Published on 2025-06-29T18:32:08Z

What Are URL Parameters? Examples for Campaign Tracking & Analytics

URL parameters, also known as query strings, are key-value pairs appended to a webpage URL that begin with ? and are separated by &. In campaign tracking & analytics, these parameters let marketers tag links with identifiers—such as source, medium, and campaign name—to attribute web traffic and user actions to specific marketing efforts. By constructing and managing parameters effectively, teams can track performance across channels and optimize future campaigns. Tools like UTMGuru streamline tag creation and organization, while privacy-focused analytics platforms like PlainSignal can capture and report on these parameters without relying on cookies.

Illustration of Url parameters
Illustration of Url parameters

Url parameters

Key-value pairs appended to URLs for tagging and tracking marketing campaigns, enabling precise attribution in analytics dashboards.

Definition and Purpose

URL parameters, or query parameters, are appended to URLs after a ? and follow the format key=value. They enable passing contextual information—like campaign identifiers—within links. This mechanism is fundamental for attributing traffic sources, segmenting users, and measuring the impact of marketing efforts without altering base URLs.

  • Structure of url parameters

    Parameters begin with ? and include one or more key=value pairs separated by &. For example: https://example.com/page?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc.

    • Key-value pairs:

      Each parameter consists of a name and a value, such as utm_source=google.

    • Delimiter characters:

      ? marks the start of the query string and & separates multiple parameters.

  • Role in campaign tracking

    By tagging URLs with parameters, marketers can attribute sessions, conversions, and other user actions to specific campaigns, channels, or content variations.

Key UTM Parameters

UTM parameters are the industry-standard tags for campaign tracking. Each one serves a specific analytics purpose.

  • Utm_source

    Identifies the traffic source (e.g., google, newsletter).

  • Utm_medium

    Specifies the marketing medium (e.g., cpc, email, social).

  • Utm_campaign

    Names the campaign to track performance across multiple channels (e.g., spring_sale).

  • Utm_term

    Tracks paid keywords or specific terms (useful for paid search campaigns).

  • Utm_content

    Differentiates similar content or links within the same ad (e.g., cta_button vs header_link).

Generating Parameters with UTMGuru

UTMGuru simplifies the creation, management, and organization of UTM-tagged URLs through a web interface and a Chrome extension. It enables teams to maintain consistent naming conventions and reuse past configurations.

  • Using the utm builder

    Follow these steps to generate a tagged URL:

    • Access utmguru:

      Open the UTM builder at utmguru.com or click the Chrome extension icon.

    • Fill in parameter fields:

      Enter values for Source, Medium, Campaign, Term, and Content, adhering to your naming guidelines.

    • Generate and copy url:

      Click ‘Generate’ to produce the full URL with parameters, then copy it for your campaign.

    • Save for later:

      Use UTMGuru’s list feature to store and categorize your generated URLs for future reference.

Tracking Parameters with PlainSignal

PlainSignal is a cookie-free analytics platform that captures URL parameters alongside event data to provide privacy-friendly insights into campaign performance.

  • Implementing the plainsignal script

    Insert the following snippet into your site’s <head> section to enable PlainSignal tracking:

    <link rel="preconnect" href="//eu.plainsignal.com/" crossorigin />
<script defer data-do="yourwebsitedomain.com" data-id="0GQV1xmtzQQ" data-api="//eu.plainsignal.com" src="//cdn.plainsignal.com/plainsignal-min.js"></script>
    • Preconnect link:

      Establishes early connections to improve script loading performance.

    • Script attributes:

      data-do defines your domain, data-id is your PlainSignal project ID, and data-api points to the analytics endpoint.

    • Cookie-free tracking:

      PlainSignal collects parameter and event data without storing cookies, ensuring better privacy compliance.

  • Analyzing tagged urls

    View referrer and UTM parameter data in PlainSignal’s dashboard to segment traffic sources, see campaign performance, and uncover user behavior trends.

Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

Ensuring data quality and consistency in URL parameter usage is key to reliable analytics. Avoid these frequent mistakes.

  • Maintain consistent naming

    Use lowercase letters and a standardized format (e.g., spring_sale), so analytics platforms don’t treat variations as separate sources.

  • Keep urls manageable

    Limit parameters to the essentials to avoid lengthy URLs that may break or look unprofessional.

  • Properly encode values

    Apply URL encoding for spaces (%20) and special characters to ensure parameters are parsed correctly.

  • Avoid pii in parameters

    Never include personal or sensitive information in URL parameters to comply with privacy regulations like GDPR.

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