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How to track ad results with UTM tags

UTM tags are short labels added to the end of your ad link, such as utm_source=facebook and utm_campaign=spring_sale, so your analytics shows which campaign and which ad each visit came from. Use the same naming pattern on every link, and add them at the ad level so you can tell concepts apart.

By the Moonlighters team. Last updated 11 October 2026.

The five parameters

ParameterAnswersExample
utm_sourceWhere the visit came fromfacebook, instagram, google
utm_mediumThe kind of trafficpaid_social, cpc, email
utm_campaignWhich campaignspring_sale
utm_contentWhich ad or concept (use this to compare creative)story_offer_v1
utm_termSearch keyword, for paid searchmobile_car_valet

An example link

https://example.co.nz/valet?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=story_offer_v1

Anatomy of a UTM-tagged link A web address broken into five labelled parts: the landing page, then utm source, utm medium, utm campaign and utm content parameters, each with a plain-English meaning. https://example.co.nz/valetYour landing page?utm_source=facebookWhere the visit came from&utm_medium=paid_socialThe kind of traffic&utm_campaign=spring_saleWhich campaign&utm_content=story_offer_v1Which ad or concept
Each added part tells your analytics where a visit came from. Use utm_content to tell concepts apart.

Naming rules that save you later

  • Lower case, no spaces. "Facebook" and "facebook" are counted as different sources.
  • Pick one pattern and keep it. For example concept_format_version, such as offer_story_v2.
  • Put the concept in utm_content. That is how you tell which creative produced which result.
  • Never put personal information in tags. No names, emails or phone numbers in a URL.

Adding them in Meta Ads

In Ads Manager, each ad has a URL parameters field. You can type fixed values and use Meta's dynamic placeholders, such as {{campaign.name}}, {{adset.name}} and {{ad.name}}, so the names you give your ads flow through automatically. Check Meta's current documentation for the exact list of placeholders.

Google Ads

Google Ads can add its own click identifier automatically (auto-tagging). If your Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked, you usually do not need manual UTM tags for Google Ads traffic, but you still need them for other sources such as email and social.

Reading the results in GA4

  1. Open the traffic acquisition report and look at the session source, medium and campaign.
  2. Add the manual ad content dimension to see results by ad or concept.
  3. Compare conversions (enquiries or purchases), not just visits.

Caveats

  • Tags only record visits that reach your site and that your tracking is allowed to record.
  • Platform reports and analytics reports often disagree because they count differently. Use each for what it is good at.
  • Your site's privacy notice should explain what tracking you use.

Combine this with a simple creative test and the landing page checklist to see what is really working.

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