How to Track UTM Parameters in Google Analytics 4: Step-by-Step Guide

Struggling to Find Your UTM Campaign Data in GA4?

If you have been using Google Analytics 4 for a while now, you have probably noticed that things look very different from Universal Analytics. One of the most common frustrations marketers face is figuring out how to track UTM parameters in Google Analytics 4 and, more importantly, where to actually find that data once it starts flowing in.

You are not alone. Threads on Reddit and Google Help forums are filled with marketers asking the same question: “I added UTM parameters to my URLs, but where do I see them in GA4?”

This guide will walk you through the entire process, from building your UTM codes to locating the data in GA4 reports and creating powerful custom explorations to analyze campaign performance. Whether you are a seasoned marketer adjusting to the GA4 interface or just getting started with campaign tracking, this post has you covered.

What Are UTM Parameters and Why Do They Matter?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are small text tags you add to the end of a URL. When someone clicks a link with UTM parameters, Google Analytics 4 reads those tags and attributes the visit to the specific campaign, source, and medium you defined.

Without UTM parameters, GA4 may group your traffic into generic categories like “organic” or “direct,” making it nearly impossible to know which specific email, social post, or ad drove a particular visit or conversion.

The Five Standard UTM Parameters

Parameter	Required?	Purpose	Example
utm_source	Yes	Identifies the platform or site sending the traffic	google, facebook, newsletter
utm_medium	Yes	Identifies the marketing medium	cpc, email, social, banner
utm_campaign	Yes	Identifies the specific campaign name or promotion	spring_sale_2026, product_launch
utm_term	No	Identifies paid search keywords	running+shoes, analytics+tool
utm_content	No	Differentiates between similar content or links within the same campaign	header_link, blue_button, sidebar_ad

GA4 also supports additional parameters like utm_source_platform and utm_creative_format, but the five listed above are the ones you will use most often.

Step 1: Build Your UTM-Tagged URLs

Before you can track anything, you need to create properly tagged URLs. There are a few ways to do this.

Option A: Use the Google Campaign URL Builder

Google provides a free tool specifically designed for this purpose:

Go to the Google Analytics Campaign URL Builder (search for “GA4 Campaign URL Builder” or find it in the Google Analytics developer documentation).
Enter your website URL (the destination page).
Fill in the required fields: utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign.
Optionally fill in utm_term and utm_content.
Copy the generated URL.

For example, if you are promoting a spring sale via an email newsletter, your tagged URL might look like this:

https://www.axisfive.net/services?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring_sale_2026&utm_content=cta_button

Option B: Build UTM URLs Manually

You can also construct UTM URLs by hand. Simply add a ? after your base URL, followed by the UTM parameters separated by & signs:

https://yoursite.com/page?utm_source=SOURCE&utm_medium=MEDIUM&utm_campaign=CAMPAIGN

Option C: Use a Spreadsheet for Bulk Campaigns

If you manage many campaigns, create a Google Sheet or Excel template with columns for each UTM parameter. Use a simple concatenation formula to generate your tagged URLs consistently. This also serves as documentation so your team knows which parameters are in use.

UTM Naming Best Practices

Always use lowercase. GA4 treats “Email” and “email” as two separate values. Stick to lowercase to keep your data clean.
Use underscores instead of spaces. For example, use spring_sale instead of spring sale.
Be consistent. Decide on naming conventions upfront. If one team member uses “fb” and another uses “facebook” for the source, your reports will be fragmented.
Keep it descriptive but concise. Someone looking at the data months later should understand what the campaign was about.
Never add UTM parameters to internal links. UTM tags should only be used on links from external sources. Using them on internal links will override the original source data and break your attribution.

Step 2: Implement Your UTM-Tagged Links

Once your URLs are built, use them in all your external marketing channels:

Email campaigns: Replace the regular links in your email templates with UTM-tagged URLs.
Social media posts: Use UTM-tagged links for any organic or paid social content. Consider using a URL shortener (like Bitly) if the full URL looks too long.
Paid ads: Note that Google Ads has auto-tagging (gclid) which works with GA4 automatically. You typically need UTM parameters for non-Google ad platforms like Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, or programmatic display networks.
QR codes: Generate QR codes using UTM-tagged URLs to track offline-to-online conversions.
Partner or affiliate links: Give partners UTM-tagged links so you can measure their contribution.

Step 3: Find UTM Data in GA4 Standard Reports

This is where most marketers get stuck after migrating to GA4. The interface is different from Universal Analytics, but the data is there. Here is exactly where to look.

Traffic Acquisition Report

This is the primary report for viewing UTM parameter data at the session level (how sessions were acquired):

Log in to your Google Analytics 4 property.
In the left sidebar, click Reports.
Navigate to Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition.
By default, this report shows data grouped by Session default channel group.
Click the dropdown at the top of the table and change the primary dimension to one of these:
- Session source (maps to utm_source)
- Session medium (maps to utm_medium)
- Session campaign (maps to utm_campaign)
- Session source / medium (combines both into one view)

You can also click the blue “+” icon next to the primary dimension to add a secondary dimension. This lets you combine dimensions like seeing campaign data broken down by source.

User Acquisition Report

This report focuses on how new users were first acquired:

Go to Reports > Acquisition > User Acquisition.
Change the primary dimension to First user source, First user medium, or First user campaign.

The key difference: Traffic Acquisition looks at sessions (every visit), while User Acquisition looks at first-touch attribution (the first time a user ever came to your site).

Quick Reference: Where Each UTM Parameter Appears in GA4

UTM Parameter	GA4 Dimension (Session-Level)	GA4 Dimension (User-Level)
utm_source	Session source	First user source
utm_medium	Session medium	First user medium
utm_campaign	Session campaign	First user campaign
utm_term	Session manual term	First user manual term
utm_content	Session manual ad content	First user manual ad content

Step 4: Create Custom Explorations for Deeper Campaign Analysis

Standard reports give you a solid overview, but the real power of GA4 lies in Explorations. This is where you can build custom reports that combine UTM data with conversions, engagement metrics, and more.

How to Build a Campaign Performance Exploration

In GA4, click Explore in the left sidebar.
Click Blank to start a new exploration from scratch.
Give your exploration a name, such as “UTM Campaign Performance.”
Add Dimensions: Click the + icon next to Dimensions and search for:
- Session source
- Session medium
- Session campaign
- Session manual ad content (for utm_content)
- Landing page
Add Metrics: Click the + icon next to Metrics and add:
- Sessions
- Total users
- Engagement rate
- Average engagement time per session
- Conversions (or Key events, depending on your GA4 version)
- Total revenue (if applicable)
Build the Table:
- Drag Session campaign to the Rows area.
- Drag your chosen metrics to the Values area.
Optionally add Session source / medium as an additional row to break down each campaign by source.
Apply a filter if you want to focus on a specific medium (for example, filter where Session medium exactly matches “email”).

You now have a custom report that shows exactly how each UTM-tagged campaign is performing with granular engagement and conversion data.

Pro Tip: Save and Share

Once your exploration is set up, it saves automatically. You can share it with other GA4 users in your property by clicking the share icon in the top right corner. Consider building a few exploration templates for different campaign types (email, paid social, partner referrals) so your team can access insights quickly.

Step 5: Use Filters and Comparisons to Isolate Campaign Data

GA4 offers additional ways to drill into your UTM data beyond changing dimensions.

Using Comparisons in Standard Reports

In any standard report, click Add comparison at the top of the page.
Set the dimension to Session campaign (or source, medium).
Set the match type and enter the specific value you want to compare.
Add multiple comparisons to see campaigns side by side.

This is an excellent way to quickly compare the performance of two or more campaigns without leaving the standard reporting interface.

Using Filters in Explorations

In your exploration, you can drag dimensions to the Filters area to narrow your data. For example:

Filter by Session medium = email to see only email campaign traffic.
Filter by Session campaign contains spring to find all campaigns with “spring” in the name.
Filter by Landing page contains /products to see which campaigns drove traffic to your product pages.

Troubleshooting: UTM Data Not Showing Up in GA4?

If you have added UTM parameters to your URLs but cannot see the data in GA4, run through this checklist:

Wait for data processing. GA4 can take 24 to 48 hours to fully process incoming data. Check the Realtime report first to confirm hits are arriving.
Double-check your URL structure. Make sure the parameters start with ? for the first parameter and & for each subsequent one. A malformed URL will cause GA4 to ignore the tags.
Look for typos. Ensure you are using the exact parameter names: utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, utm_content. Even a small typo like utm_souce will cause it to fail silently.
Check for redirects that strip parameters. Some redirects (especially 301s configured incorrectly) can remove query string parameters. Test your tagged URL in a browser and confirm the parameters survive the redirect chain.
Confirm you are looking at the right report and dimension. Remember, you need to change the default dimension in the Traffic Acquisition report. The default channel grouping view will not show individual UTM values.
Make sure you are not using UTM tags on internal links. If UTM parameters are added to links within your own website, they will create new sessions and distort your data.
Verify GA4 is installed correctly. Use the Google Tag Assistant or GA4 DebugView to confirm events are being received by your property.

UTM Tracking Best Practices for 2026 and Beyond

To get the most value from your UTM tracking in GA4, follow these guidelines:

Create a UTM naming convention document. Share it with everyone on your marketing team. Define the exact values to use for sources, mediums, and campaign name formats.
Use a centralized tracking spreadsheet or tool. Track every UTM-tagged URL you create. This prevents duplicates and inconsistencies.
Align campaign names across platforms. If you call something “spring_sale_2026” in your UTM tags, use the same name in your ad platform and email tool so you can cross-reference data easily.
Audit your UTM data monthly. Open GA4 and look at your campaign, source, and medium dimensions. Watch for inconsistencies like “Facebook” vs. “facebook” vs. “fb” and correct them at the source.
Leverage GA4 audiences for remarketing. You can build audiences in GA4 based on UTM parameters (for example, users who arrived via a specific campaign) and use those audiences in Google Ads for remarketing.
Combine UTM data with conversion data. The ultimate goal is not just to track clicks but to understand which campaigns drive meaningful outcomes. Set up key events (conversions) in GA4 and analyze them alongside your UTM dimensions.

Bonus: A Quick UTM Cheat Sheet

Scenario	utm_source	utm_medium	utm_campaign
Monthly email newsletter	newsletter	email	april_2026_newsletter
Facebook paid ad	facebook	cpc	spring_promo_2026
LinkedIn organic post	linkedin	social	thought_leadership_q2
Partner referral link	partnersite	referral	comarketing_webinar
QR code on a printed flyer	flyer	qr_code	event_signup_june

Frequently Asked Questions

Do UTM parameters work automatically with GA4?

Yes. As long as GA4 is properly installed on your website, it will automatically recognize and process standard UTM parameters when someone visits a tagged URL. No additional configuration is needed in GA4 to capture UTM data.

What is the difference between Traffic Acquisition and User Acquisition in GA4?

Traffic Acquisition shows how each session was acquired (every visit). User Acquisition shows how each user was first acquired (the very first visit only). If you want to see all campaign-driven visits, use Traffic Acquisition. If you want to know which campaign originally brought a user to your site, use User Acquisition.

Should I use UTM parameters for Google Ads campaigns?

If your Google Ads account is linked to your GA4 property and auto-tagging is enabled, GA4 will track Google Ads data automatically via the gclid parameter. Adding UTM parameters on top of auto-tagging can sometimes cause data discrepancies. For non-Google advertising platforms, UTM parameters are essential.

Can I track UTM parameters in GA4 Realtime reports?

Yes. Go to Reports > Realtime in GA4 and look at the traffic sources card. You can see incoming sessions tagged with UTM parameters as they happen. This is useful for testing whether your tagged URLs are working correctly.

How many UTM parameters can I add to a single URL?

You can use all five standard UTM parameters on a single URL. At minimum, you should include utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign. The other two (utm_term and utm_content) are optional and useful for more granular tracking.

Do UTM parameters affect SEO or page ranking?

No. UTM parameters are query string parameters that do not affect how search engines index or rank your pages. Google treats the base URL and the UTM-tagged URL as the same page. However, it is still a best practice not to use UTM-tagged URLs in situations where they might get indexed, such as in sitemaps or internal navigation links.

Wrapping Up

Tracking UTM parameters in Google Analytics 4 is one of the most important things you can do as a marketer to understand what is actually driving results. The process is straightforward once you know the steps: build your tagged URLs with a consistent naming convention, deploy them across your marketing channels, and find the data in GA4 under the Acquisition reports or through custom Explorations.

The key is consistency. A well-maintained UTM strategy gives you clarity on campaign performance, helps you allocate budget more effectively, and makes reporting to stakeholders far more meaningful.

If you need help setting up campaign tracking, building custom GA4 explorations, or developing a UTM governance framework for your team, get in touch with us at Axis Five. We help businesses turn analytics data into actionable marketing decisions.