Add Required UTM Parameters to LinkedIn Ads (Step-by-Step)

Your LinkedIn Ads are showing as referral traffic in GA4. You can't measure campaign performance or calculate ROI.

You can fix this in 3 minutes.

What You're Fixing

LinkedIn automatically adds li_fat_id to track clicks, but GA4 doesn't recognize li_fat_id for traffic classification.

Without UTM parameters:

yoursite.com/demo?li_fat_id=abc123

Result in GA4:

• Source/Medium: linkedin.com / referral
• Channel: Referral (not Paid Social)
• Campaign: (not set)
• No attribution data

The fix: Add UTM parameters alongside li_fat_id.

The 3-Minute Fix

Step 1: Add UTM Parameters (2 minutes)

1. LinkedIn Campaign Manager → Campaigns
2. Select campaign to edit
3. Navigate to Campaign Settings
4. Find Insight Tag Parameters or URL Parameters
5. Add UTM parameters:

utm_source=linkedin
utm_medium=paid-social
utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaign_name{"}"}{"}"}}
utm_content={"{"}{"{"}creative_name{"}"}{"}"}}

Example:

https://yoursite.com/demo?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=b2b_leads

LinkedIn will append li_fat_id when clicked:

yoursite.com/demo?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=b2b_leads&li_fat_id=abc123

Important: Both li_fat_id and UTMs work together. GA4 doesn't create duplicate sessions—it reads the UTMs for classification and ignores the li_fat_id.

What Changes After You Fix It

Before (no UTMs):

• Source/Medium: linkedin.com / referral
• Channel: Referral
• Campaign: (not set)

After (with UTMs):

• Source/Medium: linkedin / paid-social
• Channel: Paid Social
• Campaign: b2b_leads
• Full attribution

FAQ

Will this break LinkedIn conversion tracking?

No. LinkedIn's conversion tracking uses li_fat_id and operates independently from GA4.

Does this affect LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms?

No. Lead Gen Forms submit directly to LinkedIn and don't redirect to your website.

What utm_medium should I use?

Use paid-social, cpc, or paidsocial to ensure GA4 classifies it as Paid Social.

---

Related: Platform Click ID Conflicts Documentation