Fix Generic Campaign Names in 10 Minutes (Quick Action Plan)

Quick diagnosis: Open GA4 → Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition

Look at your Campaign dimension. Do you see:

• promo
• campaign
• ad
• test
• sale
• email

If yes, you have generic campaign names killing your analytics.

Good news: You can fix active campaigns in 10 minutes and prevent this from happening again.

This guide shows you exactly how.

Step 1: Identify Generic Names (2 Minutes)

Quick GA4 Audit

GA4 → Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition

Filter: Last 30 days

Look for these common generic names:

Export to spreadsheet:

1. GA4 campaign report
2. Click "Export" (top right)
3. Download as CSV
4. Open in Google Sheets/Excel

Prioritize Active Campaigns

In your exported list, focus on:

1. Currently running campaigns (still spending money)
2. High traffic campaigns (>1,000 sessions/month)
3. Recent campaigns (last 30 days)

Skip:

• Completed campaigns (can't change historical data anyway)
• Low-traffic campaigns (<100 sessions total)
• Very old campaigns (>90 days ago)

Step 2: Create Replacement Names (3 Minutes)

The Quick Naming Formula

`{"{"}{"{"}what{"}"}{"}"}}`-`{"{"}{"{"}offer{"}"}{"}"}}`-`{"{"}{"{"}month{"}"}{"}"}}`-2025

For each generic name, create a descriptive replacement:

Example Transformations

Generic: promo

Ask yourself:

• What product/service? → crm-tool
• What's the offer? → 30pct-off
• What month? → jan

New name: 30pct-off-crm-tool-jan-2025

Generic: test

Ask yourself:

• What are you testing? → linkedin-creative
• What type of test? → new-ad-style
• What month? → jan

New name: linkedin-creative-test-new-ad-style-jan-2025

Generic: email

Ask yourself:

• What type of email? → newsletter
• What's the topic/offer? → weekly-digest
• What date? → jan-9

New name: email-newsletter-weekly-jan-9-2025

Generic: sale

Ask yourself:

• What sale? → spring-clearance
• What discount? → 50pct-off
• What month? → mar

New name: spring-clearance-50pct-off-mar-2025

Quick Reference Table

Step 3: Update Active Campaigns (5 Minutes)

You cannot retroactively rename campaigns in GA4. Historical data stays as-is.

What you CAN do: Update UTM parameters in currently running campaigns so future traffic uses the new names.

Platform-Specific Instructions

Google Ads

Step 1: Google Ads → Campaigns → Your campaign Step 2: Settings → Campaign URL options Step 3: Update Final URL suffix:

Before:

?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=promo

After:

?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=30pct-off-crm-tool-jan-2025

Step 4: Save

Note: If using auto-tagging (gclid), don't add manual UTMs.

Facebook/Instagram Ads

Step 1: Facebook Ads Manager → Your campaign Step 2: Ad level → Edit Step 3: Update Website URL parameters:

Before:

?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=promo

After:

?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=30pct-off-crm-tool-jan-2025

Step 4: Publish changes

LinkedIn Ads

Step 1: LinkedIn Campaign Manager → Your campaign Step 2: Campaign settings → URL parameters Step 3: Update:

Before:

?utm_campaign=test

After:

?utm_campaign=linkedin-creative-test-new-ad-style-jan-2025

Step 4: Save

Email Campaigns (Mailchimp, SendGrid, etc.)

Step 1: Email platform → Campaign settings Step 2: Update tracking parameters:

Before:

?utm_campaign=email

After:

?utm_campaign=email-newsletter-weekly-jan-9-2025

Step 3: Save template

For future emails: Update your email templates with the new naming standard.

TikTok, Pinterest, Twitter, Reddit

Step 1: Ad platform → Campaign → Edit destination URL Step 2: Update utm_campaign parameter:

Before:

?utm_campaign=ad

After:

?utm_campaign=tiktok-brand-awareness-jan-2025

Step 3: Save

Bulk Update (If Platform Supports)

Some platforms allow CSV import for bulk campaign editing:

Step 1: Export campaigns to CSV Step 2: Update utm_campaign column with new names Step 3: Re-import

Platforms supporting this:

• Google Ads (Editor)
• LinkedIn Campaign Manager
• Some ESPs (Mailchimp, SendGrid)

Step 4: Prevent Future Generic Names (5 Minutes)

Create a URL Builder Template

Save this in your team wiki/Notion/Google Doc:

Standard Campaign URL Format:

yoursite.com/page?utm_source=[SOURCE]&utm_medium=[MEDIUM]&utm_campaign=[WHAT]-[OFFER]-[MONTH]-2025

Examples:

Product launch:
yoursite.com/demo?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-launch-crm-jan-2025

Promotional:
yoursite.com/sale?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=30pct-off-spring-sale-mar-2025

Webinar:
yoursite.com/register?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=webinar-advanced-seo-jan-15-2025

Set Up Default UTMs in ESPs

Mailchimp:

1. Settings → Tracking → Google Analytics
2. Default parameters:
   • utm_source: mailchimp
   • utm_medium: email
   • utm_campaign: [CAMPAIGN_TYPE]-[TOPIC]-[DATE] (manual per campaign)

SendGrid:

1. Settings → Tracking → Google Analytics
2. Default:
   • utm_medium: email
   • utm_campaign: (set per campaign using template)

Key: Never use generic defaults like campaign or email.

Implement Approval Process

Before launching any campaign:

• Does campaign name follow format {"{"}{"{"}what{"}"}{"}"}}-{"{"}{"{"}offer{"}"}{"}"}}-{"{"}{"{"}timeframe{"}"}{"}"}}?
• Is it all lowercase?
• Does it use hyphens (not spaces)?
• Can someone understand it 6 months from now?
• Is it under 60 characters?

If yes to all → Approve If no to any → Revise name

Monthly Audit Reminder

Set calendar reminder: 1st of each month

Task: GA4 campaign report review

1. Look for new generic names
2. Identify who created them
3. Remind team member of naming standard
4. Update for next month

What About Historical Data?

Bad news: You cannot retroactively rename campaigns in GA4.

Workaround:

Option 1: Create a Legend Document

Create a Google Sheet or Notion page:

Share with team so everyone can decode historical data.

Option 2: GA4 Annotation

Mark the change date:

GA4 → Explore → Any report

1. Click date range on chart
2. Add annotation: "Started using descriptive campaign names (replaced 'promo', 'test', etc.)"
3. Save

Now when analyzing data:

• Before annotation: Generic names
• After annotation: Descriptive names

Option 3: Segmentation for Reports

For historical analysis:

GA4 → Explore → Free form

Create filter:

Campaign name = "promo"
AND
Date range = Jan 1-15, 2025

Label: "CRM Tool Launch (was labeled 'promo')"

Repeat for each generic campaign to separate them in reports.

Real Example: 15-Minute Fix

Company: SaaS with 8 active campaigns

Step 1: Identify (2 min)

GA4 showed:

• promo (2 different campaigns merged!)
• test (1 LinkedIn A/B test)
• email (3 different emails merged!)
• webinar (1 webinar)

Step 2: Create names (3 min)

promo → 30pct-off-crm-tool-jan-2025
promo → free-trial-pm-software-jan-2025
test → linkedin-creative-test-video-vs-image-jan-2025
email → email-newsletter-weekly-jan-9-2025
email → email-promo-spring-sale-jan-15-2025
email → email-webinar-invite-advanced-features-jan-20-2025
webinar → webinar-advanced-features-jan-22-2025

Step 3: Update platforms (8 min)

• LinkedIn Ads: Updated 1 campaign URL (2 min)
• Mailchimp: Updated 3 email templates (3 min)
• Zoom webinar: Updated registration URL (1 min)
• Website promo banners: Updated 2 CTA links (2 min)

Step 4: Prevent future (2 min)

• Saved URL template in Notion
• Set monthly audit reminder

Total time: 15 minutes

Result:

• All future traffic correctly categorized
• Team can now differentiate campaigns
• Data-driven optimization possible

Quick Validation

After updating, verify it worked:

Test 1: Click Your Own Campaign Link

Step 1: Click a link from your updated campaign Step 2: Look at browser address bar Step 3: Confirm you see new descriptive name:

✅ Good:
yoursite.com/demo?utm_campaign=product-launch-crm-jan-2025

❌ Still generic:
yoursite.com/demo?utm_campaign=promo

Test 2: GA4 Real-Time Report (30 Seconds)

Step 1: After clicking, open GA4 → Reports → Real-time Step 2: Find your session Step 3: Check Campaign dimension = new name

If you see the new name → Success!

Test 3: Check in 24 Hours

Next day:

GA4 → Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition

Look for:

• Old generic name sessions declining
• New descriptive name sessions appearing

Both will coexist (old name = historical, new name = going forward).

Prevention Checklist

✅ Create URL builder template with naming format ✅ Document naming standard in team wiki ✅ Set default UTMs in ESPs (never use generic defaults) ✅ Implement campaign approval process ✅ Set monthly audit reminder (1st of each month) ✅ Train new team members on naming standard ✅ Use UTMGuard or validation tool for automated checks

FAQ

Can I delete old generic campaign data from GA4?

No. GA4 doesn't allow data deletion. The generic names will remain in historical data. Your options:

1. Create a legend document (map generic names to what they were)
2. Use annotations to mark when you started using descriptive names
3. Filter date ranges in reports (before vs after naming standard)

What if I can't remember what the generic campaign was about?

Check these sources:

1. Ad platform: Campaign creation date → find in platform history
2. Email platform: Search by send date
3. Slack/Teams: Search team messages around campaign date
4. Calendar: Check marketing calendar for that date range
5. Credit card statements: Match spend dates to campaigns

If you still can't identify it: Label as "unknown" and move on. Focus on preventing future generic names.

Should I pause campaigns to update names?

No! You can update UTM parameters without pausing:

• Ad platforms: Edit destination URL
• Emails: Update template for future sends
• Website CTAs: Update link parameters

Traffic continues flowing, just with new campaign name.

How do I handle campaigns that run across multiple months?

Option 1: Update name each month

Jan: spring-sale-jan-2025
Feb: spring-sale-feb-2025

Option 2: Use campaign start month

Jan-Mar: spring-sale-jan-to-mar-2025

Option 3: Use quarter

spring-sale-q1-2025

We recommend Option 1 (separate by month) for easier time-series analysis.

What if my team keeps creating generic names despite the standard?

Enforcement tactics:

1. Require approval before campaign launch (marketing lead reviews)
2. Automated validation (use UTMGuard to flag generic names)
3. Monthly review in team meeting (show generic name offenders)
4. Tie to performance reviews (KPI: "All campaigns follow naming standard")

Make it easier to follow than ignore.

Can I use a tool to automatically fix generic names?

No automated retroactive fix exists (GA4 doesn't allow data modification).

But you can:

• Use UTMGuard to prevent generic names (validates before launch)
• Set up automated alerts when generic names detected
• Use validation tools to check before publishing campaigns

Prevention is the only real solution.

Conclusion

Fix generic campaign names in 10 minutes:

1. Identify generic names in GA4 (2 min) - Look for promo, ad, test, etc.
2. Create descriptive replacements (3 min) - Use {"{"}{"{"}what{"}"}{"}"}}-{"{"}{"{"}offer{"}"}{"}"}}-{"{"}{"{"}month{"}"}{"}"}}-2025
3. Update active campaigns (5 min) - Change UTM parameters in ad platforms/emails
4. Prevent future issues (5 min) - Create URL template, set up approval process

Result: Clean campaign data going forward, enabling accurate analysis and optimization.

Remember: You can't fix historical data, but you can prevent this problem from continuing.

Related: Campaign Naming Conventions: Complete Standard