UTM Tracking 101 For FG Funnels

UTMs (Urchin Tracking Modules) are short text tags you add to the end of any URL. When someone clicks a tagged link, the tags ride along and tell your analytics tools exactly where that visitor came from. Think of them as sticky notes on your links that say “I came from the Tuesday email” or “I was clicked on Instagram Stories.” With UTMs in place, you can stop guessing which traffic sources, ads, or buttons are pulling their weight and start measuring them.

This article covers how to use UTM parameters in FG Funnels, but you can also make use of this data in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) once you get started tagging your links.

The Five Standard UTM Parameters

Best Practices For UTM Parameters

1. Avoid PII: Do not use personally identifiable information (e.g., social security numbers, addresses). This data is restricted by analytics platforms.
2. Use Essential Parameters: Always use the utm_source , utm_medium , and utm_campaign parameters for clarity and effective analysis. Add additional parameters when needed.
3. Consistent Case: UTM parameters are case sensitive. Choose a capitalization rule and use it consistently.
4. Prefer Underscores: Use underscores (_) instead of spaces to avoid encoding issues.
5. Only Tag External Links: UTM parameters are only intended to gather data about driving traffic TO your sites/landing pages, so you don't want to add them to your internal links (ex. website menu navigation links) or you may skew your data.

Why UTMs Matter

See The Whole Customer Journey

When a prospect lands on any FG Funnels page, the platform captures UTM parameters in the visitor’s URL. That data is stored on the contact record, so you can filter, segment, and trigger automations based on where the person originated.

Compare Performance Across Channels

Build two nearly identical ads on Facebook and Instagram. Tag each with a unique utm_source and utm_content . In your analytics dashboard (Google Analytics, Looker Studio, or the built‑in FG Funnels dashboard & reporting), you can filter for each value and will know which platform and which creative drove more leads, sales, or booked calls.

Prove ROI To Clients Or Stakeholders

Clear UTM tracking turns “I think Facebook worked” into “Facebook Story Ad X generated 57 purchases at a $14 cost per sale.”

Option 1: Setting Up Default UTM Link Values In Broadcast Emails In FG Funnels (Marketing > Emails > Campaigns)

What UTM Link Values Are Supported?

In our current implementation, there are 3 UTM parameters that we support by default -

1. utm_source = email: This is a mandatory field that is kept selected by default and has the value "email" for internal tracking purpose
2. utm_medium = email marketing: This is an mandatory field but the value can be customised. The default value is "email marketing"
3. utm_campaign = Campaign Name (Send Date): This is an optional fields where the value can be chosen from the drop downs

You can add additional parameters - up to 5 - in this list by specifying the value as a text.

How To Set Up Default UTM Link Values In Broadcast Emails

1. From the dashboard view, logged into your FG Funnels account, click on Marketing in the left menu.

2. In the top menu inside of Marketing, click on Emails > Campaigns.

3. Click on Settings (gear icon, top right corner) inside of Campaigns.

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4. Click on Tracking within the menu inside of Settings.

5. To apply UTM parameters to all campaigns by default, toggle the enable switch.

6. Modify the values for utm_medium  or utm_campaign  as needed.

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7. (Optional) Click on Add Custom Parameter to specify additional parameters and their values.

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8. Check the boxes next to the UTM parameters you wish to add to your campaigns.

9. Click Save to apply your settings.

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10. Disable for Specific Campaigns: To disable UTM parameters for a particular campaign, turn off the tracking option on the Send or Schedule page.

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Option 2: Building A Tagged Link To Use Anywhere (The Fast Way)

1. Open A UTM Builder

Google’s Campaign URL Builder is free and easy. Paste your destination URL and fill in the fields.

2. Name Parameters Consistently

Decide on a naming standard before you start tagging. For example, always use facebook rather than swapping between Facebook and fb . Mixing cases or abbreviations causes fractured reports.

3. Copy The Generated Link

It will look something like:

https://yourdomain.com/offer-page?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=lg_live_launch&utm_content=story_swipe_up

4. Create & Paste - Everywhere You Drive Traffic To Your Pages

Using UTM parameters consistently makes them much more effective in providing valuable insights, so be sure to create accurate UTM links for each place you post and share your links to drive traffic to your websites/funnels.

• Email buttons inside FG Funnels emails (you can also set up automatically applied default tagging for broadcast emails, see the tutorial below)
• Social bio links
• Links shared in communities, Facebook Groups, and other networking spaces
• Paid ads
• Affiliate banners

Accessing The Data Inside FG Funnels

Within individual contact profiles, you can view First Attribution in the bottom right corner. In the panel above that, you can also review Recent Activity.

However, much of the attribution data is stored but not directly listed on the contact profile, so it's best to make use of them with Smart Filter Lists within Contacts, and If/Else actions within Workflows.

Contacts → Smart Filters

Create laser‑focused lists and speak to each group like you know exactly where they found you.

From the dashboard view, logged into your FG Funnels account, click on Contacts. If creating a list for emailing then next click into your base Clean Filter list, then in the top right corner click on More Filters and add your preferred attribution filters.

If you intend to use this set of filters more than once, save it as a new list, and ensure it's shared under Manage Smart Lists (top menu within Contacts) with all team members in your account who may need to access it.

Here are two real world examples of using attribution data with Contact Smart Lists:

1. Viral lead magnet fans
   • What happened: You shared a new checklist lead magnet across several channels, but the link shared in one particular Facebook Group took off.
   • Filter: first attribution where utm_campaign = checklist_launch , utm_source = facebook_group_name , utm_medium = social .
   • Action: Drop this list into a workflow with a short email series thanking them for the buzz and inviting them to an exclusive Q&A inside the group.
2. Podcast listeners who just bought from your sales page
   • Filter: last attribution where utm_source = spotify or utm_source = itunes , plus utm_campaign = summer_sale .
   • Action: Send a follow‑up that references the episode they heard and offers a limited‑time bonus.

Automation → Workflows

Branch the journey so every click feels personal and every dollar of ad spend is trackable.

From the dashboard view, logged into your FG Funnels account, click on Automation. Click the button to Create New Workflow. Inside your workflow, you can add an If/Else action and in your branches, you can filter under Contact Details and scroll down to the first and last attribution fields.

Here are a couple of real world examples of using attribution data within workflows:

1. Paid ad survey for ROAS proof
   • Trigger: Purchase event fires.
   • If/Else: last attribution utm_medium = cpc .
   • Yes path: Send a quick two‑question survey email in addition to the usual product setup guide, and send sale data to a Google Sheet so you track revenue against ad spend.
   • No path: Skip survey and just send the usual product setup guide.
2. High‑ticket consult fast‑track
   • Trigger: Free consult form submitted.
   • If/Else: first attribution utm_campaign = high_ticket_challenge .
   • Yes path: Direct route to the calendar booking step.
   • No path: Nurture sequence that warms them up before pitching the call.

Five Common UTM Mistakes

1. Changing parameter names mid‑campaign

   “newsletter” and “email” will show up as two different sources. Pick one and stick to it.

2. Capital letters and spaces

   Facebook ≠ facebook . Use lowercase and replace spaces with underscores.

3. Forgetting to tag

   One untagged link in a big launch skews results. Make a quick checklist before hitting send or publish.

4. Over‑tagging

   You rarely need more than the five standard parameters. Extra custom tags create noise.

5. Using shorteners that strip parameters

   Most modern shorteners keep UTMs intact, but always test the final link to be sure.

Next Steps

• Create a shared spreadsheet with your team (or just for yourself) listing approved values for utm_source , utm_medium , and key campaigns.
• Tag every external link driving traffic to your sites/pages, starting with your next email send.
• After a week, open FG Funnels and filter your contacts via attribution data (you can also filter through this data in custom widgets added to your account dashboard), and review GA4 reports to see the data flowing in.
• Use those insights to double down on channels that convert and trim the ones that only bring vanity clicks.

UTMs give your funnels crystal clear context. A few extra characters on your links return a gold mine of data you can turn into more sales, better ad spend, and smarter decisions. Start tagging and watch the insights roll in.