Manual tags or utm parameters are required on destination URLS for the following marketing campaigns:
Paid Media Campaigns require manual tags on destination URLs for tracking GA4
1. All PAID media marketing campaigns require that you add manual tags on destination URLs for tracking, including:
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paid display
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paid search
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paid video/audio
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paid directories
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paid distribution
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paid inclusion in content articles, etc.
The utm_medium tag for all these links will either include the word “paid”, or will contain “cpc” or “ppc”. The platforms where you run your paid campaigns, will be denoted using the utm_source tag and will include the names of the platforms – Facebook, Google, Bing, etc.
Which Campaigns Need Manual UTM Tags?
Stop guessing which links need manual parameters. Use this visual decision matrix to ensure your destination URLs are tracking correctly across every channel.
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2. All EMAIL marketing campaigns need to have manual tags on destination URLs so you can track the success of your email promotions, including:
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3rd party emails
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1st party emails
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Sales rep emails
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PR emails, etc.
3. All SOCIAL media campaigns, including PAID and ORGANIC, need tracking tags added on destination URLs to measure performance, including:
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Facebook
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Instagram
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LinkedIn
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Twitter
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YouTube, etc.
4. All PRINT campaigns that include a QR code or a URL link and drive users to a digital/web property:
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Flyers
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Coupons
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Brochures
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Ads in magazines/newspapers and other print
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5. All MESSAGING~ campaigns require manual tags on destination URLs to assess performance, including:
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WhatsApp
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WeChat, etc.
6. All EVENTS campaigns (webinars, company events, tradeshows) require tracking for destination URLs used in invites, confirmations, and reminders:
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Invites
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Confirmation messages
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Reminders
7. All APPS campaigns require tracking for destination URLs:
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Guiding users from your website to your APP
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APP registration links coming from your Social, Websites, Emails
8. All PARTNER/AFFILIATE campaigns require tracking for destination URLs:
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Guiding users from your partner pages to your website
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More Resources Related to Manually Tagging Your Campaigns
- For more information about how you can stop guessing which campaigns to tag and automate your tagging with ease, view our
campaign URL builder.
- To learn how to build a best-in-class campaign tracking process, read this guide: UTM Link Tracking Strategy in 6 Steps
- Use this free regex tool to validate your UTM structure. Not sure how? Watch this video.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Campaigns Require Manually Added UTM Tags on destination URLs?
The campaigns that require manual tags on destination URLs are paid media campaigns, email campaigns, organic social campaigns,
print campaigns with QR codes or links, messaging campaigns, event campaigns, and app/partner/affiliates campaigns. If a campaign sends traffic from an external source to your website, you should usually tag the destination URL so analytics tools can correctly attribute visits and conversions.
Do email campaigns need manual tags?
Yes. Email campaigns should use manual tags on destination URLs so you can measure traffic, conversions, and performance by email source,
campaign, and promotion type.
Do social media campaigns need manual tags?
Yes. Both paid and organic social media campaigns should use manual tags on destination URLs if you want clear reporting in Google Analytics
and accurate campaign attribution.
Do QR codes need tagged destination URLs?
Yes. If a QR code sends users to a website or landing page, the destination URL should include manual tracking tags so you can measure visits,
scans, and conversions from print or offline campaigns.
Why are manual tags important?
Manual tags are important because they improve attribution accuracy, reduce misclassified traffic, and help marketers measure campaign performance
more reliably across channels.
How to Add Manual Tags to Destination URLs
- Identify the campaign channel, such as paid search, email, social, or print.
- Define your source, medium, and campaign naming convention.
- Build a tagged destination URL using consistent manual parameters.
- Use the tagged URL in your ad, email, QR code, social post, or webinar promotion.
- Validate your URL structure before launch to reduce tracking errors.
- Monitor results in your analytics platform and refine your tagging process over time.
