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UTM Builder Guide

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Create trackable URLs with standardized UTM parameters

Related Document: Conversion Tracking Guide

Track campaign performance

UTM Builder Guide

Create trackable URLs with standardized UTM parameters

Overview

PVTLNK’s UTM Builder helps you:

  • Standardize tracking - Use consistent UTM parameters across campaigns
  • Improve analytics - See exactly where traffic comes from
  • Optimize campaigns - Identify best-performing sources

Requirements

Plan Availability
Starter ❌ Not available
Pro ✅ Available
Enterprise ✅ Available

What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM parameters are tags you add to URLs to track marketing campaigns. They appear after a ? or & in the URL.

Standard Parameters

Parameter Required? Purpose Example
utm_source ✅ Yes Where the traffic comes from google, facebook, newsletter
utm_medium ✅ Yes Marketing medium cpc, email, social
utm_campaign ❌ No Campaign name spring_sale, product_launch
utm_term ❌ No Paid search keywords running+shoes
utm_content ❌ No Link content variation logolink, textlink

Example

https://yoursite.com/page?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=winter_sale&utm_term=running+shoes&utm_content=blue_button

Using the UTM Builder

Step 1: Access the UTM Builder

  1. Log in to your dashboard
  2. Click UTM Builder in the sidebar

Step 2: Enter Base URL

Enter the destination URL you want to track:

Base URL: https://yoursite.com/landing-page

Step 3: Add UTM Parameters

Fill in the required and optional parameters:

Field Your Value
UTM Source facebook
UTM Medium cpc
UTM Campaign spring_sale_2026
UTM Term running shoes
UTM Content blue_hero_ad

Step 4: Preview & Copy

The preview shows your final URL:

https://yoursite.com/landing-page?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale_2026&utm_term=running+shoes&utm_content=blue_hero_ad

Click Copy to copy the URL.

Click Create Link with UTM Parameters to create a shortened version.

Quick Templates

The UTM Builder includes pre-built templates for common use cases:

Template Pre-filled Values
Google Ads source=google, medium=cpc
Facebook Ads source=facebook, medium=cpc
Email Campaign source=newsletter, medium=email
Social Media source=twitter, medium=social
Newsletter source=newsletter, medium=email

Best Practices

1. Use Consistent Naming

Establish naming conventions and stick to them:

Parameter Convention Example
utm_source Platform name google, facebook, newsletter
utm_medium Full name cost-per-click, email, social
utm_campaign snake_case spring_sale_2026, product_launch_v2

2. Always Include Source & Medium

At minimum, every tracked link should have:

?utm_source=... &utm_medium=...

3. Use Specific Campaign Names

Good: utm_campaign=winter_sale_2026_north_america

Bad: utm_campaign=sale

?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_digest&utm_content=week_12

5. Track Social Media

?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=product_announcement

Common Use Cases

1. Email Marketing

Track newsletter performance:

?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_digest&utm_content=header_link

Track PPC campaigns:

?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand_terms&utm_term=your_brand

3. Social Media

Track social posts:

?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=webinar_promo

4. Affiliate Tracking

Track affiliate links:

?utm_source=partner_name&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=summer_promo

UTM vs. PVTLNK Analytics

Aspect UTM Parameters PVTLNK Analytics
Scope Marketing attribution Click tracking & conversion
Data Stored in your analytics Stored in PVTLNK
Purpose Campaign optimization Link performance
Granularity By campaign source By individual link

Best Practice: Use both together. UTMs tell you WHICH campaign works; PVTLNK tells you WHICH specific link drives clicks.

Integration with A/B Testing

Combine UTMs with A/B testing:

``` # Variant A https://yoursite.com?utm_source=ab_test&utm_medium=test_a

Variant B

https://yoursite.com?utm_source=ab_test&utm_medium=test_b ```

API Integration

Create UTM-tracked links via API:

```bash # Create link with UTM parameters POST /api/v1/links { “link”: { “destination_url”: “https://yoursite.com/landing-page”, “title”: “UTM Tracked Link” }, “utm_params”: { “utm_source”: “newsletter”, “utm_medium”: “email”, “utm_campaign”: “weekly_digest”, “utm_term”: “spring_collection”, “utm_content”: “hero_banner” } }

Response includes short URL with UTM parameters

{ “link”: { “short_url”: “https://pvtlnk.com/abc123”, “destination_url”: “https://yoursite.com/landing-page?utm_source=…” } } ```

Troubleshooting

Issue Solution
Parameters not showing in analytics Check spelling - UTM parameters are case-sensitive
Links not tracked Verify URL is properly encoded
Spaces turning into %20 Use + for spaces in utm_term
Duplicate parameters Remove existing UTM params from base URL

UTM Parameter Checklist

Before launching a campaign, verify:

  • [ ] utm_source is specific (not just “social”)
  • [ ] utm_medium uses standard values
  • [ ] utm_campaign follows naming convention
  • [ ] Parameters are consistent across all links
  • [ ] Links were tested before launch

FAQ

Q: Are UTM parameters case-sensitive? A: Yes. utm_source=Facebook and utm_source=facebook will show as different sources.

Q: How long do UTM parameters last? A: They persist indefinitely, but analytics platforms may have data retention limits.

Q: Can I use UTM parameters on social media? A: Yes, most platforms support UTM parameters.

Q: What’s the maximum URL length with UTM parameters? A: Most browsers support 2,000+ characters. Keep your total URL under 2,000 characters.

Q: Can I use UTM parameters with custom domains? A: Yes, UTM parameters work with any domain.