Free UTM builder: campaign URL generator
Build UTM-tagged links for newsletters, social posts, Google Ads, Meta Ads and more in seconds. Free, no sign-up, runs entirely in your browser.
The builder runs on this page: your URL and tags are never sent anywhere. Your last values are kept in your browser, so you can build a batch of similar links one after another.
What UTM parameters are
UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a link that tell your analytics where a visitor came from. A link from a newsletter might look like this:
https://example.com/pricing?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=october_update
The page itself opens as usual. The difference is in your reports: instead of landing in "direct" traffic,
the visit is credited to your newsletter and to the october_update campaign.
Tags matter most where the browser doesn't pass the previous page: email clients, messaging apps, PDFs, QR codes and many mobile apps. Without tags, those clicks usually show up as direct traffic and you can't tell what actually worked.
The five parameters
| Parameter | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
utm_source |
Where the traffic comes from | newsletter, linkedin, google, facebook |
utm_medium |
The type of channel | cpc, email, social, paid_social, offline |
utm_campaign |
The campaign or promotion | spring_sale, product_launch_2026 |
utm_content |
Which ad, banner or link was clicked | hero_button, video_ad, footer_link |
utm_term |
The paid search keyword | running_shoes |
Always fill in the first three. Google Analytics 4 also supports optional parameters such as utm_id —
you can add them to the URL by hand if you need them.
How to use the builder
- Paste the URL of the page you want to send people to. You can skip
https://. - Pick a template or fill in source and medium yourself.
- Name the campaign.
- Copy the link.
If the URL already has UTM tags, the builder replaces them and keeps every other parameter and the #anchor.
Templates and what they fill in
| Template | utm_source | utm_medium | Other fields |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | telegram |
messenger |
add your campaign |
| VK | vk |
social |
add your campaign |
| Instagram bio | instagram |
social |
add your campaign |
| Newsletter | newsletter |
email |
add your campaign |
| QR code | qr |
offline |
e.g. the placement in utm_content |
| Google Ads | google |
cpc |
{campaignid}, {creative}, {keyword} |
| Meta Ads | {{site_source_name}} |
paid_social |
{{campaign.name}}, {{ad.name}} |
| Yandex Direct | yandex |
cpc |
{campaign_id}, {ad_id}, {keyword} |
Values in curly braces are dynamic parameters: the ad platform replaces them with the real campaign,
ad or keyword at the moment of the click. With Meta, {{site_source_name}} becomes fb, ig, msg or
an depending on where the ad was shown. The builder keeps the braces unencoded — otherwise the
substitution wouldn't work.
In Google Ads, put the parameters into the campaign's Final URL suffix or tracking template; in Meta Ads, into the ad's URL parameters field.
Rules that save you from messy reports
- Use lowercase. Google Analytics and most other tools are case-sensitive:
Facebookandfacebookbecome two separate rows. The "Lowercase" checkbox in the builder does this for you. - No spaces. A space turns into
%20. Use_or-instead. - Agree on a vocabulary. Decide once that LinkedIn is
linkedin— notliin one post andlinkedin_companyin another. A shared spreadsheet of allowed values pays for itself quickly. - Never tag internal links. A UTM tag on a link inside your own site starts a new session and overwrites the visitor's real source.
- Keep personal data out. Emails, names or phone numbers in
utm_contentend up in reports and server logs.
Where to see the results
UTM tags work with any analytics tool: Google Analytics, Plausible, Matomo, Yandex Metrica and others.
In LightMetrica, reports for utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content and
utm_term appear automatically — no setup. The channel is derived from utm_medium: cpc, ppc or
paid go to Ads, email and newsletter to Email, social and smm to Social networks,
messenger, telegram and tg to Messengers. A click with a different campaign starts a new visit,
so campaigns never blend together.
To test a link, open it yourself and check the Real-time report — the visit shows up within seconds.
To keep your own tests out of the stats, open your site once with ?lightmetric=ignore — see the
visitor counter guide.
FAQ
Do UTM parameters affect SEO?
No. Search engines don't use them as a ranking signal, and tagged links rarely get indexed. If you're worried
about duplicates, make sure your pages have a rel="canonical" tag.
Do I need UTM tags for Google Ads if auto-tagging is on?
Google Analytics uses the gclid from auto-tagging for Google Ads clicks. UTM tags are still useful so that
other analytics tools see your ads with readable campaign names.
Are UTM parameters case-sensitive? Yes, in Google Analytics and most other tools. Keep everything lowercase to avoid split rows.
Can I shorten a UTM link? Yes. A URL shortener stores the full address and redirects to it, so the tags survive. Open the short link once to make sure the tags are still there.
What should utm_medium be for organic social posts?
social is the most widely recognised value — Google Analytics puts it into Organic Social, and LightMetrica
into Social networks. Use paid_social for paid campaigns so they don't mix with organic posts.
Try LightMetrica — free
Lightweight, independent, cookie-free analytics: the counter installs in a minute — on its own or next to your current tools. Every week — an AI-powered Smart Report: what changed and what to do next.