UTM parameters are used? **Answer:** The main UTM parameters are source, `utm_source`, medium, `utm_medium`, campaign, `utm_campaign`, keyword, `utm_term`, and content, `utm_content`. Additional parameters such as creative, `utm_creative`, or marketing tactic, `utm_marketing_tactic`, may also be used. ### Question: Why should we use UTM codes? **Answer:** UTM codes are critically important for tracking and analysing the effectiveness of online campaigns. By identifying the sources, media, or content associated with each campaign, they help optimise marketing strategies. ### Question: How are UTM codes created? **Answer:** UTM codes are created through parameters added to URLs. UTM-tagged URLs are generally created by entering parameter values into various online tools or free resources such as Google’s UTM URL Builder. ### Question: What should I consider when creating UTM codes? **Answer:** Certain best practices should be followed to use UTM codes efficiently. These include creating naming standards, using simple and understandable names, identifying who created the URL, preferring lowercase letters, and using URL shorteners. ### Question: Which data can I analyse using UTM codes? **Answer:** UTM codes allow us to monitor campaign sources, media, and performance. This enables us to analyse which campaigns are effective through which channels and optimise marketing strategies accordingly. ### Question: Where can I find UTM data in Google Analytics 4? **Answer:** You can find UTM data in Acquisition Overview, User Acquisition under First User Default Channel Group, and Traffic Acquisition reports. You can also create custom reports using UTM data in the Explore section of GA4. In conclusion, UTM codes are among the important tools used to monitor and analyse the effectiveness of digital marketing campaigns. These codes are used by adding parameters such as source, medium, campaign, and content to a URL. When correctly tagged UTMs are used with analytics tools such as Google Analytics, they show which campaigns are effective and through which channels. To make the best use of this data, certain best practices should be followed, including creating naming standards, using simple and understandable names, identifying who created the URL, preferring lowercase letters, and using URL shorteners. These practices not only help produce clean data, but also make the information easier to understand, allowing marketing strategies to be optimised more effectively. --- Share: --- ## 0 Comments [ No comments yet - be the first to share your thoughts on this article! ](https://kriko.io/blog/conversion-optimization/how-to-track-utm-codes-in-google-analytics-4?output_format=md#respond) --- ## Leave a comment By checking this box, you confirm that you have read and agreed to the [**terms of use**](https://kriko.io/privacy-policy). ## Another Articles [ ⌊A New Line of Defense Against AI Slop: A LoRA-Powered Multimodal Defense System⌉ ](https://kriko.io/blog/discover/a-new-line-of-defense-against-ai-slop-a-lora-powered-multimodal-defense-system) * [ Discover ](https://kriko.io/blog/discover) ### 󠀁[ A New Line of Defense Against AI Slop: A LoRA-Powered Multimodal Defense System ](https://kriko.io/blog/discover/a-new-line-of-defense-against-ai-slop-a-lora-powered-multimodal-defense-system)󠁿 Programmatic and/or templated content is being mass-produced to bypass platform quality filters, direct users to off-platform scams, or promote harmful services. Today, we will… [ ⌊Microsoft Advertising UTM Auto-Tagging Update⌉ ](https://kriko.io/blog/ppc/microsoft-advertising-utm-auto-tagging-update) * [ PPC ](https://kriko.io/blog/ppc) ### 󠀁[ Microsoft Advertising UTM Auto-Tagging Update ](https://kriko.io/blog/ppc/microsoft-advertising-utm-auto-tagging-update)󠁿 Until now, different campaign formats originating from Microsoft Advertising were often grouped under a broader paid search structure within analytics platforms. This created limited… [ ⌊Pagination or Infinite Scroll?⌉ ](https://kriko.io/blog/technical-seo/pagination-or-infinite-scroll) * [ Technical SEO ](https://kriko.io/blog/seo/technical-seo) ### 󠀁[ Pagination or Infinite Scroll? ](https://kriko.io/blog/technical-seo/pagination-or-infinite-scroll)󠁿 The two most common navigation methods used for content or product listings on websites are pagination and infinite scroll. But which one is more… [ ⌊Increase your brand visibility and manage it with Google My Business⌉ ](https://kriko.io/blog/local-seo/increase-your-brand-visibility-and-manage-it-with-google-my-business) * [ Local SEO ](https://kriko.io/blog/seo/local-seo) ### 󠀁[ Increase your brand visibility and manage it with Google My Business ](https://kriko.io/blog/local-seo/increase-your-brand-visibility-and-manage-it-with-google-my-business)󠁿 Google My Business, now known as Google Business Profile, is a free tool that allows you to represent your business across Google Search and… [ ⌊The Rise of Marketplaces in Europe and Türkiye: A Transformation Worth €247.5 Billion⌉ ](https://kriko.io/blog/discover/the-rise-of-marketplaces-in-europe-and-turkiye-a-transformation-worth-e247-5-billion) * [ Discover ](https://kriko.io/blog/discover) ### 󠀁[ The Rise of Marketplaces in Europe and Türkiye: A Transformation Worth €247.5 Billion ](https://kriko.io/blog/discover/the-rise-of-marketplaces-in-europe-and-turkiye-a-transformation-worth-e247-5-billion)󠁿 The world of e-commerce has been undergoing an unprecedented transformation in recent years. At the center of this transformation are now not only brands… [ ⌊What is Sellers.json and what is its purpose?⌉ ](https://kriko.io/blog/programmatic/what-is-sellers-json-and-what-is-its-purpose) * [ Programmatic ](https://kriko.io/blog/ppc/programmatic) ### 󠀁[ What is Sellers.json and what is its purpose? ](https://kriko.io/blog/programmatic/what-is-sellers-json-and-what-is-its-purpose)󠁿 It is estimated that 18% of programmatic impressions in the United States are fraudulent and that ad fraud was at risk of reaching $88… [ ⌊We spoke with Craftgate Marketing Manager Taylan Kaymakcı about the world of Payment Orchestration.⌉ ](https://kriko.io/blog/talking/we-spoke-with-craftgate-marketing-manager-taylan-kaymakci-about-the-world-of-payment-orchestration) * [ #talking ](https://kriko.io/blog/discover/talking) ### 󠀁[ We spoke with Craftgate Marketing Manager Taylan Kaymakcı about the world of Payment Orchestration. ](https://kriko.io/blog/talking/we-spoke-with-craftgate-marketing-manager-taylan-kaymakci-about-the-world-of-payment-orchestration)󠁿 Who is Taylan Kaymakcı? Could you tell us a little about yourself? Apart from my university years in Eskişehir, I can say that I… [ ⌊What is Natural Language Processing (NLP)?⌉ ](https://kriko.io/blog/content-planning-production/what-is-natural-language-processing-nlp) * [ Content Planning & Production ](https://kriko.io/blog/content-marketing/content-planning-production) ### 󠀁[ What is Natural Language Processing (NLP)? ](https://kriko.io/blog/content-planning-production/what-is-natural-language-processing-nlp)󠁿 Natural language processing, or NLP, is a branch of artificial intelligence that aims to improve computers’ ability to understand, interpret, and generate human language.… [ ⌊We spoke with Ali Sarıkaya, Greyder’s E-Commerce & Digital Marketing Manager, About the Footwear Industry⌉ ](https://kriko.io/blog/talking/we-spoke-with-ali-sarikaya-greyders-e-commerce-digital-marketing-manager-about-the-footwear-industry) * [ #talking ](https://kriko.io/blog/discover/talking) ### 󠀁[ We spoke with Ali Sarıkaya, Greyder’s E-Commerce & Digital Marketing Manager, About the Footwear Industry ](https://kriko.io/blog/talking/we-spoke-with-ali-sarikaya-greyders-e-commerce-digital-marketing-manager-about-the-footwear-industry)󠁿 Who is Ali Sarıkaya? Ali Sarıkaya entered the world of web-based software development by beginning an associate degree in computer programming. For more than… [ ⌊Strengthen your SEO strategies with Featured Snippets⌉ ](https://kriko.io/blog/technical-seo/strengthen-your-seo-strategies-with-featured-snippets) * [ Content Planning & Production ](https://kriko.io/blog/content-marketing/content-planning-production) ### 󠀁[ Strengthen your SEO strategies with Featured Snippets ](https://kriko.io/blog/technical-seo/strengthen-your-seo-strategies-with-featured-snippets)󠁿 Featured snippets stand out in Google search results as special information boxes that provide users with quick and clear answers to their questions. In… [ ⌊Strategy, Creatives, and Optimization Tactics in TikTok Ads⌉ ](https://kriko.io/blog/tiktok/strategy-creatives-and-optimization-tactics-in-tiktok-ads) * [ TikTok ](https://kriko.io/blog/ppc/tiktok) ### 󠀁[ Strategy, Creatives, and Optimization Tactics in TikTok Ads ](https://kriko.io/blog/tiktok/strategy-creatives-and-optimization-tactics-in-tiktok-ads)󠁿 At the end of the day, the platform still has a large and distinctive audience of its own. This means it is possible to… [ ⌊Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) and Security Risks⌉ ](https://kriko.io/blog/discover/internationalized-domain-names-idns-and-security-risks) * [ Discover ](https://kriko.io/blog/discover) ### 󠀁[ Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) and Security Risks ](https://kriko.io/blog/discover/internationalized-domain-names-idns-and-security-risks)󠁿 Unicode characters have also introduced a significant security risk known as homograph attacks, or homoglyph attacks. These attacks aim to create fake websites by… ## Track the digital heartbeat with Kriko Subscribe to receive curated insights, news, and ideas shaping the digital landscape. By checking this box, you acknowledge and accept our [privacy policy](https://kriko.io/privacy-policy).