UTM links for Shopify: how to track every campaign
Checked against the live sources below on 27 October 2026.
Add three parameters to the end of each campaign link: utm_source (where the click came from), utm_medium (the kind of channel) and utm_campaign (the campaign name). Google says to always use these three, and that values are case sensitive. The free UTM builder assembles the link and lowercases it for you.
What the parameters are
Google’s documentation gives utm_source as the referrer (google, newsletter4), utm_medium as the marketing medium (cpc, banner, email) and utm_campaign as the product, slogan or promo code (spring_sale). A link looks like https://yourstore.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fall_sale.
Google’s page also shows optional parameters, such as utm_content, which differentiates creatives, for example two call-to-action links in the same email.
Naming rules that keep reports clean
- Use lowercase. Google says values are case sensitive and recommends lowercase as standard practice, because Meta and meta count as different.
- Use underscores, not spaces. One style, everywhere.
- Match the channel definitions. Google’s default channel group counts email as traffic arriving through email links, and paid search needs a medium such as cpc, ppc or one starting with paid.
- Tag links that arrive from outside your store, such as email, ads and influencer posts.
A simple setup for a Shopify store
- Write a naming sheet: sources, mediums and a campaign pattern like season_offer.
- Build one link per placement: email, SMS, each ad set, each influencer.
- Put the tagged link in the campaign, not the plain store link.
- After a week, check your analytics source and medium reports for each campaign name.
A tiny naming sheet might read: email = newsletter / email; SMS = sms / sms; paid social = facebook / paid_social; search ads = google / cpc. The builder’s presets follow Google’s channel definitions, so the traffic lands in the channel you expect.
Common mistakes
Mixing styles (Facebook, facebook, fb), forgetting the medium, and tagging a link to a page you later change. Keep the sheet and the links in one place so that anyone on your team builds them the same way.
Also test every link once by clicking it, and confirm that the visit appears in your real-time report with the source and medium you intended. A typo found today saves a month of unusable data.
When you read results, group by campaign and compare sessions with orders. A campaign with ten visits tells you very little, so wait until each has enough traffic before you cut or scale it.
Build a clean, lowercase tracked link in seconds.
UTM builder for ShopifyFrequently asked questions
Do I need all three parameters?
Google says you should always use utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign. The term and content parameters are optional.
Will UTM links change how my page looks?
No. The parameters only add information to the address; the page is the same.
Where do I see the results?
In your analytics tool, under source, medium and campaign reports. Shopify’s own reports may group traffic differently, so compare before trusting one view.
How this page was researched
Read on 27 October 2026. Parameter definitions and case sensitivity come from Google’s campaign URL documentation; channel rules come from Google’s default channel group page.
- Google Analytics Help: Collect campaign data with custom URLs — utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign are the core parameters; values are case sensitive
- Google Analytics Help: Default channel group — Email is traffic arriving via links in email; Paid Search needs a source from a search site and a medium matching cpc, ppc, retargeting or paid-prefixed values
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