How do I tag links with UTM parameters?
Add utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign to any link so your analytics can tell where each click came from — what each tag means and how to keep them tidy.
Shortlen Editorial · · 3 min read
The short answer
To tag a link, add UTM parameters to the end of its URL: utm_source (where the traffic comes from), utm_medium (the channel), and utm_campaign (the campaign name), plus the optional utm_term and utm_content. Keep every value lowercase and spelled the same way each time, so your analytics can group the clicks correctly instead of splitting one campaign across several labels.
Key points
- UTM parameters are five labels you add to a link's end; they don't change where it goes, they just tell analytics where the click came from.
- Three are used most: utm_source (newsletter, google), utm_medium (email, cpc, social), and utm_campaign (the campaign's name).
- utm_term and utm_content are optional — term for paid-search keywords, content for telling two similar links apart.
- Consistency matters more than cleverness: 'Email' and 'email' become two rows in your report, so pick lowercase and stick to it.
- Build and copy a tagged link with the free UTM builder, then shorten it so the long string of tags doesn't scare people off.
On this page
Tagging a link with UTM parameters means adding a few labels to the end of its URL so your analytics can tell you where each click came from. The tags don’t change the page people land on — they just travel along with the click and show up in your reports, so “newsletter” traffic and “social” traffic don’t get lumped together.
?, then each UTM parameter is a labelled chip your analytics reads. Values shown are illustrative examples.What the five UTM tags mean
There are five UTM parameters, and you’ll use the first three almost every time:
| Tag | What it answers | Example |
|---|---|---|
utm_source | Where is the traffic from? | newsletter, google, instagram |
utm_medium | What kind of channel is it? | email, cpc, social |
utm_campaign | Which campaign is this? | spring-sale, launch-2026 |
utm_term | (Optional) Which paid keyword? | url-shortener |
utm_content | (Optional) Which version of the link? | top-banner, footer-link |
A tagged link looks like this: https://example.com/offer?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring-sale. Everything after the ? is the tracking; the part before it is the real page.
The one rule that matters most: be consistent
UTM values are case-sensitive and spelling-sensitive in most analytics tools. That means utm_medium=Email, utm_medium=email and utm_medium=e-mail become three different rows in your report, splitting one channel into three. Decide on a simple convention — lowercase, hyphens instead of spaces, the same words every time — and write it down somewhere your team can see it. Tidy tags are worth far more than clever ones.
Build a tagged link without the typing
Hand-typing five parameters is where mistakes creep in. The free Shortlen UTM builder does it for you: fill in the fields, and it assembles a correctly formatted, properly encoded link you can copy. It runs in your browser, needs no account, and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Then shorten it
A fully tagged link can be long and a little intimidating — not something you want to paste into a bio, a printed flyer or a text message. Shortening it keeps all the tags working behind a clean, short link, and if you put it on your own domain it reads as your brand too. See what a branded link is for why that helps, or add a QR code with the ideas in QR codes vs short links. When you’re ready, start free and shorten your first tagged link.
Questions people ask
Do UTM tags change where my link goes?
No. UTM parameters sit after a question mark at the end of the URL and are ignored by the destination page itself. They only exist so analytics tools can group visits by where they came from.
Will the tags still work if I shorten the link?
Yes. A good shortener keeps the full destination, UTM tags included, and just hides it behind a short link. The person clicking sees a tidy short link; your analytics still receive all the tags.
Should I use capital letters in UTM values?
It's safest not to. Most analytics tools treat utm_source=Email and utm_source=email as two separate sources, which splits one campaign into two rows. Pick lowercase and keep every value spelled the same way.