A UTM campaign is the specific marketing initiative or promotion you’re tracking through the utm_campaign parameter in your tracked URLs. This parameter tells your analytics tool which overarching effort a click belongs to, allowing you to group all traffic from a single campaign across multiple channels and sources.
TL;DR
- utm_campaign is one of five UTM parameters and is considered essential alongside utm_source and utm_medium .
- It identifies the specific marketing initiative, promotion, or product launch that a link is part of .
- Campaign values should be unique and descriptive—like spring_sale_2025 or product_launch_q3—so you can easily identify them in reports.
- Using consistent naming conventions (all lowercase, underscores instead of spaces) prevents data fragmentation .
- UTM campaign data appears in analytics platforms like Google Analytics (GA4) under dimensions like Session campaign .
Key Takeaways
- The utm_campaign parameter answers the question “Why is this traffic coming?”—it identifies the specific initiative behind the click .
- It works alongside utm_source (where the traffic came from) and utm_medium (how it arrived) to provide complete attribution context .
- Examples include summer_promo, earlybird, product_launch, or retargeting_campaign .
- Some platforms allow you to automatically populate the campaign name using dynamic variables like {{Campaign Name}} .
- Without consistent naming, Spring_Sale and spring_sale will appear as separate campaigns in your reports .
What Does utm_campaign Do?
The utm_campaign parameter identifies the specific marketing campaign, promotion, or initiative that your link belongs to . When someone clicks a link tagged with this parameter, your analytics tool records which campaign drove that visit, allowing you to measure performance at the campaign level .
Common examples of utm_campaign values:
- summer_sale_2025 – for a seasonal discount promotion
- product_launch_q3 – for introducing a new product line
- earlybird_registration – for an event with early-bird pricing
- retargeting_abandoned_cart – for a remarketing effort
The campaign parameter is essential alongside utm_source and utm_medium. While source tells you where the traffic came from (e.g., Facebook) and medium tells you how (e.g., paid social), campaign tells you why—which specific initiative that click is driving .
How utm_campaign Works in Practice
Imagine you’re running a summer promotion across three channels: email, Facebook ads, and Google search. Without utm_campaign, you might see traffic from each channel but couldn’t easily group it under one initiative. With utm_campaign, you can tag all three links with summer_promo_2025 and see the combined performance of the entire promotion in one place .
Example tagged URLs for the same campaign:
In your analytics reports, you can filter or group by Session campaign to see the total traffic, conversions, and revenue generated by that promotion across all channels .
Best Practices for Naming Your utm_campaign
Consistent campaign naming is critical. If one person on your team uses Summer_Promo_2025 and another uses summer_promo_2025, your analytics tool will treat them as completely separate campaigns. Here’s how to avoid that :
- Use lowercase only – GA4 is case-sensitive; SpringSale and springsale are different values.
- Use underscores instead of spaces – spaces can cause encoding issues in some browsers.
- Include the year or quarter – this helps avoid confusion when campaigns repeat.
- Be descriptive but concise – product_launch_q3 is clearer than launch.
- Avoid special characters – stick to letters, numbers, and underscores.
Advanced Options: Automatic Campaign Tagging
Some marketing platforms, like MoEngage and TikTok, offer features that automatically populate UTM parameters using dynamic variables . In MoEngage, for example, the default campaign value for utm_campaign can be set to {{Campaign Name}}, which automatically inserts the campaign title without manual input .
TikTok offers macros like __CAMPAIGN_NAME__ and __CAMPAIGN_ID__ that inject real-time campaign information into your URLs . This is particularly valuable when managing many campaigns, as it reduces manual work and prevents typos.
utm_campaign vs Campaign in Other Contexts
It’s important to distinguish between a UTM campaign and other uses of the term “campaign” in marketing software :
- A UTM campaign is a tag added to a URL for tracking purposes.
- An ad campaign in platforms like Google Ads or TikTok refers to the actual advertising campaign you set up in that platform.
- An email campaign in tools like HubSpot is a specific sequence or broadcast sent to subscribers.
These can align—you might have a TikTok ad campaign with the same name as your utm_campaign value—but they serve different purposes within the marketing ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is utm_campaign required?
Yes, in most analytics setups, utm_campaign is required alongside utm_source and utm_medium. Without it, you’ll have incomplete attribution data. Some platforms, like MoEngage, make utm_campaign optional but strongly recommended .
What’s the difference between utm_campaign and utm_content?
utm_campaign identifies the overall marketing initiative, while utm_content distinguishes different versions of creative within that campaign. For example, the campaign might be spring_sale, and content values like blue_banner and red_banner help you A/B test .
Can I track multiple campaigns with the same utm_campaign value?
Yes, that’s the point—you use the same value across all channels (social, email, search) so you can see the total performance of that promotion in one place .
How do I see utm_campaign data in Google Analytics?
In GA4, navigate to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition, then add Session campaign as a dimension. You’ll see all your UTM campaign values listed with corresponding traffic and conversion metrics .
What’s a good naming convention for utm_campaign?
Use all lowercase, underscores instead of spaces, and include the year or quarter for context. For example: summer_promo_2025, product_launch_q3, or early_bird_jan .
Sources
- TikTok For Business: About UTM Parameters
- MoEngage: Configure UTM Parameters at Account Level
- UTM.io: What is a UTM?
- Ontraport: Set Up and Track UTMs
- HubSpot: Campaigns FAQ
Have a campaign tracking scenario you’d like help setting up? Share your question in the comments below.
