UTM Parameters & Campaign Tracking

UTM parameters tell GA4 which campaign, channel, or post drove a click. HikrLink's UTM builder appends them automatically.

The five UTM parameters

Parameter	Purpose	Example
`utm_source`	Where the traffic comes from	`instagram`, `tiktok`
`utm_medium`	The channel type	`social`, `email`, `cpc`
`utm_campaign`	Your campaign name	`summer-sale-2025`
`utm_content`	Differentiates links within the same campaign	`bio-link`, `story`
`utm_term`	Paid keyword (mainly Google Ads)	`crm-software`

utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign are required. Without all three, GA4 attributes traffic to (direct) / (none).

How to use the UTM builder in HikrLink

Click + New Link and expand the UTM Builder section.
Fill in source, medium, and campaign.
HikrLink appends the parameters to your destination URL automatically.
Shorten the resulting tracked URL — share the short link, not the long tagged URL.

UTM naming conventions

Inconsistent naming splits your data. Email and email appear as separate rows in GA4. Adopt these conventions across your team:

Always lowercase: instagram, not Instagram
Use hyphens for spaces: summer-sale, not summer_sale
Be specific on campaigns: q2-launch-smb, not campaign1

Common UTM combinations

Channel	utm_source	utm_medium
Instagram Story	`instagram`	`social`
Email newsletter	`mailchimp`	`email`
Paid Google Ad	`google`	`cpc`
TikTok bio link	`tiktok`	`social`
YouTube description	`youtube`	`social`
Printed QR code	`print`	`qr`

Frequently asked questions

Why does GA4 show so much (direct) / (none) traffic?

Usually because UTM parameters are missing or malformed. If utm_medium is absent, GA4 cannot classify the session. If utm_source varies between facebook and Facebook, sessions split across multiple entries instead of aggregating.

What is utm_content used for?

Differentiating two links in the same campaign. If you post the same link in your bio and in a Story, set utm_content: bio and utm_content: story to see which placement drove more clicks.

Does the UTM builder work on the free plan?

Yes. The UTM builder is available on all plans. Automatic normalization (lowercase + character stripping) is a Pro+ feature.