Last updated: 21 June 2025

Urchin Tracking Modules, or UTMs, are five simple parameters you can add to URLs to track clicks on ads and links. They help you understand how your ad campaigns are performing—and can also assist in detecting click fraud.

They’re easy to implement, require no technical expertise, and are supported by all major ad networks.

What exactly are UTMs?

UTMs are parameters added to the end of URLs used in your ad campaigns. They help track marketing-related metrics such as the source of a click, the keyword that triggered your ad, the campaign the ad belongs to, and more.

For example, the utm_source parameter tracks the source of a click. It’s written as utm_source=some-source, where utm_source is the parameter name and some-source is a label you define. The URL polygraph.net?utm_source=google-ads tells us the click came from Google Ads. In this case, we chose "google-ads" to refer to Google Ads, but you could use "google", "googleads", or any label that makes sense to you.

You can also combine UTMs to get more detailed data. For instance, the utm_term parameter tracks which keyword caused the ad to be shown. Unlike utm_source, where you define the value, utm_term is filled in by the ad network. For Google Ads, you just add the parameter utm_term={keyword} to your URL, and the network automatically replaces {keyword} with the ad keyword. Continuing with the earlier example, we could track both the source and keyword by using the URL polygraph.net?utm_source=google-ads&utm_term={keyword}.

What are the five UTM parameters?

There are five UTM parameters: utm_source, utm_term, utm_campaign, utm_medium, and utm_content. In most cases, you’ll only use the first three, but which ones you include depends on your specific needs.

  1. utm_source
    This parameter identifies the source of the traffic. For example, utm_source=facebook indicates the click came from Facebook.
  2. utm_term
    This parameter identifies the keywords that triggered the ad. For instance, utm_term=brown+hats shows that the user searched for a phrase related to the “brown hats” ad keyword.
  3. utm_campaign
    This parameter tells you which marketing campaign or promotion the click came from. For example, utm_campaign=summer-sale means the ad was part of a "summer sale" campaign.
  4. utm_medium
    This parameter identifies the medium used to deliver the ad. For example, utm_medium=email indicates the click came from an email, while utm_medium=banner tells you it came from a banner ad.
  5. utm_content
    This parameter helps specify exactly where the click occurred on the page. For example, utm_content=bottom-logo might refer to a logo at the bottom of the site, whereas utm_content=top-logo would refer to the logo at the top.

Why should I use UTMs?

UTMs are easy to set up and use, and they make traffic analysis more efficient—so there’s little reason not to include them in your ad campaigns. They’re also widely considered a best practice, making them a smart addition to your workflow.

UTMs help improve digital marketing campaigns by giving you valuable data on how individual ads are performing. This data helps you determine whether a campaign is successful, and highlights which parts are working well—or need adjustment.

To illustrate this, imagine you’ve launched the same ad campaign across several ad networks. By using the utm_source and utm_term parameters, you’ll be able to track where clicks are coming from and which keywords are being triggered. Let’s say one ad network has a clunky user interface and takes more time to manage. If utm_source shows it generates far fewer clicks than others, it might make sense to stop using that network and focus on those that are more efficient and effective.

The utm_term parameter might also reveal keywords that are repeatedly targeted but never result in sales. That’s a strong sign you could be dealing with click fraud.

Click fraud is a serious issue, and detecting it isn’t easy. Without knowing which clicks are fraudulent—or a process to reduce fraud—you could be wasting a significant portion of your ad budget. It’s usually best to use a service like Polygraph to detect click fraud for you, but there are a few steps you can take on your own to reduce your exposure.

Fraudsters don’t target random keywords—they go after high-value ones to maximise their profits. That’s why it’s important to identify the keywords being targeted so you can take action: adding the bots’ search terms as negatives, and contacting the ad networks for refunds. (Polygraph helps with refunds by showing which clicks were fraudulent and why.)

By using the utm_term parameter, you can track which keywords led to clicks—and then see which of those led to sales. If you notice some high-value keywords are getting lots of clicks but rarely lead to sales, it could be a sign you’re being targeted by click fraud.

Some criminals also focus on specific ad networks—especially those with loose controls over which websites can show ads, or that lack strong fraud detection. These networks allow fraudsters to operate undetected. By combining utm_term with utm_source, you can identify which ad networks are sending the most suspicious traffic.

How do I use UTMs?

Using UTMs is simple, and anyone can add them to URLs—no technical expertise required. Most ad networks offer an easy-to-use interface for including them in your campaigns.

Let’s take Google Ads as an example. Say you want to track which campaign the ad belongs to, which network displayed it, and which keywords triggered it. Setting this up takes about 30 seconds.

  1. In your Google Ads account, select a campaign.
  2. Click on Settings, then expand the menu by clicking Additional settings.
  3. Click Campaign URL options. In the Final URL suffix field, enter the following:

    utm_source=google&utm_term={keyword}&utm_campaign={campaignid}

  4. Click Test to preview the URL. For Polygraph, it will look like this:

    https://polygraph.net?utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=<some campaign id>

    Since this is just a test, the utm_term parameter is blank. Once the campaign is live, the correct keyword (and campaign ID) will be automatically added. For example, if someone searches for “click fraud” and clicks on a Polygraph ad, the URL would look like this:

    https://polygraph.net?utm_source=google&utm_term=click%20fraud&utm_campaign=<some campaign id>

  5. Click Save.

That’s it! You’re now tracking your ad clicks by source, keyword, and campaign. It’s that simple—your analytics are now in great shape.

For other ad networks, check their support resources or documentation to learn how to define UTMs in your campaigns. The process is usually just as simple. For example, in Microsoft Ads, go to Tools, Preferences and set Auto-tagging to “on.” The UTM parameters described in this article will then be automatically added to your URLs.

In summary

UTMs offer a simple and effective way to get detailed insights into your ad clicks. They help you make smarter decisions about your ad spend, evaluate campaign performance, and begin spotting signs of click fraud. They’re quick to set up—so start using them today.