UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a link that tell analytics tools where a visit came from. A link such as yourbrand.com/sale?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=diwali-2026 lets Google Analytics and similar tools attribute that visit, and anything the visitor does next, to your Diwali newsletter.
There are five standard parameters. utm_source names the specific source (newsletter, welcome-series). utm_medium names the channel type, and for email should consistently be “email”, so analytics groups it correctly. utm_campaign names the campaign. utm_content distinguishes links within the same email, such as the header banner and the footer button. utm_term is mainly for paid search keywords but can be used for anything else you want to record.
Consistency is everything. “Email”, “email” and “e-mail” show up as three different mediums, splitting your reports. Agree a naming convention, use lowercase, avoid spaces, and let your email platform add tags automatically where possible so nobody has to remember the rules on every link.
UTMs measure what happens on your website, which complements what your email platform measures inside the inbox. Expect the numbers to differ: analytics may show fewer sessions than the email report shows clicks, because of ad blockers, cookie consent choices and people who close the page before it loads. Use each source for what it does best.
A Chandigarh fitness brand tags all newsletter links with utm_medium=email and the campaign name. In GA4, it sees its “new-year-plans” campaign brought 1,240 sessions and 38 membership sign-ups, while the “protein-recipes” email brought more sessions but almost no sign-ups.
MailNesto can add utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign to campaign links automatically through its Google Analytics integration, and you can set UTM values for a campaign’s links yourself.