> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.litlyx.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Learn about UTMs

> Learn what UTM parameters are, why they matter, and how to use them with Litlyx — explained for complete beginners.

## What are UTMs? (Beginner Friendly)

UTM stands for **Urchin Tracking Module**.\
They are small pieces of text you add to the end of a link (URL) so that your analytics tool — like **Litlyx** — can understand **where your visitors came from** and **which campaigns work best**.

Think of UTMs as **labels on your links**:

* **Without UTM**: you know visits are coming to your site, but not exactly from where.
* **With UTM**: you know if a visit came from:
  * a specific **newsletter**
  * a **Facebook ad**
  * a **Google Ads campaign**
  * a particular **post** or **button** you shared

Example of a normal URL:

```text theme={null}
https://yourwebsite.com/pricing
```

Example of the same URL with UTM parameters:

```text theme={null}
https://yourwebsite.com/pricing?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer_launch
```

Litlyx reads these parameters and shows them to you inside your dashboard.

***

## Why should you use UTMs?

UTMs are essential for **Ethical Marketing** and **Ethical Tracking**, because they:

* **Tell you which channels work best**
  * Is it email, organic social, paid ads, or SEO?
* **Show which campaigns bring the most conversions**
  * You see which specific campaign brings signups or purchases.
* **Help you compare content variations**
  * Example: compare two different images or call-to-action buttons.
* **Make your budget decisions data-driven**
  * You can move budget from low-performing channels to high-performing ones.

With Litlyx, all of this is done in a **privacy-first**, **GDPR-compliant**, and **ethical** way. \[[Everything you should know about UTM – Litlyx](https://litlyx.com/blog/utm-tracking-with-litlyx)]

***

## The 5 UTM Parameters (Explained Simply)

There are **five** standard UTM parameters. You do **not** need to use all of them every time, but you should at least use the main ones.

### 1. `utm_source` (Where the traffic comes from)

**Question it answers:** *“From which place did this visitor arrive?”*

Typical values:

* `google`
* `facebook`
* `twitter`
* `newsletter`
* `partner_website`

Example:

```text theme={null}
?utm_source=facebook
```

Use this to distinguish traffic between different **platforms or sources**.

***

### 2. `utm_medium` (How the traffic arrived)

**Question it answers:** *“What type of channel brought this visitor?”*

Typical values:

* `email`
* `cpc` (cost-per-click / paid ads)
* `social`
* `referral`
* `banner`

Example:

```text theme={null}
?utm_medium=email
```

Use this to group channels by **type of marketing** you are doing.

***

### 3. `utm_campaign` (Which campaign it belongs to)

**Question it answers:** *“Which marketing campaign is this visit part of?”*

Typical values:

* `summer_sale`
* `black_friday_2025`
* `product_launch`
* `newsletter_march`

Example:

```text theme={null}
?utm_campaign=summer_sale
```

Use this to track performance at the level of a **specific promotion or campaign**.

***

### 4. `utm_term` (Which keyword or term)

**Question it answers:** *“Which keyword did the user search for?”*\
Mostly used in **paid search campaigns** (e.g., Google Ads).

Typical values:

* `running_shoes`
* `privacy_first_analytics`
* `seo_agency`

Example:

```text theme={null}
?utm_term=running_shoes
```

Use this when you care about **search keywords** and want to connect them to behavior on your site.

***

### 5. `utm_content` (Which version of the content)

**Question it answers:** *“Which specific ad, button, or link was clicked?”*

Typical values:

* `image_a`
* `image_b`
* `cta_top`
* `cta_footer`

Example:

```text theme={null}
?utm_content=image_a
```

Use this to **A/B test** creatives, buttons, or placements in a very granular way.

***

## Which UTMs are required?

Technically, tracking will work as soon as **at least one** UTM parameter is present, but best practice (and what many tools expect) is:

* **Always use**:
  * `utm_source`
  * `utm_medium`
* **Add when needed**:
  * `utm_campaign` (for any campaign)
  * `utm_term` (for paid search)
  * `utm_content` (for A/B tests or variations)

Litlyx supports **all 5** UTM parameters, so you can go from simple tracking to very detailed analysis without leaving the privacy-first philosophy. \[[Everything you should know about UTM – Litlyx](https://litlyx.com/blog/utm-tracking-with-litlyx)]

***

## How UTMs look inside a full URL

You add UTMs after a `?` in the URL, and separate each parameter with `&`.

Example:

```text theme={null}
https://yourwebsite.com/signup?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer_launch&utm_content=cta_footer
```

Breakdown:

* `utm_source=newsletter` → came from your email newsletter
* `utm_medium=email` → the medium is email
* `utm_campaign=summer_launch` → this click belongs to the “summer launch” campaign
* `utm_content=cta_footer` → the user clicked the call-to-action in the footer

***

## Tracking UTMs in Litlyx

Litlyx automatically detects and tracks the 5 key UTM parameters:

* `utm_source`
* `utm_medium`
* `utm_campaign`
* `utm_term`
* `utm_content`

Once your visitor lands on a page that contains these parameters:

1. **The Litlyx script** or SDK collects them.
2. They are sent to **Litlyx Analytics**.
3. You can see them aggregated in your **dashboard**, respecting privacy and GDPR.

You do not need any extra complicated setup as long as:

* Litlyx is correctly installed on your site (see `Easy Setup` and `Quickstarts`).
* The URL your users click already includes UTM parameters.

***

## How to create a UTM link (step by step)

You can create UTM links in two ways:

* **Manually** (by typing the parameters yourself).
* Using a **UTM builder tool** (recommended for teams).

### 1. Decide where you want to send people

Example landing page:

```text theme={null}
https://yourwebsite.com/pricing
```

### 2. Choose your UTM values

Imagine you are sending an email about a summer sale:

* `utm_source=newsletter`
* `utm_medium=email`
* `utm_campaign=summer_sale`
* `utm_content=cta_main`

### 3. Build the final URL

```text theme={null}
https://yourwebsite.com/pricing?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_content=cta_main
```

Use this URL in:

* your email button (e.g., “See the offer”),
* a banner,
* or a text link.

Litlyx will then show you how this **exact** campaign and link performed.

***

## Best practices for UTMs

To keep your campaign tracking **clean, ethical, and easy to understand**, follow these guidelines:

* **Be consistent**
  * Decide on naming rules such as `email`, `social`, `cpc` and stick to them.
* **Keep names short and clear**
  * Prefer `summer_sale` over `our-amazing-summer-sale-2025-with-discounts`.
* **Avoid spaces and special characters**
  * Use lowercase and underscores: `black_friday_2025`.
* **Use UTMs only where needed**
  * Do not add UTMs to **internal links** inside your own website; use them for **external campaigns** (emails, ads, social posts).
* **Test your links**
  * Click each UTM link yourself and confirm:
    * the page loads,
    * Litlyx receives the visit,
    * UTMs appear correctly in the dashboard.

***

## UTMs and privacy (the Litlyx way)

UTM parameters are about **campaigns and traffic sources**, not about identifying individuals.

With Litlyx:

* You track how channels and campaigns perform.
* You stay within **GDPR-compliant**, **ethical marketing** boundaries.
* You avoid invasive tracking or fingerprinting.

This means you get **useful marketing insights** while still respecting your visitors’ privacy and choices. \[[Everything you should know about UTM – Litlyx](https://litlyx.com/blog/utm-tracking-with-litlyx)]

***

## Example scenarios

Here are some real-world examples you can copy and adapt.

### Example 1: Newsletter campaign

* Goal: Track how your monthly newsletter performs.

```text theme={null}
https://yourwebsite.com/blog/utm-guide?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=monthly_update
```

### Example 2: Facebook ad vs Google ad

* Goal: Compare performance of platforms.

```text theme={null}
https://yourwebsite.com/signup?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=summer_launch
https://yourwebsite.com/signup?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=summer_launch
```

### Example 3: A/B test on a button

* Goal: Compare two CTAs in the same email.

```text theme={null}
https://yourwebsite.com/pricing?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_content=cta_top
https://yourwebsite.com/pricing?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_content=cta_footer
```

You can then see which **button position** drives more clicks and conversions in Litlyx.

***

## Summary

* **UTMs** are labels you add to URLs to understand **where visitors come from** and **which campaigns work**.
* The 5 key parameters are:
  * `utm_source`
  * `utm_medium`
  * `utm_campaign`
  * `utm_term`
  * `utm_content`
* Litlyx tracks all of them in a **privacy-first**, **GDPR-compliant**, and **ethical** way.
* Use consistent, clear naming and test your links before launching campaigns.

Once your UTMs are live and Litlyx is installed, open your **Litlyx Dashboard** to see which channels, campaigns, and creatives truly drive results.