# UTM parameters

Category: [Technical SEO](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/technical-seo/) › [URLs & domains](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/technical-seo/urls-domains/) · Also known as: UTM

**UTM parameters** are tags added to the end of a URL, such as `utm_source` and `utm_medium`, that tell an analytics tool which campaign, channel or link a visit came from. UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module. They do not change what the page shows.

## What are the UTM parameters?

Google Analytics lists these parameters: `utm_id`, `utm_source`, `utm_medium`, `utm_campaign`, `utm_source_platform`, `utm_term`, `utm_content`, `utm_creative_format` and `utm_marketing_tactic`. Google says to always use `utm_source`, `utm_medium` and `utm_campaign`. The values are case-sensitive, so `Meta` and `meta` are counted as different sources. If the parameters are missing, reports show "(not set)".

## What do they mean for SEO?

Every tagged link is a separate URL for a crawler, although the content is identical. Google's URL structure documentation lists referral parameters among the irrelevant parameters that can create a large number of URLs. Tagged links have the same effect. A canonical tag that points to the clean URL is a common response; this is widespread practice, not an explicit Google recommendation for UTM parameters. Many teams also keep UTM links off their own site, since tagging internal links starts a new session in analytics and distorts the source data.

## Example

```text
https://example.com/guide?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=autumn-launch
```

The canonical tag on that page points to the clean URL:

```html
<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/guide">
```

## Common mistakes

- Mixed spellings for the same source in different campaigns.
- UTM tags on internal links.
- Tagged URLs that are indexed because the page has no canonical tag.

*Diagram: Duplicate cluster and canonical URL.* Google groups identical or very similar pages into a cluster and picks one canonical URL. According to Google, redirects and rel="canonical" are strong signals and the sitemap is a weak one. Your own preference remains a hint.

## Related terms

- [URL parameters](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/url-parameters/index.md)
- [Rank tracking](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/rank-tracking/index.md)
- [AI visibility tracking](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/ai-visibility-tracking/index.md)

## Sources

- [UTM parameters in Google Analytics – Analytics Help](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/10917952?hl=en)
- [URL structure best practices – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/url-structure)
- [Campaign URL Builder – Google](https://ga-dev-tools.google/campaign-url-builder/)

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Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/utm-parameters/