How to Create and Track UTM Parameters in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

This post is adapted from my YouTube video: How to Track UTMs in Google's GA4

UTM parameters are one of the most powerful - and most underused - tools in a digital marketer's toolkit. They let you track exactly where your traffic is coming from, which campaigns are driving results, and which channels deserve more budget.

But finding UTM data in Google Analytics 4 can be confusing, especially if you're used to Universal Analytics. GA4's interface isn't always intuitive, and the online guides often assume more knowledge than a beginner has.

Here's a straightforward walkthrough of how to generate UTM links and find the data in GA4.

What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags you add to the end of a URL. When someone clicks that tagged link, Google Analytics captures the parameters and attributes the visit to the source, medium, and campaign you specified.

A UTM-tagged URL looks like this:

https://echalupa.com/?utm_source=poster&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=job_fair

The three parameters that matter most are source (where the visitor saw the link - like a poster, newsletter, or LinkedIn), medium (the marketing channel - organic, paid, email, social), and campaign (the specific initiative - job_fair, holiday_sale, webinar_q1).

Generating UTM Links

You can use Google's Campaign URL Builder or build your own spreadsheet template. I use a custom UTM link generator that includes fields for date, website URL, source, medium, campaign, term, and content - then automatically concatenates them into a ready-to-use URL.

Here's an example setup for tracking a job fair poster:

Website URL: https://echalupa.com
Source: poster
Medium: organic
Campaign: job_fair

The generator produces: https://echalupa.com/?utm_source=poster&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=job_fair

UTM parameters are particularly valuable for print campaigns. When you spend hundreds of dollars on posters, flyers, or direct mail, UTMs give you measurable attribution on something that's traditionally hard to track.

Finding UTM Data in GA4

Once someone clicks your UTM link, the data flows into GA4. Here's where to find it:

Open Google Analytics 4
Navigate to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition
Look for your campaign name in the campaign column

You should see your campaign name (e.g., "job_fair") along with associated metrics like sessions, event counts, and engagement data.

Important: Reporting Identity Settings

If you have a low-traffic website, there's a critical GA4 setting you need to adjust. Navigate to Admin > Reporting Identity and switch to Device-Based reporting.

By default, GA4 uses blended reporting that can obscure data on smaller sites. Device-based reporting provides more granular visibility, which is essential when you're tracking individual UTM campaigns with relatively small traffic volumes. You lose some cross-device tracking, but the tradeoff is worth it for accurate campaign attribution on lower-traffic sites.

Timing Note

UTM data doesn't appear in GA4 instantly. After clicking a UTM link, expect a short delay (typically 15-30 minutes, sometimes longer) before the data populates in your reports. Don't panic if you click your link and immediately check GA4 - give it time to process.

UTM Best Practices

Be consistent with naming conventions. Use lowercase for all UTM values. Email and email are treated as different sources in GA4. Establish a naming convention and stick to it.

Use source for the specific origin, medium for the channel. A common mistake is putting the channel in the source field. Source should be specific (e.g., linkedin, december_newsletter, booth_poster), while medium should be the channel type (social, email, print, cpc).

Track print campaigns. UTMs are one of the few ways to measure offline-to-online conversion. Use unique campaign names for each print piece - you'll finally have data on whether that $500 poster actually drove traffic.

Don't UTM internal links. Only use UTMs on links from external sources pointing to your site. UTM-tagging internal navigation will overwrite the original source data and corrupt your attribution.

Document everything. Keep a master spreadsheet of every UTM you create. Include the date, the campaign, where the link was placed, and the expected traffic volume. This becomes invaluable when you're reviewing campaign performance months later.

Connecting UTMs to Your Marketing Stack

UTM tracking becomes even more powerful when combined with CRM systems like HubSpot. When a visitor arrives via a UTM-tagged link and later fills out a form, the UTM data can flow into their contact record - giving you full attribution from first touch to conversion.

This is the foundation of the attribution model I use for maintaining pipeline through budget constraints: every dollar of ad spend and every marketing touchpoint is trackable back to its source.

For more advanced campaign measurement, consider layering UTM tracking with conversion rate optimization techniques to not just track where traffic comes from, but optimize what happens after it arrives.

Edward Chalupa is a digital marketing specialist and founder of Whtnxt, a digital marketing and automation consultancy. Connect with him on LinkedIn or explore more at echalupa.com.