What is UTM tracking?
UTM tracking uses campaign tags on links to show which tagged campaigns visitors came from. The five fields are source, medium, campaign, term and content.
- Build a tagged campaign URL, copy it and review its tagged visits.
- Compare first-touch UTM with the latest tagged touch observed in the selected period.
- Review Goal values alongside campaign attribution.
The short answer
UTM tracking adds campaign values to a link so visits arriving with those tags can be grouped in an analytics report. The campaign report shows source, medium, campaign, term and content, with an acquisition view for the first tagged campaign recorded and a latest-observed view for the most recently tagged campaign in the selected period.
In Hitsteps, the UTM campaign tracking feature page shows the campaign report, URL builder and attribution views.
The five UTM parameters
| Parameter | What it labels | Example shown in the report |
|---|---|---|
| utm_source | Source | newsletter |
| utm_medium | Medium | |
| utm_campaign | Campaign | summer_launch |
| utm_term | Optional term | blue_shoes |
| utm_content | Optional content | hero_banner |
Source, medium and campaign are required in the builder. Term and content are optional fields. The report displays the values captured with tagged visits so you can compare the campaign fields.
First touch and latest observed touch
| View | What it groups |
|---|---|
| First-touch UTM | Visitors by the first tagged campaign recorded during the selected period. |
| Latest UTM touch | Visitors by their most recently observed tagged campaign in the selected period. |
The latest-observed view is the visitor’s current attribution profile. It does not attribute conversions or represent complete campaign history. Read it as the latest tagged touch Hitsteps observed, not as a conversion credit or a full sequence of campaign visits.
Goal revenue adds the value saved with each Goal. The feature page says this is not advertising spend or WordPress order revenue.
Build a UTM campaign URL
- Open the UTM campaign URL builder.
- Enter the required source, medium and campaign values. Add term or content when they help distinguish the campaign link.
- Build and copy the tagged URL, then use that link in your campaign.
- Review tagged visits in the campaign report using the attribution view that fits your question.
Frequently asked questions
What is UTM tracking?
UTM tracking uses tagged campaign links to show which source, medium, campaign, term or content values were observed with visits. In Hitsteps the campaign report includes first-touch UTM and latest UTM touch views.
What do the five UTM parameters mean?
Source identifies the source value, medium the medium, campaign the campaign, term an optional term and content an optional content value. The campaign report shows the five values for tagged visits.
What is first-touch UTM attribution?
The acquisition view groups visitors by the first tagged campaign recorded during the selected period.
What does latest UTM touch show?
The latest-observed view groups visitors by their most recently observed tagged campaign in the selected period. It is the visitor’s current attribution profile.
Does the latest-observed view show complete campaign history?
No. The latest-observed view does not attribute conversions or represent complete campaign history.
Can I build a UTM-tagged campaign URL?
Yes. The UTM campaign URL builder lets you add campaign tags to a link, copy it, and then see tagged visits in Hitsteps. Source, medium and campaign are required; term and content are optional.
What does goal revenue mean in the campaign report?
Goal revenue adds the value saved with each Goal. It is not advertising spend or WordPress order revenue.
See your tagged campaign visits.
Create a free account, add campaign tags to a link and review tagged visits.