A UTM link is a normal link to your store with a few labels added to the end, such as ?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=black_friday. The labels do not change the page your customer sees. They tell Google Analytics where the visitor came from, so you can see which post, email or ad actually brought sales.

Where do I see UTM results in GA4?

In GA4 open Reports, then Acquisition, then Traffic acquisition. Change the table's first column to Session source / medium or Session campaign. You will see visitors, purchases and revenue for each of your tagged links. New data usually appears within 24 to 48 hours.

Do UTM parameters hurt SEO?

No, as long as you only use them on links that point to your store from outside, such as posts, emails and ads. Never add UTMs to links inside your own website (menus, banners, product links). That overwrites the original source of the visit and makes your reports wrong.

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UTM builder: see which posts, emails and ads bring you sales

Q: Do I need UTM links for Google Ads?

Usually not. Google Ads tags your links automatically when auto-tagging is switched on and your Ads and GA4 accounts are linked. Manual UTMs are useful for everything Google does not tag for you: social posts and ads, newsletters, SMS, influencers, partners and QR codes.

Q: Does this work with Shopify, WooCommerce and other platforms?

Yes. UTM parameters are a standard that works on any website and any store platform. GA4 reads them automatically, and many ecommerce platforms and email tools show them in their own reports too.

A UTM link is your normal store link with a small label on the end. Your customers see the same page, but Google Analytics finally knows where each visitor and each order came from. Three simple steps, no marketing jargon.

Build your link

1Which page should the link open?

Open the page in your browser and copy the address from the top bar. It can be your homepage, a category or a product.

2Where will you share it?

Paid ads

Your social profiles

Email, SMS and partners

3What are you promoting?

Give the promotion a short name. Use the same name everywhere you promote the same offer, and Analytics will add it all up for you. We tidy it into a report-friendly format automatically.

Fine-tune (optional, for advanced users)

Source (utm_source)

Where: the site or tool, e.g. facebook

Medium (utm_medium)

How: the type of traffic, e.g. paid_social

Content (utm_content)

Which version: an ad, button or post, e.g. video_a

Term (utm_term)

Keyword or audience, mostly for search ads

Your tracking link

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What you'll see in Google Analytics 4

Channel—

Source / medium—

Campaign—

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Tracking shows where visitors come from. The audit shows why they leave without buying.

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Your saved links

Every link you copy is saved here, only in this browser. Download the list as a spreadsheet so your whole team uses the same names.

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UTM links in plain English

A UTM link answers three questions about every visit. The builder fills in the first two for you, you only name the third.

Where?

Source

The website, app or tool the visitor came from.

facebook instagram newsletter

How?

Medium

The type of traffic: a paid ad, an unpaid post, an email.

paid_social social email

Why?

Campaign

The promotion or reason you shared the link.

black_friday_2026 new_collection

Example: yourstore.com/dresses?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=summer_sale tells Analytics: this visitor clicked your paid Instagram ad for the summer sale.

5 rules that keep your reports clean

Messy names split one campaign into many rows. Follow these and your numbers stay easy to read.

Always lowercase. Analytics treats Facebook and facebook as two different sources. The builder converts everything for you.
No spaces or special characters. Use an underscore instead: black_friday, not "Black Friday!".
One name per promotion, everywhere. Your Black Friday email, post and ad should all say black_friday_2026, so you can compare channels side by side.
Never tag links inside your own store. UTMs on menus, banners or product links restart the visit and wipe out where the customer really came from.
Skip Google Ads if auto-tagging is on. Google already labels those clicks. Manual UTMs there can cause conflicts.

Questions store owners ask

Short answers, no jargon.

Where do I see the results in GA4?+

Open Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition. Click the first column's name and switch it to Session source / medium or Session campaign. You'll see visitors, purchases and revenue for each link. New data usually shows up within 24 to 48 hours. Not sure your purchases are tracked correctly? Read our GA4 ecommerce tracking guide.

Which GA4 channel will my link land in?+

GA4 sorts visits into channels using your source and medium. The builder uses names GA4 recognizes, so your links land in the right place:

You share it on	Source / medium	GA4 channel
Facebook or Instagram ad	facebook / paid_social	Paid Social
Your own post or bio	instagram / social	Organic Social
Newsletter	newsletter / email	Email
SMS	sms / sms	SMS
Affiliate site	partner name / affiliate	Affiliates
QR code on print	package_insert / qr_code	Unassigned*

*GA4 has no channel for print, so it shows as Unassigned. You can still find it under Session source / medium.

Do I need UTM links for Google Ads?+

Usually not. When auto-tagging is on and your Google Ads and GA4 accounts are linked, Google labels every click for you. Use UTMs for everything Google doesn't tag: social posts and ads, newsletters, SMS, influencers, partners and QR codes.

Do UTM links hurt SEO or change what customers see?+

No. The page looks exactly the same and search engines handle these links fine. Just never use them on links inside your own website, only on links that point to your store from elsewhere.

The link looks long. Can I shorten it?+

Yes. For SMS, print or a bio you can put it through any link shortener. The tracking still works, because the shortener simply forwards the visitor to the full link. In emails and ads, the long link is hidden behind your button, so length doesn't matter.

Does it work with Shopify, WooCommerce and other platforms?+

Yes. UTM parameters are a web standard that works on any store platform. GA4 reads them automatically, and many ecommerce platforms and email tools show them in their own reports too.

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Audit

Free mini-audit

Run a free 10-signal scan of your store and see what costs you sales.

Run scan →

You know where visitors come from. Now turn more of them into buyers.

A KonvertiQ audit runs your store through 60 conversion signals and gives you a concrete action plan, so the traffic you already pay for brings more orders.

Get an audit with an action plan →

KonvertiQ, practical tools for growing online stores. Your links are built in your browser and never sent to us.

UTM builder: see which posts, emails and ads bring you sales

Build your link

What you'll see in Google Analytics 4

Your saved links

UTM links in plain English

Source

Medium

Campaign

5 rules that keep your reports clean

Questions store owners ask

More KonvertiQ tools

Break-even ROAS

Conversion value

Free mini-audit

You know where visitors come from. Now turn more of them into buyers.

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