UTM parameters

UTM parameters are query tags such as utm_source=newsletter that analytics tools read to tell where a visit came from. Shortn handles them in three places: UTM variants on a link, the UTM builder in a campaign, and the redirect settings that decide which parameters reach the destination.

The five parameters

• utm_source: where the traffic comes from, such as newsletter or facebook.
• utm_medium: the type of channel, such as email or social.
• utm_campaign: the campaign the visit belongs to.
• utm_term: a paid search keyword. Optional.
• utm_content: tells similar links apart, such as header and footer. Optional.

Add UTM variants to a link

A variant is a tagged version of one short link for one channel. Visits through it are counted per source, medium and campaign.

1. Open the link and select the UTM variants tab.
2. Select Add variant.
3. Fill in Source, Medium and Campaign, and optionally Term and Content. Choosing a saved campaign shows its suggested values.
4. Select Save variant.

The variant list shows each Tagged URL: your short link with the parameters appended, for example shortn.at/spring?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring-sale. Select Copy to copy it.

The Campaign value links the variant to the campaign with the same name, which adds the link to that campaign. UTM variants and campaigns depend on your plan.

To change a variant, select Edit. To delete it, select Remove and confirm with Remove variant. URLs you have already shared keep redirecting, and their analytics remain. If it was the link's last variant in a campaign, the link leaves that campaign.

Tag many links at once

To tag several links for the same channel, use the UTM builder tab of a campaign. It always sets utm_campaign to the campaign's title, suggests your saved values, and saves the same variant on every link you select. See Organizing campaigns.

Control what reaches the destination

The tagged URL carries the parameters to Shortn, which records them with each visit. Whether they are passed on to the destination depends on the link's redirect settings.

1. Open the link's Edit tab and expand Advanced options.
2. Open Redirect and query parameters.
3. Choose your settings:
   • Forward incoming query parameters passes the visitor's query parameters, including UTM tags, on to the destination.
   • The utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term and utm_content fields set fixed values that are always added to the destination.
4. Select Save changes.

When the same parameter appears in more than one place, these rules apply:

• a fixed UTM value from the redirect settings always wins;
• otherwise a parameter already in the destination URL is kept over an incoming one;
• incoming parameters are forwarded only when forwarding is on.

Read UTM results

On the Analytics page, the UTM sources, UTM mediums and UTM campaigns breakdowns group visits by tag, and you can filter by any value. Breakdowns depend on your plan. See Understanding analytics.

Good practice

• Write values in lowercase and keep one spelling per channel, so results for the same channel aren't split across several values.
• Use utm_content to compare placements of the same link, such as a header and a footer.
• Don't add UTM tags to links that only point inside your own site; they overwrite the original source of the visit.

Next steps

• Organizing campaigns
• Managing links