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Free UTM builder · Checks GA4 channels

UTM Builder for GA4.

Build a tagged link for any campaign and see, before you share it, which GA4 default channel its visits will land in. The check runs your source, medium and campaign name against Google's published channel rules and its list of 819 sources.

The structure

The page address, then ?utm_source= for where the visit comes from, &utm_medium= for the type of traffic and &utm_campaign= for the campaign name. utm_term and utm_content are optional.

https://www.example.com/spring-sale?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=2026-10_spring-sale

UTMs are the first layer of marketing attribution: get them consistent and every report after them has something solid to stand on.

The page people should land on. Existing query parameters are kept.

Quick fill source and medium

Where the visit comes from: the platform, site or list.

The type of traffic. This is what GA4 leans on most when it picks a channel.

One naming pattern for every campaign, for example date then offer.

The paid keyword, if there is one.

Tells apart two ads or two links in the same campaign.

Recommended. GA4 reports values exactly as typed, so mixed case splits one source into several rows.

GA4 channel check

Paid Social

Why: “facebook” is on Google’s list of social sites and “paid_social” matches GA4’s paid medium pattern.

Checked against Google's default channel group rules and its source list on 1 October 2026. Google can change either, and your GA4 reports have the final word.

Parameters in the link
utm_sourcefacebook
utm_mediumpaid_social
utm_campaign2026-10_spring-sale
utm_termnot set
utm_contentvideo-15s

GA4 default channel group

Which GA4 channel will my UTM link land in?

GA4 files each visit by its source, medium and campaign name, using the default channel group rules Google publishes. Paid Social, for example, needs a source on Google's list of social sites and a medium that matches GA4's paid pattern; get either wrong and the visits land somewhere else.

The check in the builder uses the rules on Google's default channel group page and the 819 sources on the list that page links to, both checked on 1 October 2026. The rules ignore case. For custom channel groups, Google says traffic goes to the first channel it matches in the group's order. It does not publish that order for the default group, so the builder flags any link that fits two channels instead of guessing.

Source: Google Analytics Help, “Default channel group” and its downloadable list of sources and categories, checked 1 October 2026. Example values are ours.
ChannelExample sourceExample mediumGA4 rule, in short
Paid Searchgoogle, bingcpcSource on Google's list of search sites, and a medium that matches ^(.*cp.*|ppc|retargeting|paid.*)$
Paid Socialfacebook, instagram, linkedin, tiktokpaid_social or cpcSource on the list of social sites, and a medium that matches the same paid pattern
Paid VideoyoutubecpcSource on the list of video sites, and a paid medium
DisplayThe ad network’s namedisplayMedium is display, banner, expandable, interstitial or cpm
Paid OtherAny source not on Google’s listscpc or paidA paid medium, with a source on none of the lists
Emailnewsletter, or your email tool's nameemailSource or medium is email, e-mail, e_mail or e mail
Organic Socialfacebook, linkedinsocialSource on the list of social sites, or a medium of social, social-network, social-media, sm, social network or social media
ReferralThe referring site’s namereferralMedium is referral, app or link
AffiliatesThe affiliate’s nameaffiliateMedium is affiliate
SMSsmssmsSource or medium is sms

Naming conventions

What UTM naming conventions keep GA4 clean?

Lowercase everything, spell each platform one way, and take mediums from the values GA4's rules recognise. Then write the rules down so everyone who tags a link follows them.

  1. Lowercase every value

    Google's URL builder guidance says parameter values are case sensitive, so utm_source=Facebook and utm_source=facebook report as two sources. The channel rules ignore case; your reports do not.

  2. No spaces

    Use underscores or hyphens. Spaces turn into %20 in the link and are the easiest place for two people to tag the same campaign differently.

  3. Spell sources the way Google's list does

    facebook, instagram, google, bing, linkedin, tiktok, youtube, and twitter for X. Not meta, fb_ads, x or google.com, which are not on the list, so GA4 cannot tell which platform sent the visit.

  4. Take mediums from GA4's vocabulary

    cpc or paid_social for paid clicks, email, social for organic posts, referral, affiliate and display. A medium like social-paid misses the paid pattern and reports as organic.

  5. One campaign pattern

    For example the month, then the offer: 2026-10_spring-sale. Keep shop and shopping out of campaign names unless it is a shopping campaign, because GA4's shopping rules read the campaign name.

  6. Content and term earn their place

    utm_content separates creatives or links in one campaign (video-15s, header-link). utm_term is for the paid keyword. Leave both out rather than fill them with noise.

  7. Tag inbound links only

    UTMs describe how someone arrived. Put them on links that bring people in from ads, emails and other sites, not on links between your own pages.

  8. Leave Google Ads to auto-tagging

    When a link carries both, Google says GA4 uses the auto-tagged values for source, medium and campaign. Keep auto-tagging on and save UTMs for everything else.

Examples

What does a UTM link look like?

The page address, a question mark, then the parameters joined by ampersands. Here is one campaign tagged for three places, with the channel GA4 files each under.

  • A Facebook or Instagram ad

    https://www.example.com/spring-sale?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=2026-10_spring-sale&utm_content=video-15s

    GA4 channel: Paid Social

  • The same offer in an email

    https://www.example.com/spring-sale?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2026-10_spring-sale&utm_content=header-link

    GA4 channel: Email

  • An organic LinkedIn post

    https://www.example.com/guide?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2026-10_launch-post

    GA4 channel: Organic Social

Frequently asked

Eight questions about UTM links.

What is a UTM builder?

A tool that adds UTM parameters to a web address so analytics tools such as GA4 can tell which campaign sent each visit. This one also checks the source, medium and campaign name against GA4's default channel rules before you share the link.

What does UTM stand for?

Urchin Tracking Module. Urchin was the web analytics software that came before Google Analytics, and GA4 still reads campaign data from these parameters.

How do I create a UTM tracking link?

Paste the page address, add a source, a medium and a campaign name, and copy the link the builder produces. Use that link everywhere the campaign appears: the ad, the email or the post. Google's guidance is to always set utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign.

What are the 5 UTM parameters?

utm_source (where the visit comes from, such as facebook), utm_medium (the type of traffic, such as paid_social or email), utm_campaign (the campaign name), utm_term (the paid keyword) and utm_content (which ad or link was clicked). Google's documentation lists a few more, such as utm_id, but these five are the standard set.

Is UTM tracking still used?

Yes. GA4 reads UTM parameters, and Google's help pages document them as the way to collect campaign data from custom links. Google Ads is the exception: with auto-tagging on, GA4 takes source, medium and campaign from auto-tagging even when a link also carries UTMs.

Is UTM tracking free?

Yes. UTM parameters are plain text on the end of a link, so adding them costs nothing, and this builder is free with no sign-up.

What are common UTM mistakes?

Mixed case, so Facebook and facebook report as two sources. Sources GA4 does not recognise, such as meta instead of facebook. Mediums that look paid but miss GA4's paid pattern, such as social-paid. Campaign names containing shop, which GA4's shopping rules pick up. And UTMs on links between pages of your own site.

What are the limitations of UTM tracking?

UTMs only describe the click that carried them. They say nothing about people who saw an ad and came back later by typing your address, they depend on everyone tagging links the same way, and anyone can see or edit them in the address bar. Platform conversion tracking and server-side tracking cover some of those gaps.

How marketing attribution works

Related

After the links, the measurement.

Tagged links are one input to marketing attribution. For the spend side, try the CPM calculator and the MER and POAS calculator, or see all the free tools.

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