What each UTM parameter means
| Parameter | What it answers | Example |
|---|---|---|
utm_source | Which site or list sent the visit? | reddit, betalist, newsletter |
utm_medium | What kind of channel is it? | community, social, email, directory |
utm_campaign | Why did you share it? | launch, relaunch-v2, black-friday |
utm_term | Which paid keyword? (optional) | launch-platform |
utm_content | Which link in the same post? (optional) | header-link, footer-link |
One tracked link per launch surface
Most launches go out in many places at once: a directory, two subreddits, X, a newsletter. If every one gets the same plain link, your analytics shows a single spike and you learn nothing about which surface was worth the effort. Give each surface its own source and the same campaign name, and a week later you can sort sources by signups, not just visits.
That is what the launch mode above does. It is the same method described in how to actually know which channel drove your traffic.
Naming rules that keep reports clean
- Use lowercase everywhere. Most analytics tools treat Reddit and reddit as two sources.
- Use hyphens, not spaces. Spaces become %20 and are easy to mistype.
- Keep a short list of mediums. Pick five or six, such as social, community, email, directory, paid, and partner, and reuse them.
- Write the names down. A one-line shared note of sources and campaigns stops a teammate inventing a new spelling next month.
Where not to use UTM links
- Links between your own pages. A tagged internal link starts a new session and overwrites the real source.
- Product Hunt submissions. It rejects tagged and shortened links. Read the referrer instead.
- Your own badge or backlink code. Keep backlinks clean so the link itself is the signal. You can check a link with the dofollow link checker.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a UTM link?
- A normal link with tags added to the end, such as ?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=community. Analytics tools read the tags and attribute the visit to that source instead of lumping it in with direct or referral traffic.
- Which UTM parameters are required?
- Source, medium, and campaign are the three you should always set. Term and content are optional: term is mainly for paid search keywords, and content separates two links in the same post or email.
- Do UTM parameters affect SEO?
- No. They do not change how a page ranks. Do not use them on internal links between your own pages, though, because that overwrites the original source of the visit.
- Are UTM parameters case sensitive?
- Yes, in most analytics tools. Reddit and reddit show up as two different sources, which is why this builder lowercases every value.
- Can I use UTM links on Product Hunt?
- Product Hunt does not accept shortened or UTM-tagged links in a submission. Submit your clean URL and measure Product Hunt visits from the producthunt.com referrer instead.