UTM Naming Conventions Guide

UTM naming conventions are the roadmap for your data. Without them, your analytics can become a tangled mess of inconsistent parameters—leading to confusion, misattribution, and poor decisions. SmartBug Media highlights that consistent conventions are crucial for streamlined campaign data. If you’re new to UTMs, start with our UTM Codes 101 guide.

Why Consistency Matters

Data Integrity Inconsistent UTMs (e.g., “Facebook” vs. “facebook”) split traffic into multiple buckets, making it hard to see the whole picture.

Easier Reporting A consistent naming system allows you to group and compare campaigns more efficiently in Google Analytics or other tools like Uplifter (which offers marketing insights and analytics).

Team Collaboration When multiple people manage campaigns, a shared naming framework ensures everyone is on the same page.

Building Your Naming Framework

Use Lowercase Stick to lowercase for all parameters to avoid duplicates (e.g., “Summer_Sale” vs. “summer_sale”).

Choose a Separator Opt for underscores (_) or dashes (-). Don’t mix them.

Follow a Logical Order For example, start with the brand, then the date, then the promo name. E.g., brand_2025_springpromo.

Document Your Rules Create a simple reference guide or “cheat sheet” for your team, ensuring consistency across all campaigns.

Sample Naming Convention

utm_source: facebook, instagram, newsletter, google
utm_medium: cpc, email, social
utm_campaign: brand_spring2025_promo
utm_content: variation_a, variation_b

Real-World Example

utm_source: facebook
utm_medium: social
utm_campaign: brand_spring2025_newproduct
utm_content: ad_variation1

Resource:

• Our easy to use UTM generator
• Noble Desktop’s Digital Marketing Resources for additional training on naming and analytics setup.
• Review our Top 10 UTM Mistakes guide to avoid common naming errors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I include dates in my campaign names? Yes, adding a year or month helps you track time-specific promotions.

What if I have multiple promos in a single month? Use a differentiator, like brand_spring2025_shoes vs. brand_spring2025_bags.

How long should my campaign names be? Keep them concise but descriptive—3-5 words is ideal.

Conclusion

Proper UTM naming conventions make your data accurate and actionable. By using a consistent format, you’ll save time, reduce errors, and get a clearer view of your marketing ROI. To simplify the entire process—from naming to final URL—use our UTM generator which automatically enforces consistent naming conventions. For practical implementation, see our 5-step UTM creation guide.