UTM tracking, built into your short links
Add UTM parameters to any short link so your campaigns report to Google Analytics — while U2L tracks every click natively. One clean, branded link carries the tracking; you get two sources of truth.
What is UTM tracking?
UTM parameters are text tags added to a URL's query string that tell analytics tools where a click came from. Add them to a link, and Google Analytics attributes the visit to the right source, medium, and campaign. They're the standard way marketers know which channel actually drove a result.
utm_source Where the traffic comes from — google, newsletter, instagram. utm_medium The marketing medium — cpc, email, social, banner. utm_campaign The campaign name — spring-sale, launch-2026. utm_term Optional — the paid keyword for search campaigns. utm_content Optional — tell two creatives or CTAs apart in one campaign. One clean link, two ways to track it
Enter your source, medium, and campaign when you create a link, and U2L folds the UTMs into the destination — not the short link. So the link you share stays clean (u2l.ai/spring), and when someone clicks, U2L redirects their browser to the full tagged destination. Google Analytics receives the complete UTM string and attributes the session correctly.
On top of that, U2L logs the click itself — time, device, location, referrer — independent of Google Analytics. So you have a reliable click count even for visitors who block analytics or decline cookies, and the two numbers corroborate each other.
Why shorten a UTM link?
A raw UTM URL is long and ugly — example.com/page?utm_source=…&utm_medium=…&utm_campaign=… — which is terrible for SMS, social bios, QR codes, and print, and it visibly leaks your campaign taxonomy to anyone who sees it. Folding the UTMs into a clean branded short link gives you a shareable link that still carries the exact same tracking power. See branded links for the trust side of that.
UTM tracking use cases
Email marketing
Tag every send, and tell your top and bottom CTAs apart with utm_content.
Paid social & PPC
Compare channels and ad creatives side by side, with a clean link in the ad.
Influencer campaigns
Give each partner their own source so you can see who drove the results.
Offline & QR
Put a UTM-tagged short link behind a QR code so poster and packaging scans attribute in GA.
SMS
A short link keeps texts within character limits while still carrying the source.
Cross-channel campaigns
Use one campaign name across email, social, and ads to roll them up in one view.
Keep your campaign data consistent
UTMs are case-sensitive, so Google Analytics treats Facebook and facebook as two different sources — the number-one reason campaign data ends up fragmented. Use lowercase everywhere, hyphens instead of spaces, and a consistent naming convention for campaigns, and never tag links between your own pages (internal UTMs restart session attribution and corrupt your reports).
UTM tracking FAQ
What are UTM parameters?+
UTM parameters are five text tags — source, medium, campaign, term, and content — added to a URL so analytics tools can attribute the visit. Source, medium, and campaign are the core three; term and content are optional. They tell tools like Google Analytics exactly where a click came from.
Do I need Google Analytics to use UTM tracking?+
UTMs report into Google Analytics (or Adobe) on the destination page, but U2L also tracks every click natively — so you get campaign data even without GA. GA adds on-site behavior and conversions on top of the click.
Will my UTM parameters still work through a short link?+
Yes. UTMs live on the destination URL, not the short link. When someone clicks, U2L redirects their browser to the full tagged destination, so Google Analytics receives the complete UTM string and attributes the session correctly. The short link stays clean; the tracking is fully preserved.
Why shorten a UTM link instead of sharing the full URL?+
A raw UTM URL is long, ugly, and exposes your campaign taxonomy. A clean branded short link is far better for SMS, social bios, QR codes, and print — and it carries exactly the same tracking power.
Where do I see UTM data?+
In Google Analytics 4, under Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition, switch the dimension to Session source/medium or Session campaign. In U2L, your native click analytics show clicks, location, device, and referrer per link.
What's the difference between UTM tracking and U2L's link analytics?+
UTM tracking is destination-side: Google Analytics reads the UTMs and attributes the on-site session and conversions (needs GA on the page, and is subject to cookie consent and ad blockers). Native link analytics is redirect-side: U2L counts the click as it happens, no tag on the destination required. U2L gives you both from one link.
Are UTM parameters case-sensitive?+
Yes. Google Analytics treats 'Facebook' and 'facebook' as different sources, which is the most common cause of fragmented campaign data. Use lowercase consistently to keep your reports clean.
Should I add UTMs to links between my own pages?+
No. Internal UTM links overwrite session attribution and corrupt your reports. Only tag inbound links from external channels like email, social, and ads.
How is this different from the U2L UTM builder tool?+
The UTM builder tool generates a tagged URL you can copy. This feature builds UTM tracking into a short link, so you share one clean link that carries the UTMs to Google Analytics and tracks the click in U2L at the same time.
Know which campaign drove the click
Add UTM tracking to your next short link and see every channel's real performance — in Google Analytics and in U2L.