utm_source
Traffic origin identifierutm_source identifies the source sending traffic to your website, such as linkedin, facebook, newsletter, google, or partner-site.
Example: utm_source=linkedin
Free Online Tool
Free UTM Builder
Create trackable campaign links for social media, email, ads, QR codes, and more. Build a UTM URL with source, medium, campaign, term, and content parameters, then copy it or shorten it with Lnkeee.
No signup required to generate a UTM link.
What Is a UTM Builder?
A UTM builder is a tool that adds UTM parameters to a destination URL so you can identify where campaign traffic comes from. Instead of manually editing a URL, you can enter your campaign details and generate a properly formatted tracking link.
UTM builders are commonly used for social media campaigns, email marketing, paid advertising, newsletters, QR codes, influencer campaigns, and other marketing channels.
A UTM builder may also be called a UTM generator, UTM creator, UTM maker, or UTM link builder. These names generally describe the same basic task: creating a URL with campaign tracking parameters.
What Are UTM Parameters?
UTM parameters are tags added to a URL so analytics platforms can identify campaign traffic. They are normally placed at the end of a destination URL after a ? and can be read by analytics tools such as Google Analytics.
utm_medium
Marketing channel typeutm_medium identifies the marketing channel, such as social, email, cpc, display, or referral.
Example: utm_medium=social
utm_campaign
Campaign grouping identifierutm_campaign groups traffic under a specific marketing campaign, such as product_launch, summer_sale, or black_friday.
Example: utm_campaign=product_launch
utm_term
Paid keyword or search queryutm_term can identify a paid keyword or search term. It is most useful when you need to distinguish traffic associated with specific keywords.
Example: utm_term=url_shortener
utm_content
Creative variation or A/B elementutm_content helps distinguish different links, buttons, ads, or creative variations within the same campaign.
Example: utm_content=hero_button
Complete UTM URL Example
Here is how all parameters combine into a single tracking link:
https://example.com/pricing?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=product_launch&utm_content=hero_button
How to Create a UTM Tracking Link
Follow these simple steps to build and deploy campaign links in seconds.
- 01
Enter your destination URL
Add the full URL of the page you want visitors to reach.
- 02
Choose the campaign source
Enter where the traffic will come from, such as linkedin, facebook, newsletter, or google.
- 03
Choose the campaign medium
Identify the channel, such as social, email, cpc, or referral.
- 04
Add a campaign name
Use a consistent campaign name that makes the campaign easy to identify in analytics.
- 05
Add optional parameters
Use utm_term for keywords and utm_content to distinguish different links or creative variations when needed.
- 06
Generate and use the URL
Generate your UTM link, copy it, or shorten it with Lnkeee for easier sharing.
UTM URL Examples
Below are practical examples demonstrating how to structure UTM parameters across common channels. Adapt naming conventions to your specific marketing goals.
Social Media
https://example.com/product?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=product_launch
Breakdown: Identifies traffic coming from a LinkedIn organic post (source: linkedin), categorized under social media (medium: social), for a new product release (campaign: product_launch).
Email Marketing
https://example.com/sale?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer_sale
Breakdown: Tracks visits originating from an email broadcast (source: newsletter, medium: email) promoting a seasonal discount (campaign: summer_sale).
Paid Advertising
https://example.com/pricing?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pricing_campaign&utm_term=url_shortener
Breakdown: Identifies paid search traffic (source: google, medium: cpc) bidding on the keyword url_shortener for the pricing page campaign.
Creative Variations
https://example.com/signup?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=product_launch&utm_content=hero_button
Breakdown: Uses utm_content=hero_button to differentiate clicks on the main header call-to-action button from other links in the same campaign.
UTM Tracking with Google Analytics
UTM parameters help analytics platforms understand where campaign traffic came from. When someone visits a destination URL containing UTM parameters, Google Analytics 4 can use those campaign values in acquisition reporting when Analytics is configured correctly.
Lnkeee adds another layer when you shorten the generated URL. Lnkeee can track clicks on the shortened link, while analytics installed on the destination website can measure what happens after the visitor arrives.
In other words, UTM parameters describe campaign attribution, Lnkeee link analytics can measure clicks on the short link, and destination analytics can measure behavior after arrival.
1. UTM Parameters
Describe campaign source, medium, and campaign details for attribution across web analytics.
2. Lnkeee Click Analytics
Tracks total clicks, referral origins, geographic locations, and devices at the short link redirect stage.
3. Destination Analytics (GA4)
Measures bounce rate, pages per session, event goals, conversions, and revenue after users arrive on your site.
UTM Builder for Social Media
UTM links are useful when you want to compare traffic from different social platforms or campaigns. Use a consistent naming convention so reports remain easy to understand.
| Platform | utm_source | utm_medium | Example campaign |
|---|---|---|---|
| social | product_launch | ||
| social | product_launch | ||
| social | product_launch | ||
| X (Twitter) | x | social | product_launch |
| YouTube | youtube | social | product_launch |
LinkedIn Example
https://example.com/product?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=product_launch
UTM Builder for Email Marketing
UTM links can help distinguish traffic from newsletters, product announcements, promotional emails, onboarding campaigns, and individual links inside an email.
Email Campaign Link Example
https://example.com/product?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=product_launch&utm_content=cta_button
Source
newsletter
Mediumemail
Campaign
product_launch
Content
cta_button
UTM Naming Best Practices
Maintain clean analytics reports by following these proven URL tagging standards.
1. Keep naming consistent
Decide on conventions for sources, mediums, and campaigns and use them consistently across all your marketing channels.
2. Prefer readable names
Use human-readable campaign names like product_launch or summer_sale instead of ambiguous codes like campaign123.
3. Use consistent lowercase values
Analytics tools treat uppercase and lowercase values differently (e.g., 'Email' vs 'email'). Stick to lowercase values such as linkedin, social, and product_launch.
4. Use meaningful campaign names
Align campaign names with business initiatives (e.g. summer_sale, product_launch, black_friday) so anyone reading reports can quickly understand context.
5. Use utm_content for variations
Use utm_content to test and differentiate elements such as hero button vs footer button, image vs text link, or ad creative A vs B.
6. Avoid unnecessary UTM parameters on internal links
Campaign parameters are primarily useful for identifying external campaign traffic. Adding them to internal site navigation can overwrite referral sources and complicate session attribution.
7. Keep a shared naming convention
For teams, maintain a simple shared campaign spreadsheet or tracking standard so everyone adheres to the same source and medium naming rules.
UTM Builder vs URL Shortener
They solve different problems and can be used together. With Lnkeee, you can create a UTM URL first and then shorten it into a shareable Lnkeee link.
| Feature | UTM Builder | URL Shortener |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | Adds campaign parameters to a URL | Creates a shorter shareable URL |
| Traffic Attribution | Helps identify campaign source/medium/campaign | Makes long URLs easier to share |
| Marketing Purpose | Useful for marketing attribution & channel tracking | Useful for sharing, branding, and click tracking |
| Resulting Link Length | Produces a longer tracking URL | Produces a short, clean URL |
| Analytics Role | Works with destination analytics platforms (e.g. GA4) | Provides direct click counts, geo & device analytics |
After creating your UTM URL, you can use the Lnkeee URL Shortener to create a shorter shareable link that is clean, readable, and tracks click counts in real time.
Why Use Lnkeee's UTM Builder?
Lnkeee's UTM Builder is designed to make campaign URL creation quick and straightforward. You can generate a UTM link without creating an account, then optionally shorten it with Lnkeee when you need a cleaner link to share.
Free to use with zero hidden fees
No signup required to generate a UTM URL
Supports source, medium, campaign, term, and content
Preserves existing destination URL query parameters and anchors
Copy the generated URL instantly to your clipboard
Optionally shorten the generated URL with Lnkeee
Use shortened Lnkeee links with click analytics when applicable
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about UTM parameters, URL creation, and campaign analytics tracking.
Ready to Track
Create Your UTM Tracking Link
Build a campaign URL in seconds, copy it, or shorten it with Lnkeee for easier sharing.
For printed campaigns or offline marketing, you can also turn campaign URLs into QR codes using the QR Code Generator.