Urchin Tracking Module

Article Topics: Tracking

What are UTM parameters?

UTM parameters, or Urchin Tracking Module parameters, are text you can add to the end of a URL to help track where website traffic comes from.

Types of UTM parameters

UTM parameters are used when tracking traffic in URLs, and there are five main types. Each type is identified by a specific tag and serves a unique purpose in identification.

• utm_source - Identifies the source of your traffic

  • utm_source=facebook

• utm_medium - Identifies what type of link was used, such as email or pay-per-click advertising

  • utm_medium=ppc

• utm_campaign - Identifies a specific product promotion or strategic campaign.

  • utm_campaign=spring_sale

• utm_term - Identifies search terms

  • utm_term=running+shoes

• utm_content - Identifies what specifically was clicked to bring the user to the site, such as a banner ad or a text link. It is often used for A/B testing and content-targeted ads.

  • utm_content=textlink

  • utm_content=logolink 

How are UTM parameters used within NATS?

UTM Parameters aid in the NATS tracking processing by providing additional information

UTM Parameters in Tracking Links

When creating tracking links, you can append any combination of the parameters in any order, but they must come after the NATS Code.

This is achieved by including them directly after the question mark (?) following the NATS Code in the URL.

Example Uses

1. UTM Parameters appended to a traditional tracking link

https://<linkdomain>/track/<natscode>?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=industry_report_2026

1. UTM Parameters appended to a traditional tracking link

https://<linkdomain>/track/<natscode>?utm_source=partner_site&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=march_promo&utm_content=top_red_button

1. UTM Parameters appended to a traditional tracking link followed by passthrough variables

https://<linkdomain>/track/<natscode>?utm_source=partner_site&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=summer_collab&nats_at[subscription_passthrough1]=123&nats_at[subscription_passthrough2]=456

1. UTM Parameters appended to a deeplinked tracklink to the join page.

https://<linkdomain>/track/<natscode>/join?utm_source=partner_site&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=summer_collab

Custom UTM Parameters

In addition to the five standard types, NATS allows you to create your own parameters. To ensure they are recognized by NATS, all custom parameters must begin with the utm_ prefix.

• utm_custom

• utm_standard

Display

By default, UTM data is captured in the background. To make these parameters visible to admins when viewing a member's subscription, they must be explicitly enabled in your settings.

Navigate to the Display section of the Configuration Admin and update the Urchin Tracking Module Display Parameters setting with the standard and any custom UTM parameters you want displayed.

Postbacks

These parameters play a significant role in both admin user management postbacks and affiliate postbacks.

Affiliate Postbacks

Affiliates can include UTM parameters in their postbacks. An admin must configure the AFFILIATE_ALLOW_POST_URM setting within the Affiliate section of the Configuration Admin

Usermanagement Scripts

UTM Parameters are prominently displayed in Admin postbacks, ensuring that tracking information is thorough and precise across various administrative interactions.

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