What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM parameters (also called UTM codes or tags) are snippets of text you can add to the end of a URL. These tags help track where your website traffic is coming from. When someone clicks a link with UTM parameters, the data is sent to Google Analytics for tracking and reporting.

By adding UTMs to your affiliate links, you can pinpoint which campaigns and channels drive the most traffic or conversions — and identify areas that need improvement. This insight is essential for making data-driven decisions, optimizing your campaigns, and allocating your marketing budget effectively.

You will need to have Google Analytics or a similar analytics tool set up on your website in order to track the results of UTM links.

What Values Should I Use for Each UTM Parameter?

You can add up to five types of UTM parameters to your links:

utm_source: Identifies where the traffic is coming from. Examples: google, instagram, newsletter
utm_medium: Identifies the marketing medium or how the traffic was generated. Examples: social, email, cpc
utm_campaign: Identifies the specific campaign or promotion the visitor engaged with. Examples: spring_sale, black_friday, creator_name
utm_content: Distinguishes between specific content in the same campaign, such as ads or links. Example: You can use utm_content to distinguish between two call-to-action links in the same email, like cta_button or text_link, to track which performs better.
utm_term: Tracks keywords used in paid search campaigns. Example: black_friday_deals.

ℹ️ We recommend using utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign at a minimum. Typically, utm_term is used for paid ads and utm_content for A/B testing or tracking specific ad variations.

How to Add UTM Parameters

To add UTM parameters to your links, follow these steps:

Go to your Sales Tracking dashboard under Reporting.
Select an existing Link Tracking offer or create a new one.
Within the offer settings, you’ll see a checkbox labeled UTM Parameters Settings. Select the checkbox to enable UTMs for the offer.
Fill in the UTM fields by entering specific values or choosing dynamic parameters.
Once saved, the UTM parameters will automatically be appended to the links you generate within the offer. Any existing links will be updated to include the UTM parameters.

What Are Dynamic Parameters?

Dynamic parameters allow you to use variables that automatically populate specific values in your UTM parameters. For example, using the dynamic parameter {creator_name} will automatically populate the creator's full name as listed in their member profile.

We currently support the following dynamic parameters:

{creator_name}: Inserts the creator's first and last name from their member profile.
{creator_ig_username}: Inserts the creator's Instagram username from their member profile.
{creator_tiktok_username}: Inserts the creator's TikTok username from their member profile.
{project_name}: Inserts the name of the project connected to the Link Offer.
{link_offer_name}: Inserts the name of the Link Offer.
{member_id}: Inserts the unique ID associated with the member's Aspire profile.

What Are Custom Parameters?

Custom UTM parameters allow you to track campaign traffic in ways that go beyond the five standard UTM parameters. This provides the flexibility to capture additional data specific to your tracking needs.

How to Add a Custom Parameter:

Click the Add Parameter button.
Enter a name for your custom parameter (this is the key).
Provide a value for the parameter (this is the value).

Each custom parameter must include both a key and a value. You can add up to three custom parameters.

For a quick tutorial on how to add UTM parameters to your links, check out this video.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I view UTM data in Google Analytics?

You can view UTM data in Google Analytics under Life cycle > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition.

Can UTM parameter values contain numbers or special characters?

UTM parameter values can include letters, numbers, hyphens (-), underscores (_), and the plus symbol (+). However, they cannot contain other special characters.

How is the project name populated when using `{project_name}` as a dynamic parameter?

The {project_name} dynamic parameter will only be populated if the Link Offer is connected to a project.

What happens if a dynamic parameter doesn't have a value?

When using dynamic parameters, if the value for a specific variable doesn’t exist, the UTM parameter will still be included in the link, but it will be left blank — except when using {creator_ig_username} and {creator_tiktok_username}.

For example:

If you use {project_name} for utm_campaign but no project is connected to the offer, the UTM parameter utm_campaign will still appear in the URL, but it will have no value.
If a creator’s Instagram or TikTok username is missing from their member profile and you use {creator_ig_username} or {creator_tiktok_username}, we will use the creator's name as the value instead of leaving it blank.

Can we add UTM parameters to an existing offer?

Yes, you can add UTM parameters to an existing Link Offer at any time. Once the changes are saved, the new UTM parameters will be automatically added to any existing links associated with the offer.

Can we edit UTM parameters after generating links?

Yes, you can edit or remove UTM parameters from a Link Offer after generating links. Once changes are saved, the existing links will automatically update to reflect the new parameters.

Note: If the existing links already have UTM parameters, the newly added parameters will override the previous ones.

Are UTM parameters case-sensitive?

Yes, UTM parameters are case-sensitive. For example, utm_source=Facebook and utm_source=facebook will be treated as two separate sources in Google Analytics. It's recommended to use lowercase letters for consistency.