UTM Parameters and Their Usage
Unless otherwise specified, the UTM parameters below are compulsory.
utm_source
Purpose: Identifies the source of your traffic, such as the website or platform that referred the visitor.
Examples: google, facebook, newsletter
Usage: Helps determine which platforms are driving traffic to your site.
utm_medium
Purpose: Indicates the marketing medium or channel used.
Examples: cpc (cost-per-click), email, social
Usage: Clarifies the type of marketing channel through which the traffic arrived. Dentli calculates the medium automatically, unless it’s email.
utm_campaign
Purpose: Specifies the name of the marketing campaign.
Examples: spring_sale, product_launch
Usage: Tracks the performance of specific campaigns.
utm_id
Purpose: Maps the campaign ID to the correct data internally.
Examples: 120210110874060320
Usage: Used for ads insights API’s. This is currently optional.
utm_term (optional)
Purpose: Identifies paid search keywords.
Examples: running+shoes, blue_widgets
Usage: Used primarily for tracking keywords or a specific ad in campaigns. Dentli does not currently use this.
utm_content (optional)
Purpose: Differentiates similar content or links within the same ad.
Examples: banner_ad, text_link
Usage: Useful for A/B testing and identifying which version of an ad or link is more effective. Dentli does not currently use this.
Best Practices for Using UTM Parameters
Consistency: Maintain consistent naming conventions to ensure accurate tracking and reporting.
Lowercase Letters: Use lowercase letters for all UTM parameters, as analytics tools are case-sensitive.
Avoid Internal Links: Do not use UTM parameters on internal links within your website, as this can disrupt session tracking.
Use URL Builders: Utilize tools like Google's Campaign URL Builder to create UTM-tagged URLs accurately.
By implementing UTM parameters thoughtfully, you can gain valuable insights into your marketing efforts and optimize your strategies accordingly.
Setting Up UTM Parameters in Google Ads
1. Add UTM Parameters at Campaign Level:
Navigate to your Google Ads account.
Select the campaign you wish to modify.
Click on Settings > Additional settings > Campaign URL options
Note: Add your tracking template at keyword level to get the most information for your campaigns and improve the data on your dashboard.
2. Configure Tracking Template:
In the Tracking template field, input the following:
{lpurl}?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={_campaign}&utm_term={keyword}&utm_content={adgroupid}&utm_id={campaignid}
Parameter Breakdown:
{lpurl}: If you don’t include a URL insertion parameter in your tracking template, your landing page URL will break.
utm_source=google: Identifies Google as the traffic source.
utm_medium=cpc: Denotes cost-per-click as the marketing medium.
utm_campaign={_campaign}: Automatically inserts the campaign name. This needs to be set with a custom parameter at the campaign level, read below.
utm_id={campaignid}: Automatically inserts the campaign ID.
utm_term={keyword}: Automatically captures the keyword triggering the ad.
utm_content={adgroupid}: Automatically inserts the ad group ID. You can optionally use different dynamic parameters here, such as a custom parameter with the ad group name or a static name..
ValueTrack Dynamic Parameters Help
Note: Utilizing dynamic parameters like {lpurl}, {campaignid}, {keyword}, and {adgroupid} ensures that the UTM parameters automatically adapt to each specific campaign, keyword, and ad group, reducing manual input and potential errors.
Campaign URL Options window in Google Ads.
3. Define Custom Parameters:
To make the campaign name readable in the Online Booking dashboard instead of an ID number, configure a custom parameter with the name of the campaign:
Define the variable name as _campaign - that is what we use in the tracking template: utm_campaign={_campaign}
Define the value as your campaign name. In most cases, best practice is to use 1:1 the actual campaign name, but use underscores instead of spaces.
Campaign URL Options window in Google Ads on the campaign level with a custom parameter set.
Click Test and review the result. Make sure to inspect it thoroughly:
All attributes used should show the correct names and ID’s. This would indicate that your campaign is ready to run.
Best Practices
Enable Auto-Tagging:
In your Google Ads account, go to Settings > Account settings.
Ensure that Auto-tagging is enabled to append the gclid parameter for enhanced tracking.
Override Auto-Tagging in Google Analytics:
If you wish to prioritize manual UTM parameters over auto-tagging in Google Analytics:
Navigate to Admin > Property Settings.
Under Advanced Settings, check Allow manual tagging (UTM values) to override auto-tagging (GCLID values).
Utilize URL Builders:
Employ tools like Google's Campaign URL Builder to generate UTM-tagged URLs accurately.
By adhering to these guidelines, you can effectively track and analyze the performance of your Google Ads campaigns using UTM parameters.
Set up scripts to update custom parameters at ad group level:
Curtesey of practicalecommerce.com - you can use their script to automatically set up _campaign and _adgroup custom variables, so they stay up to date, and are automatically added when new campaigns or ad groups are added.
You can add the script under tools > scripts.
The script:
function main(){
let adGroups = AdsApp.adGroups().withCondition("CampaignStatus = ENABLED").get();
while (adGroups.hasNext()) {
let adGroup = adGroups.next();
let group=adGroup.getName().replace(/\s/g,'_');
let campaign=adGroup.getCampaign().getName().replace(/\s/g,'_');
adGroup.urls().setCustomParameters({adgroup: group, campaign: campaign});
}
}
Please see the guide on practicalecommerce for how the script works and in-depth explanations
Setting Up UTM Parameters in Meta Ads Manager
Access Ads Manager:
Navigate to your Meta Ads Manager account.
Select the campaign and ad set you wish to modify.
Edit Ad and Locate Tracking Section:
Click on the specific ad you want to edit.
Scroll down to the Tracking section.
Find the URL Parameters field.
Input UTM Parameters:
In the URL Parameters field, input the following: utm_source={{site_source_name}}&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{ad.name}}&utm_term={{adset.name}}
Parameter Breakdown:
utm_source={{site_source_name}}: Automatically captures the source platform (e.g., facebook, instagram).
utm_medium=paid_social: Denotes the marketing medium as paid social.
utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}: Automatically inserts the campaign name.
utm_id={{campaign.id}}: Automatically inserts the campaign
utm_content={{ad.name}}: Automatically inserts the ad name.
utm_term={{adset.name}}: Automatically inserts the ad set name.
Note: Utilizing dynamic parameters like {{site_source_name}}, {{campaign.name}}, {{ad.name}}, and {{adset.name}} ensures that the UTM parameters automatically adapt to each specific campaign, ad, and ad set, reducing manual input and potential errors.
Meta’s URL Builder, utilizing dynamic tags.
Best Practices
Using Dynamic Parameters
Leverage Meta's dynamic parameters to automate UTM tagging and maintain consistency. If you have renamed your ads, ad-sets or campaigns since you created it, you may want to set a static value instead of a dynamic. The dynamic parameters will always use the original names.
Avoid Manual Entry
Manually typing UTM parameters for each ad can lead to errors. Utilize dynamic fields to streamline the process.