## Tracking UTM Campaigns

UTM parameters are tags you add to URLs to track where your traffic comes from. Alpha Insights automatically detects and reports on UTM-tagged traffic, connecting campaigns directly to profit. This comprehensive guide shows you how to use UTMs effectively, avoid common mistakes, and maximize your tracking accuracy.

Prerequisites: Website tracking must be enabled. See Understanding Website Analytics for setup instructions.

### What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are additions to URLs that identify the source, medium, and campaign of your traffic. They were originally developed by Urchin Software (acquired by Google in 2005) and have become the industry standard for campaign tracking.

Example URL without UTM:

    https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt

Example URL with UTM parameters:

    https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_sale

What happens: The visitor sees the same page and content, but Alpha Insights can now track that they came from your Facebook spring sale campaign! This data is:

- Stored in the session's landing_page field
- Extracted and analyzed for reporting
- Connected to any orders placed during that session
- Viewable in UTM campaign reports

#### The Five UTM Parameters

### 1. utm_source (Required)

What it is: Identifies where the traffic originated (the platform, website, or publication)

Common values:

- `facebook` - Facebook posts or ads
- `google` - Google sources (if not using gclid)
- `newsletter` - Email newsletters
- `instagram` - Instagram organic or paid
- `tiktok` - TikTok content or ads
- `linkedin` - LinkedIn posts
- `twitter` - Twitter/X posts
- `pinterest` - Pinterest pins
- `youtube` - YouTube descriptions
- `blog_post` - Your own blog
- `partner_website` - Partner or affiliate sites

Format rules:

- Use lowercase only
- No spaces (use underscores: `email_newsletter`)
- Be specific but not too granular
- Use same name consistently

❌ Bad examples:

- `utm_source=Facebook` (uppercase - will show separately from "facebook")
- `utm_source=fb` (abbreviation - mix with "facebook" creates confusion)
- `utm_source=My Facebook Page` (spaces and capitals)

✅ Good examples:

- `utm_source=facebook`
- `utm_source=newsletter`
- `utm_source=partner_blog`

### 2. utm_medium (Required)

What it is: Identifies the type of marketing channel or method

Standard values (recommended to use these):

- `cpc` - Cost per click (paid ads)
- `social` - Organic social media
- `email` - Email marketing
- `referral` - Links from other sites
- `display` - Display advertising (banners)
- `affiliate` - Affiliate marketing links
- `video` - Video platform links
- `podcast` - Podcast show notes
- `qr` - QR codes
- `sms` - Text message campaigns
- `influencer` - Influencer partnerships

Why standardization matters: Using `email` consistently allows Alpha Insights to aggregate all email traffic together, regardless of source (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, etc.).

How Alpha Insights uses utm_medium:

- `utm_medium=email` → Forces "Email" traffic classification
- `utm_medium=cpc` from Google/Bing → Likely paid search
- Overrides referrer-based detection in most cases

### 3. utm_campaign (Highly Recommended)

What it is: Identifies the specific campaign or promotion

Use for:

- Seasonal promotions
- Product launches
- Email campaign series
- Testing different approaches
- Comparing campaign performance

Naming best practices:

- Include date or season: `spring_sale_2024`
- Be descriptive: `black_friday_early_access`
- Use consistent naming: Always `product_name_launch` format
- Avoid generic names: Not "sale" or "promo"

Good examples:

- `utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024`
- `utm_campaign=black_friday`
- `utm_campaign=new_product_launch_tshirt`
- `utm_campaign=welcome_series_email1`
- `utm_campaign=abandoned_cart_recovery`
- `utm_campaign=customer_winback_q1`
- `utm_campaign=influencer_sarah_jan2024`

Organizational tip: Create a naming convention document. Examples:

- Sales: `{season}_{type}_{year}` → `spring_sale_2024`
- Launches: `{product}_launch_{month}` → `widget_launch_march`
- Email: `{type}_email{number}` → `welcome_email1`

### 4. utm_content (Optional but Powerful)

What it is: Differentiates between versions of the same ad/link

Use for A/B testing:

- Different ad creatives
- Button colors or text
- Image variations
- Link placements in emails
- Headlines or copy variations

Examples for split testing:

    Version A: utm_content=banner_red_button
    Version B: utm_content=banner_blue_button

    Email links:
    utm_content=header_cta
    utm_content=product_image_link
    utm_content=footer_link

    Ad variations:
    utm_content=image_lifestyle
    utm_content=image_product_only
    utm_content=video_testimonial

Use case: Email link tracking

    Hero CTA:     utm_content=hero_cta
    Product 1:    utm_content=product1_image
    Product 2:    utm_content=product2_image
    Footer link:  utm_content=footer_shop_now

Then in reports, see which email element drives most conversions!

### 5. utm_term (Optional, Rarely Used)

What it is: Originally for paid search keywords

When to use:

- Manually tracking specific keywords in paid search (though Google Ads auto-tracks this)
- Tracking specific search terms in organic campaigns
- Very rarely needed in modern tracking

Example:

    utm_term=red_t_shirts
    utm_term=organic_cotton_clothing

Note: Google Ads automatically populates keyword data via gclid, so manually adding utm_term is usually unnecessary and may conflict with auto-tagging.

#### Creating UTM Links

### Method 1: Manual Construction

URL structure:

    Base URL?utm_source=value&utm_medium=value&utm_campaign=value&utm_content=value

Step-by-step example:

    1. Start with your page URL:
       https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt

    2. Add question mark (starts query parameters):
       https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt?

    3. Add utm_source:
       https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt?utm_source=facebook

    4. Add ampersand and utm_medium:
       https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

    5. Add utm_campaign:
       https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_sale

    6. Final URL (optional utm_content):
       https://yourstore.com/products/t-shirt?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=carousel_ad

Technical notes:

- First parameter uses `?`
- Subsequent parameters use `&`
- No spaces allowed (URL encoding converts spaces to `%20`)
- Order doesn't matter, but source/medium/campaign is conventional

### Method 2: Google Campaign URL Builder (Recommended)

Free tool: ga-dev-tools.google/campaign-url-builder

How to use:

1. Enter your website URL (e.g., `https://yourstore.com/products`)
2. Fill in Campaign Source (e.g., `facebook`)
3. Fill in Campaign Medium (e.g., `social`)
4. Fill in Campaign Name (e.g., `spring_sale_2024`)
5. Optionally add Campaign Term and Campaign Content
6. Click "Generate URL"
7. Copy the generated URL
8. Use it in your marketing materials

Pro tip: Save your generated URLs in a spreadsheet to:

- Maintain consistency across campaigns
- Track what URLs you've used
- Reference for future campaigns
- Share with team members
- Document naming conventions

### Method 3: Spreadsheet Template

Create a Google Sheet or Excel template with columns:

Base URL | Source | Medium | Campaign | Content | Final URL
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
yourstore.com/products | facebook | social | spring_sale | image1 | [formula generates]

Excel formula for Final URL column:

    =A2&"?utm_source="&B2&"&utm_medium="&C2&"&utm_campaign="&D2&"&utm_content="&E2

#### UTM Best Practices & Naming Conventions

### 1. Always Use Lowercase

Why: `Facebook` and `facebook` are treated as different sources in reports

❌ Wrong:

    utm_source=Facebook
    utm_source=FACEBOOK
    utm_source=facebook (inconsistent mixing)

✅ Right:

    utm_source=facebook (always)

### 2. Use Underscores, Not Spaces

Why: Spaces break URLs or get encoded to `%20`, making them ugly and hard to read

❌ Wrong:

    utm_campaign=spring sale 2024
    (becomes: utm_campaign=spring%20sale%202024)

✅ Right:

    utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024

### 3. Be Consistent

Choose one naming system and stick to it:

❌ Inconsistent:

- Sometimes `newsletter`, sometimes `email`, sometimes `mailchimp`
- Creates 3 separate sources in reports!

✅ Consistent:

- Always `utm_source=newsletter` for all email campaigns
- Or always `utm_source=mailchimp` if you want provider-specific tracking
- Document your choice and train your team

### 4. Be Descriptive But Concise

❌ Too vague:

    utm_campaign=promo
    utm_campaign=sale
    utm_campaign=test

❌ Too long:

    utm_campaign=black_friday_biggest_sale_of_the_year_2024_limited_time_offer

✅ Just right:

    utm_campaign=black_friday_2024
    utm_campaign=spring_sale_early_access
    utm_campaign=product_launch_widget

### 5. Include Dates When Relevant

Makes year-over-year comparisons easier:

    utm_campaign=black_friday_2023
    utm_campaign=black_friday_2024

    utm_campaign=email_newsletter_jan2024
    utm_campaign=email_newsletter_feb2024

### 6. Use Hierarchical Structure

Organize parameters from general to specific:

    utm_source=facebook (platform)
    utm_medium=social (type)
    utm_campaign=spring_sale (promotion)
    utm_content=carousel_ad (specific creative)

### Common UTM Templates by Channel

### For Social Media Organic Posts:

    utm_source={platform}      → facebook, instagram, twitter, linkedin
    utm_medium=social
    utm_campaign={campaign_name}
    utm_content={post_type}    → photo, carousel, video, story

Example:

    https://yourstore.com/products?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024&utm_content=reel

### For Email Campaigns:

    utm_source={provider_or_newsletter}  → newsletter, klaviyo, mailchimp
    utm_medium=email
    utm_campaign={campaign_name}
    utm_content={link_location}          → hero_cta, product1, footer_link

Examples:

    Welcome series email 1:
    utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=welcome_series_email1&utm_content=hero_cta

    Abandoned cart:
    utm_source=klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=abandoned_cart&utm_content=product_image

    Promotional blast:
    utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024&utm_content=shop_now_button

### For Paid Social Ads:

    utm_source={platform}      → facebook, instagram, tiktok
    utm_medium=cpc
    utm_campaign={campaign_name}
    utm_content={ad_variation}  → image_a, video_b, carousel_c

Example:

    utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=carousel_lifestyle

Pro tip for Facebook: Also add `meta_cid={{campaign.id}}` for campaign-level profit tracking

### For Google Ads:

Note: Google Ads uses auto-tagging with `gclid` parameter, but you can add UTMs for additional tracking:

    utm_source=google
    utm_medium=cpc
    utm_campaign={campaign_name}
    utm_content={ad_variation}
    utm_term={keyword} (optional, redundant with auto-tagging)

Better approach: Use `google_cid={{campaignid}}` for Alpha Insights campaign attribution, let gclid handle the rest.

### For Influencer Partnerships:

    utm_source={platform}           → instagram, youtube, tiktok
    utm_medium=influencer
    utm_campaign={influencer_name}
    utm_content={content_type}      → story, post, video, bio_link

Example:

    utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sarah_may_collab&utm_content=story_swipeup

Why this works: You can track each influencer's performance and ROI!

### For Affiliate Links:

    utm_source={affiliate_name}  → affiliate_jane, coupon_site_x
    utm_medium=affiliate
    utm_campaign={promotion}
    utm_content={placement}      → banner, text_link, review

Example:

    utm_source=affiliate_blog_jane&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=june_promotion&utm_content=sidebar_banner

### For Offline Marketing (QR Codes, Print):

    utm_source={location_or_material}  → flyer, business_card, billboard
    utm_medium=qr
    utm_campaign={campaign}
    utm_content={specific_location}    → store_counter, magazine_ad

Example:

    QR code on business cards:
    utm_source=business_card&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=networking_q1&utm_content=front_card

    Billboard:
    utm_source=billboard&utm_medium=offline&utm_campaign=summer_2024&utm_content=highway_101

Pro tip: Use URL shorteners (bit.ly) for printed materials, but track the destination URL with UTMs

#### Where to Use UTM Links

### Email Marketing (ALWAYS)

Use UTMs on every single link in your emails:

- Newsletter links
- Promotional email links
- Abandoned cart recovery emails
- Welcome series
- Post-purchase follow-ups
- Re-engagement campaigns
- Transactional emails with promotional content

Why: Email referrers are often stripped or inconsistent. UTMs ensure accurate tracking.

#### Social Media Posts (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

- Facebook posts
- Instagram bio link (use link-in-bio tools with UTMs)
- Instagram story links
- TikTok bio link
- Twitter/X posts
- LinkedIn posts and articles
- Pinterest pins
- YouTube video descriptions

Why: Social platforms often strip referrer data. `fbclid` auto-added by Facebook is helpful, but UTMs give you campaign-level detail.

### Paid Advertising (REQUIRED)

- Facebook Ads destination URLs (add UTMs + `meta_cid={{campaign.id}}`)
- Instagram Ads
- TikTok Ads
- LinkedIn Ads
- Twitter Ads
- Display ads (banner networks)
- Native advertising (Taboola, Outbrain)
- Sponsored content

Google Ads note: Uses auto-tagging with `gclid`. Adding UTMs is optional but can provide additional context. If adding UTMs, ensure auto-tagging is still enabled.

#### Influencer & Affiliate Links (ESSENTIAL)

- Give each influencer a unique UTM link
- Track which influencers drive most sales and profit
- Include campaign identifier for multi-influencer campaigns
- Use utm_content to differentiate post types (story vs feed post)

Example tracking:

    Influencer Sarah - Instagram story:
    yourstore.com/products?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sarah_may&utm_content=story

    Influencer Sarah - Feed post:
    yourstore.com/products?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=sarah_may&utm_content=feed_post

### Offline Marketing

- QR codes on flyers → point to URL with UTMs
- Business cards → use short URL (bit.ly) pointing to UTM URL
- Print ads → create vanity URL (yourstore.com/magazine) that redirects to UTM URL
- TV/Radio spots → easy-to-remember URL that redirects to UTM URL
- Event banners and signage

Tip: Create memorable URLs that redirect:

    Print: "Visit yourstore.com/spring"
    Redirects to: yourstore.com?utm_source=magazine&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024&utm_content=march_issue

### DO NOT Use UTMs For:

- ❌ Internal links on your own website (messes up attribution)
- ❌ Links within the same email (only external links)
- ❌ Navigation menus on your site
- ❌ Footer links on your own site

Rule: Only use UTMs for external links that bring people TO your site, not for internal navigation.

#### Viewing UTM Data in Alpha Insights

### Traffic Channels Report

The Traffic Channels report shows all your UTM campaign data. To learn about customizing reports and adding filters, see Using Report Filters.

1. Go to Alpha Insights → Website Traffic → Traffic Channels
2. Scroll to "Website Traffic Data By UTM Campaign" section
3. See all campaigns with their performance metrics

Data columns shown:

- Campaign name: Value from utm_campaign parameter
- Session count: Number of visits from this campaign
- User count: Unique visitors (by IP)
- Transactions: Number of orders
- Total revenue: Revenue generated by campaign
- Conversion rate: % of sessions that converted

How to use this data:

1. Sort by Total Revenue to see top-performing campaigns
2. Sort by Conversion Rate to find highest-quality campaigns
3. Compare campaigns over time to identify trends
4. Calculate ROI by comparing revenue to campaign costs

### Realtime Dashboard

1. Go to Alpha Insights → Website Traffic → Realtime Dashboard
2. See "UTM Campaign Performance" section
3. View campaigns as they drive traffic in real-time

Use during:

- Campaign launches - verify tracking is working
- Email sends - watch traffic spike from specific campaigns
- Social media posts - see immediate impact
- Paid ad launches - confirm UTMs are correctly applied

### Referral URL Analysis

1. Go to Alpha Insights → Website Traffic → Traffic Channels
2. View "Website Traffic Data By Referral URL" section
3. See detailed breakdown of referring domains with UTM parameters

Shows full URL including UTMs:

    https://yourstore.com/products?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_sale

### Website Sessions Report

1. Go to Alpha Insights → Website Traffic → Website Sessions
2. View "landing_page_campaign" column
3. See utm_campaign value for each individual session
4. Click session to see full landing page URL with all parameters

#### Analyzing UTM Campaign Performance

### Key Questions to Answer

1. Which source drives the most revenue?

    Analysis example:

    Facebook (utm_source=facebook):
    - Sessions: 2,000
    - Revenue: $8,000
    - Orders: 100
    - Revenue per session: $4.00
    - Conversion Rate: 5.0%

    Email (utm_source=newsletter):
    - Sessions: 500
    - Revenue: $4,500
    - Orders: 75
    - Revenue per session: $9.00
    - Conversion Rate: 15.0%

    Insight: Email has 4x fewer sessions but generates 2.25x more revenue per session.
    Email conversion rate is 3x higher.
    Action: Prioritize email list growth and email marketing budget.

2. Which campaigns converted best?

    Campaign A (utm_campaign=spring_sale):
    - Sessions: 3,000
    - Orders: 105
    - Conversion rate: 3.5%
    - AOV: $80
    - Total Revenue: $8,400

    Campaign B (utm_campaign=new_arrivals):
    - Sessions: 1,500
    - Orders: 32
    - Conversion rate: 2.1%
    - AOV: $95
    - Total Revenue: $3,040

    Insight: Spring sale converts 67% better, but new arrivals has 19% higher AOV.
    Action: Run more promotional campaigns, but include higher-value products.

3. Which content/variation performed best?

    utm_content=red_button:    125 orders, 4.2% conversion
    utm_content=blue_button:   92 orders, 3.1% conversion
    utm_content=green_button:  78 orders, 2.6% conversion

    Insight: Red button outperforms by 35% vs blue, 62% vs green.
    Action: Use red buttons in all future campaigns. Test variations of red (shades, sizes).

4. What's the ROI of paid campaigns?

To calculate profit-based ROAS, you need to add product costs. See Cost of Goods Manager to get started.

    Campaign: utm_campaign=facebook_spring_ads
    - Sessions: 5,000
    - Revenue: $15,000
    - Orders: 250
    - Product Costs: $6,000
    - Gross Profit: $9,000
    - Ad Spend: $3,000
    - Net Profit: $6,000
    - ROAS: 5.0 ($15,000 / $3,000)
    - Profit ROAS: 3.0 ($9,000 / $3,000)

    Insight: Campaign is profitable with 3.0 profit ROAS (good benchmark is >2.0).
    Action: Scale campaign budget gradually, monitor ROAS decline at higher spend.

#### Advanced UTM Strategies

### Multi-Touch Attribution with UTMs

Track customer journey across multiple touchpoints. For detailed information on how attribution works, see the Session Management guide.

1. Customer clicks Facebook ad: `utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=discovery_ads`
2. Later clicks email link: `utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nurture_series`
3. Finally searches brand and clicks Google ad: `utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand_keywords`
4. Alpha Insights attributes order to the last session's UTMs (last-click attribution)

To see full journey:

- Use Website Sessions report
- Filter by IP address or user ID
- View all sessions from same visitor
- Analyze which touchpoints assisted conversion

### Campaign-Specific Deep Tracking

For major campaigns, use unique UTMs for every placement:

Black Friday campaign example:

    Email 1 (Early access):
    utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=email1_early_access

    Email 2 (Reminder):
    utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=email2_reminder

    Facebook post:
    utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=facebook_organic_post

    Facebook carousel ad:
    utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=facebook_carousel_ad

    Instagram story:
    utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=instagram_story

    Instagram feed ad:
    utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=instagram_feed_ad

    Website banner (internal):
    utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=homepage_banner

    Blog post CTA:
    utm_campaign=black_friday&utm_content=blog_announcement

Then analyze:

- Which placement drove most traffic?
- Which converted best?
- What was profit per session by placement?
- Where should you invest more next time?

### Geographic Variations

Testing different messaging by region:

    utm_campaign=summer_sale_us
    utm_campaign=summer_sale_uk
    utm_campaign=summer_sale_au

    Or more granular:
    utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_content=us_messaging
    utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_content=uk_messaging
    utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_content=au_messaging

### Audience Segmentation Testing

    utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=new_customers
    utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=vip_customers
    utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=cart_abandoners
    utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=past_purchasers
    utm_campaign=spring_sale&utm_content=email_subscribers

Analyze: Which audience segment has highest conversion and profit? Double down on winners.

#### Common UTM Mistakes to Avoid

### Mistake 1: Not Using UTMs Consistently

Problem: Sometimes using them, sometimes not. Causes inaccurate data and attribution.

Solution:

- Use UTMs on every single external link
- Create templates and checklists
- Train all team members
- Review links before publishing

### Mistake 2: Inconsistent Naming

Problem: "Facebook", "facebook", "fb", "FB" all used randomly → creates 4 separate sources in reports

Solution:

- Document naming conventions
- Create a "UTM cheat sheet" for your team
- Use templates and URL builders
- Periodically audit your UTM parameters in reports

### Mistake 3: Too Generic Campaign Names

Problem: `utm_campaign=promo` or `utm_campaign=sale` used multiple times → can't differentiate

Solution:

- Always include date or season: `promo_march_2024`
- Be specific: `spring_clearance_sale` not just `sale`
- Include product if relevant: `tshirt_launch_promo`

### Mistake 4: Using Spaces in Parameters

Problem: `utm_campaign=spring sale` becomes `spring%20sale` in URLs (ugly and hard to read)

Solution:

- Always use underscores: `spring_sale`
- Or hyphens: `spring-sale` (but be consistent)
- Never use spaces

### Mistake 5: Using UTMs on Internal Links

Problem: Adding UTMs to navigation links or footer links on your own site → breaks attribution

Example of what NOT to do:

    Products

Why it's bad: Every page navigation creates a "new session" with source "internal", overwriting the real traffic source.

Solution:

- Only use UTMs on external links (emails, social posts, ads)
- Never add UTMs to your own site navigation
- Keep internal links clean

### Mistake 6: Not Testing UTM Links

Problem: Launch campaign, links are broken or UTMs are wrong. Can't fix after launch.

Solution:

- Click every UTM link before campaign goes live
- Verify page loads correctly
- Check UTMs appear in URL
- Test on mobile and desktop
- Use Realtime Dashboard to confirm tracking works

### Mistake 7: Overcomplicating with Too Many Parameters

Problem: Creating 50+ variations for one campaign → data fragmentation, analysis paralysis

Example of too much:

    utm_content=facebook_carousel_ad_variation_a_red_button_image_1_headline_test_1

Solution:

- Keep it simple and organized
- Use 3-5 content variations max per campaign
- Test one variable at a time
- Combine minor variations

### Mistake 8: Not Documenting Your UTM Strategy

Problem: Team members use different naming, no consistency, analysis difficult

Solution:

- Create a UTM naming convention document
- Include examples for each channel
- Share with entire team
- Update as you add new channels
- Store all UTM links in shared spreadsheet

### Troubleshooting UTM Tracking

### Issue: UTM data not showing in reports

Check:

- Website analytics is enabled (Settings → General Settings → Enable WooCommerce Event Tracking = True)
- UTM parameters are in correct format (`?utm_source=...`)
- Links are actually being clicked (test them yourself)
- You're not excluded from tracking (check "Exclude These Roles From Tracking" setting)
- Data appears in Realtime Dashboard first (historical reports aggregate with delay)
- Landing page cookie is being set (check browser dev tools)

### Issue: Some campaigns show, others don't

Possible causes:

- Typo in UTM parameter name (use `utm_source` not `utm-source` or `utmsource`)
- Campaign hasn't generated any traffic yet
- Date range in report doesn't include campaign dates
- Case sensitivity issue ("Facebook" vs "facebook" show separately)
- Link not actually used or clicked

### Issue: Data looks wrong or duplicated

Check:

- Consistent naming - "Facebook" and "facebook" appear as two sources
- URL encoding - spaces become %20, special characters encoded
- Multiple UTMs accidentally added - only last one is used
- UTMs on internal links - messes up attribution
- Shortened URLs not redirecting correctly

### Issue: Orders not attributed to correct campaign

Possible causes:

- Customer clicked multiple campaigns - last one gets credit (last-click attribution)
- Landing page cookie expired (10 minutes) - customer returned later via different source
- Customer cleared cookies
- Order placed from different device
- UTMs not used on the link that converted

How to investigate:

- Check order meta: `_wpd_ai_landing_page` field shows exact landing URL
- View Website Sessions report for customer's IP
- See all sessions leading up to purchase
- Understand multi-touch journey

#### UTM Tracking Checklist

Before launching any campaign:

1. □ Created UTM-tagged URLs for all external links
2. □ Used lowercase for all parameters
3. □ Used underscores instead of spaces
4. □ Named campaign descriptively (not generic like "sale")
5. □ Followed your documented naming conventions
6. □ Added all URLs to tracking spreadsheet
7. □ Tested each link clicks through correctly
8. □ Verified UTMs appear in URL after click
9. □ Checked Realtime Dashboard shows test traffic
10. □ Confirmed campaign name appears in reports

After launching campaign:

1. □ Monitor Realtime Dashboard for initial traffic
2. □ Check Traffic Channels report after 24 hours
3. □ Verify campaign appears in UTM Campaign table
4. □ Review session data to confirm accurate tracking
5. □ Monitor conversion rates and adjust as needed

#### Best Practices Summary

- Use UTMs on every external link - email, social, ads, partners, influencers
- Never use UTMs on internal links - breaks attribution
- Be consistent - document and follow naming conventions
- Use lowercase and underscores - avoid spaces and capital letters
- Be descriptive but concise - clear campaign names with dates
- Test links before launching - verify tracking works
- Document your strategy - share with team
- Store links in spreadsheet - maintain organized records
- Review reports regularly - weekly analysis of campaign performance
- Combine with profit data - focus on ROAS and profit per session
- Iterate and improve - learn from what works

#### UTM Parameter Quick Reference

Parameter | Required? | Purpose | Examples
--- | --- | --- | ---
utm_source | Required | Identify the platform/site | facebook, newsletter, google
utm_medium | Required | Identify channel type | social, email, cpc, referral
utm_campaign | Highly Recommended | Identify specific campaign | spring_sale_2024, welcome_email1
utm_content | Optional | Differentiate variations | red_button, hero_cta, image_a
utm_term | Rarely Used | Paid search keywords | red_t_shirts (auto-tracked by Google Ads)

#### Next Steps

- Review Website Analytics Overview for tracking fundamentals
- Read Traffic Source Analysis to optimize based on UTM data
- Check Session Management to understand attribution timing
- See Troubleshooting Guide if tracking isn't working
- Set up Facebook Campaign Tracking with meta_cid parameter
- Configure Google Ads Tracking with google_cid parameter
- Learn about Report Filters to filter by campaign
- Explore Creating Custom Reports for campaign analysis

Ready to get started? Create your first UTM-tagged link using the Google Campaign URL Builder, test it in the Realtime Dashboard, and start tracking your campaign performance with Alpha Insights!