# Add UTM parameters to a short link

Use the UTM Builder to tag short links with utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, so Google Analytics shows which campaign brought each visitor.

UTM parameters tell Google Analytics, and most other analytics tools, where a visitor came from. Without them, a click from your newsletter and a click from an Instagram bio can both show up as direct traffic. The **UTM Builder** adds the parameters to the destination URL for you, so the short link stays clean while the page still receives the full tracking string.

## Add UTM parameters

1. In the **Short Link Builder**, open **Options** and click **UTM Builder**.
2. Fill in the fields you need. Empty fields are skipped.
3. Click **Create Short Link**.

![UTM Builder with source, medium and campaign filled in](/docs/images/option-utm.png)

| Field | Parameter | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Referral (ref) | `ref` | `shortener.dev` |
| UTM Source | `utm_source` | `newsletter`, `twitter`, `instagram` |
| UTM Medium | `utm_medium` | `email`, `social`, `cpc` |
| UTM Campaign | `utm_campaign` | `spring_launch` |
| UTM Term | `utm_term` | `running_shoes` |
| UTM Content | `utm_content` | `header_button` |

With the values above, a visitor who clicks `srt1.link/spring-launch` lands on a URL like:

```
https://example.com/spring?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring_launch
```

## Naming tips

- Stick to lowercase. Google Analytics treats `Email` and `email` as two different mediums.
- Use the same `utm_campaign` value on every link in a campaign, and change `utm_source` per channel. You can then compare channels inside one campaign.
- Use `utm_content` to tell apart two links in the same email or page, such as a header button and a footer link.

## Send UTM parameters through the API

The `params` field takes any key and value pairs, so you aren't limited to the six fields in the dashboard:

```json
{
  "url": "https://example.com/spring",
  "key": "spring-launch",
  "params": {
    "utm_source": "newsletter",
    "utm_medium": "email",
    "utm_campaign": "spring_launch"
  }
}
```

Clicks are also counted in Shortener.dev [click analytics](/docs/click-analytics), whether or not you add UTM parameters.