Get better analytics with URL tracking parameters

Accurately attribute traffic sources and avoid Direct/None data by using URL parameters like ?ref= or UTM tags for clearer marketing insights.

Start simple: Campaign tracking

The easiest way to see where traffic and revenue originate is by using the ref parameter. For example, if you share a link to your site on Twitter, you can add ?ref=twitter to the end of the URL:

yourwebsite.com?ref=twitter

When someone clicks this link, DataFast will record "twitter" as the referral source.

What you'll see in DataFast:

• In your Campaign tab, "twitter" will appear as a referrer.
• You can see how many visitors, pageviews, and conversions came from links tagged with ?ref=twitter.
• If you've added a revenue attribution, you'll see the revenue attributed to the traffic from Twitter.

Other simple parameters DataFast automatically picks up include:

• source: Similar to ref, can be used to name the traffic source (e.g., ?source=google).
• via: Useful if your link is shared by another platform or publication (e.g., ?via=tech-news-digest).

Go deeper: Tracking campaigns with UTM parameters

For more detailed campaign tracking, especially for paid ads or complex marketing efforts, you can use UTM parameters. These are a standardized set of parameters that provide richer information.

DataFast automatically tracks the following UTM parameters:

• utm_source: Identifies the advertiser, site, publication, etc. that is sending traffic to your property (e.g., google, newsletter42, facebook).
• utm_medium: The advertising or marketing medium (e.g., cpc, banner, email_newsletter).
• utm_campaign: The individual campaign name, slogan, promo code, etc. for a product (e.g., summer_sale, product_launch_q3).
• utm_term: Identify paid search keywords. If you're manually tagging paid keyword campaigns, you should also use utm_term to specify the keyword.
• utm_content: Used to differentiate similar content, or links within the same ad. For example, if you have two call-to-action links within the same email message, you can use utm_content and set different values for each so you can tell which version is more effective.

Example of a UTM-tagged URL:

yourwebsite.com?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_promo&utm_content=video_ad

What you'll see in DataFast:

• Detailed breakdowns in your UTM tab by campaign, source, medium, term, and content.
• Clearer attribution of signups, sales, and other goals to specific marketing activities.
• Better understanding of your advertising ROI.

Best practices for URL parameters

• Track all important links: Use parameters on links from email campaigns, social media posts, advertisements, and even internal links if you want to track specific promotions within your site.
• Use a URL builder for UTMs: For UTM parameters, tools like Google's Campaign URL Builder can help you create properly formatted and consistent URLs.

Need help with campaign tracking? Email us at marc@datafa.st