What is a UTM builder for?
A UTM builder adds the standard campaign tags to a URL in the right format, so nobody mistypes one at 11 pm. The format matters because Google Analytics treats tag values as case-sensitive: "Instagram" and "instagram" report as two different sources, and Google recommends a strict naming convention for every field (Google Analytics Help).
Google also says every tagged link should carry utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, and a missing value shows up as "(not set)" in reports. This builder warns you when one of those three is empty. It cannot stop four colleagues spelling one campaign four ways, which is why a written naming convention matters too.
On CTAurl, the tags live in the link's destination. Every short link answers with a 302 to the destination exactly as you saved it, UTM tags included, so your analytics sees the same tags you built here.
What does each UTM parameter mean?
Each UTM parameter answers one question about a visit: utm_source says where it came from, utm_medium the type of channel, utm_campaign which push it belongs to, utm_content which creative or placement, and utm_term the paid keyword. Source, medium and campaign are the three Google says to use on every tagged link.
| Tag | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
utm_source | Where the traffic came from | instagram |
utm_medium | The type of channel | social, email, qr |
utm_campaign | The campaign name | spring-drop |
utm_content | The creative or placement | story-b |
utm_term | Paid keyword | running-shoes |