What are Campaign URLs?

Campaign URLs are a way to track links to any webpage with information about where the link came from, what the person clicked on, and what is being specifically marketed. The difference between a regular link and a campaign URL is the addition of some special URL parameters called “UTM codes” which can be read by Google Analytics.

Campaign URL Builder

Example

• Standard link:
  https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/foundations-in-horticulture
  
  

• Campaign URL:
  https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/foundations-in-horticulture/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=ad&utm_campaign=FIH2020

The added UTM codes often look like gibberish, but can easily be decrypted. We’ll break it down here:

You can even track visits from print materials by using URL shorteners or QR codes.

UTM Recommendations

For consistency here’s some recommendations for UTM codes in Extension campaigns.

Campaign Name

The campaign name is only for internal tracking purposes and doesn’t need to be easily understood by anyone but you. This is one situation where using abbreviations and acronyms is recommended. “FIH2021” in the example above stands for “Foundations In Horticulture 2021 Online Course”.

The campaign name should cover all advertising for a specific program or communications effort. The other UTM codes will tell you which promotion it was, whether a Facebook post, email newsletter link, or printed flyer.

Source and Medium

Here are some suggestions for Source and Medium settings for consistency in Extension.

Google Analytics

Most FYI, County, and Topic Hub WordPress websites hosted by UW-Madison Division of Extension have Google Analytics already configured. No additional configuration is needed for using Campaign URLs.

Support

Google Analytics is a supported tool for WordPress websites hosted by UW-Madison Division of Extension. Contact the Extension Helpdesk at helpdesk@extension.wisc.edu for support.

Additional Resources

• Google Analytics Campaign URL Builder

• [GA4] URL builders: Collect campaign data with custom URLs (Google Support Article)

• [GA4] Campaigns and traffic sources (Google Support Article)