How to See UTM Parameters in Google Analytics

Adding UTM parameters to your marketing URLs is a great first step, but that tracking data is useless if you don't know where to find and analyze it. This article will show you exactly how to see your UTM parameters in both Google Analytics 4 and, for historical reference, in the older Universal Analytics (UA).

What Are UTM Parameters? (A Quick Refresher)

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are simple tags you add to the end of a URL to track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. When someone clicks a link with UTM tags, Google Analytics reads that information and attributes the user's session to the specific source, medium, and campaign you defined.

This allows you to stop guessing which channels are working and start knowing precisely which emails, social media posts, or paid ads are driving traffic, engagement, and conversions.

There are five standard UTM parameters:

• utm_source: Identifies where the traffic is coming from, like 'google', 'newsletter', or 'facebook'.
• utm_medium: Explains how the traffic got to you, such as 'cpc', 'email', or 'social'.
• utm_campaign: Names the specific marketing campaign, like 'summer-sale-2023' or 'q4-product-launch'.
• utm_term: Used to track specific keywords, typically for paid search campaigns.
• utm_content: Differentiates between links pointing to the same URL within a single ad or email, like 'blue-button' vs. 'header-link'.

With that context, let's find this valuable data inside Google Analytics.

How to See UTM Data in Google Analytics 4

Since Google Analytics 4 is the current standard, we'll start here. GA4 collects UTM data automatically and makes it available in its acquisition reports. The key is knowing which “dimension” to select to view your data correctly.

Step 1: Navigate to the Traffic Acquisition Report

The primary report for viewing campaign-level data is the Traffic acquisition report. This report shows you information based on the session, meaning it tells you how users arrived on your site for each individual visit.

1. Log in to your Google Analytics 4 property.
2. In the left-hand navigation menu, click on Reports (the chart icon).
3. Under the Life cycle collection, click Acquisition.
4. Click on the Traffic acquisition report.

You'll now see a table of data that is likely grouped by the default dimension, "Session default channel group." This gives a high-level overview (e.g., Organic Search, Direct, Paid Social), but it isn't specific enough to see your finely-tuned UTM tags.

Step 2: Change the Primary Dimension to View UTM Data

This is where you can see your UTMs in action. The power is in changing the primary dimension to one associated with your UTM tags.

1. In the Traffic acquisition report, look at the top of the data table. You'll see the column header "Session default channel group" with a small dropdown arrow next to it.
2. Click that dropdown arrow. A search bar and a list of dimensions will appear.
3. To view specific UTM parameters, select one of the following dimensions:

Once you select a new dimension, the report will refresh instantly, displaying your traffic organized by the UTM parameter you chose. Now you can see session counts, engaged users, conversions, and even purchase revenue attributed to each specific campaign, source, or medium.

Step 3: Add a Secondary Dimension for Deeper Analysis

You can get even more granular by adding a second dimension to your report. For example, you can view your Session source / medium and then break it down further by Session campaign.

1. To the right of the primary dimension dropdown, click the blue "+" icon.
2. A similar list of dimensions will appear. Select the secondary dimension you want to analyze.
3. For example, if your primary dimension is "Session source / medium," a great secondary dimension to add is "Session campaign" to see which campaigns performed best for each source/medium combination. Or, add "Session manual ad content" to see which creative or link variation drove the most engagement within a specific campaign.

Creating a Custom UTM Report in GA4 Explorations

Standard reports are great for quick checks, but if you want to create a permanent, customized UTM dashboard, the Explore section is the place to be.

1. Start an Exploration: In the left-hand navigation, click Explore (the overlapping boxes icon) and select Free form.
2. Import Dimensions: In the "Variables" column on the left, click the "+" next to "Dimensions." Search for and import the following: Session campaign, Session source / medium, Session manual ad content, Session manual term. Click the blue 'Import' button.
3. Import Metrics: In the same "Variables" column, click the "+" next to "Metrics." Search for and import the metrics that matter to you, such as: Sessions, Engaged sessions, Conversions, Total revenue. Click 'Import'.
4. Build Your Report: Now, drag and drop your chosen dimensions from the "Variables" column to the "Rows" field in the "Tab Settings" column. Drag and drop your desired metrics to the "Values" field.

You now have a fully customizable report that you can save and refer back to anytime. This allows you to build a specific "performance by UTM" dashboard that perfectly matches your reporting needs.

For Reference: Finding UTM Data in Universal Analytics (UA)

If you need to look at historical data from before GA4 was implemented, you'll need to know your way around Universal Analytics. The process is just as straightforward.

1. Using the Source/Medium Report: This report gives you insight into utm_source and utm_medium.

• In the left-hand menu, navigate to Acquisition > All Traffic > Source/Medium.
• The primary dimension is already set to Source / Medium, showing you rows like 'google / cpc' or 'newsletter / email'.

2. Using the All Campaigns Report: This report focuses on your utm_campaign values.

• Go to Acquisition > Campaigns > All Campaigns.
• The primary dimension here is Campaign, which pulls directly from your utm_campaign tag. This lets you compare the overall performance of different marketing initiatives side by side.

To see utm_term or utm_content in UA, you can add a secondary dimension like Keyword (for term) or Ad Content (for content) in either of these reports.

Best Practices for Clean UTM Tracking

Finding your UTM data is only useful if the data itself is clean and reliable. Follow these simple rules to avoid common headaches:

• Be Consistent: Create and share a naming convention for your team. Always use lowercase letters (GA is case-sensitive, so Facebook and facebook will be reported as two separate sources). Use dashes or underscores instead of spaces.
• Use a Builder Tool: Don't try to build UTM links by hand. Use a tool like Google's GA4 Campaign URL Builder to prevent typos and ensure all necessary parameters are included.
• Don't Tag Internal Links: Never use UTM parameters on links within your own website (e.g., a link from your homepage to your blog). Doing so will overwrite the original source data and attribute the conversion to your own site, which corrupts your reporting.

Final Thoughts

Understanding where your traffic comes from is fundamental to smart marketing. By learning how to navigate the Traffic acquisition report in GA4 and use its dimensions, you can easily access your UTM data to see exactly which campaigns, ads, and content are driving results.

Locating campaign data within Google Analytics is a great start, but true insight comes from combining that data with your ad spend from platforms like Facebook Ads and Google Ads or your deal data from Salesforce. Instead of building those reports manually every week, we built Graphed to do it all for you. We allow you to connect all your data sources in one place and then use simple, plain English to ask questions and get instant, real-time dashboards, freeing you up to act on insights instead of just gathering them.