Fix Missing utm_content in Display Campaigns (Quick Guide)

Quick check: Open your display ad campaign settings. Click on one of your banner ads. Look at the destination URL.

Do you see utm_content=... in the URL?

• ✅ Yes → You're tracking creative performance correctly
• ❌ No → You can't tell which banner drives conversions

If no, this guide shows you how to add utm_content in 5 minutes across every major display ad platform.

Why You Need utm_content

Without utm_content:

All banners use: ?utm_source=google&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=retargeting-jan-2025

GA4 shows: 10,000 sessions, 300 conversions (combined)
Can't see which banner performed best.

With utm_content:

Banner A: ?utm_content=300x250-blue-cta
Banner B: ?utm_content=728x90-red-cta
Banner C: ?utm_content=video-15sec

GA4 shows:
Banner A: 4,000 sessions, 200 conversions (5.0% CVR)
Banner B: 5,000 sessions, 80 conversions (1.6% CVR)
Banner C: 1,000 sessions, 20 conversions (2.0% CVR)

Winner: Banner A (3x better than B)

Result: Scale winning creative, pause losing creative, same budget → 2x conversions.

Platform-Specific Instructions

Google Display Network

Time: 2 minutes per ad

Step 1: Google Ads → Display campaign → Ad group → Ads

Step 2: Click ad to edit

Step 3: Expand "URL options"

Step 4: Add to Final URL:

Before:

https://yoursite.com/sale?utm_source=google&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=retargeting-jan-2025

After:

https://yoursite.com/sale?utm_source=google&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=retargeting-jan-2025&utm_content=300x250-blue-cta

Step 5: Save

Step 6: Repeat for each ad with unique utm_content

Naming format:

300x250-blue-cta (size-design-cta)
728x90-red-cta
video-15sec

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Facebook/Instagram Display Ads

Time: 2 minutes per ad

Step 1: Ads Manager → Campaign → Ad Set → Ads

Step 2: Click ad name → Edit

Step 3: Scroll to "Tracking" → "URL parameters"

Step 4: Add:

utm_content=carousel-product1
utm_content=single-image-lifestyle
utm_content=video-30sec

Step 5: Publish

Repeat for all ads in campaign.

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LinkedIn Ads

Time: 2 minutes per ad

Step 1: Campaign Manager → Your campaign → Edit

Step 2: Click on ad creative

Step 3: Update destination URL:

Before:

?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=lead-gen-jan-2025

After:

?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=lead-gen-jan-2025&utm_content=single-image-blue-cta

Step 4: Save

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TikTok Ads

Step 1: Ads Manager → Campaign → Ad Group → Ads

Step 2: Edit ad

Step 3: Update landing page URL:

Before:

?utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand-awareness-jan-2025

After:

?utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand-awareness-jan-2025&utm_content=video-15sec-product-demo

Step 4: Save

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Pinterest Ads

Step 1: Ads Manager → Campaign → Ad Group → Edit Pins

Step 2: Click pin → Edit

Step 3: Update destination URL:

?utm_content=single-image-product-shot
?utm_content=carousel-3images
?utm_content=video-idea-pin

Step 4: Save

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Programmatic (DV360, Trade Desk)

Step 1: Campaign settings → Creatives

Step 2: For each creative, add macro to tracking URL:

Landing URL: https://yoursite.com/sale?utm_content={"{"}{"{"}CREATIVE_ID{"}"}{"}"}}

Or manually:
?utm_content=banner-300x250-v1
?utm_content=banner-728x90-v2

Step 3: Apply to all line items

utm_content Naming Format

Standard Format

`{banner-size}`-`{design-type}`-`{cta-element}`

Examples by Format

Static banners:

utm_content=300x250-product-blue-cta
utm_content=728x90-lifestyle-red-cta
utm_content=160x600-text-green-cta

Video ads:

utm_content=video-15sec-product-demo
utm_content=video-30sec-testimonial

Animated:

utm_content=300x250-animated-gif-sale
utm_content=728x90-animated-gif-countdown

Carousel (Facebook/Instagram):

utm_content=carousel-5products
utm_content=carousel-customer-stories

Naming Rules

✅ DO:

• Use lowercase
• Use hyphens (not spaces)
• Include banner size
• Be descriptive
• Keep under 50 characters

❌ DON'T:

• Use spaces (breaks URLs)
• Be too generic ("banner1", "ad-a")
• Mix formats ("Banner-A" and "banner-b")
• Use special characters (&, =, ?, !)

Bulk Update (Save Time)

If you have 10+ ads to update:

Google Ads Editor (Desktop App)

Step 1: Download Google Ads Editor

Step 2: File → Open → Your account

Step 3: Display campaigns → Ads

Step 4: Select all ads → Edit → Final URLs

Step 5: Find/Replace:

Find: ?utm_campaign=retargeting-jan-2025
Replace: ?utm_campaign=retargeting-jan-2025&utm_content=300x250-blue-cta

Step 6: Post changes

Note: This updates all ads to same utm_content. For unique values per ad, edit individually.

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Spreadsheet Method

Step 1: Export ads to CSV (if platform supports)

Step 2: Add utm_content column

Step 3: Fill with unique values:

Row 1: 300x250-blue-cta
Row 2: 728x90-red-cta
Row 3: video-15sec

Step 4: Re-import CSV (if platform supports bulk import)

Platforms supporting this: Google Ads Editor, LinkedIn Campaign Manager

Verify It Works

Test 1: Check URL (30 seconds)

Step 1: Click your ad (or use ad preview)

Step 2: Look at browser address bar

Step 3: Confirm you see utm_content:

✅ Good:
https://yoursite.com/sale?utm_content=300x250-blue-cta

❌ Missing:
https://yoursite.com/sale
(no utm_content)

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Test 2: GA4 Real-Time (1 minute)

Step 1: Click ad

Step 2: Open GA4 → Reports → Real-time

Step 3: Find your session

Step 4: Verify "Manual ad content" dimension shows your utm_content value

Expected: 300x250-blue-cta ✅

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Test 3: Campaign Report (24 hours later)

Step 1: GA4 → Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition

Step 2: Primary dimension: Campaign

Step 3: Secondary dimension: First user manual ad content

Step 4: Look for your campaign → see utm_content values listed

Expected: Each banner shows separately with its utm_content name

What to Do After Adding utm_content

Week 1: Monitor Setup

• Verify utm_content appears in GA4 real-time
• Check for typos in utm_content values
• Confirm each ad has unique utm_content

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Week 2-4: Collect Data

• Let campaign run (minimum 100 conversions per creative)
• Don't make changes yet (need statistical significance)

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Week 4: Analyze Performance

GA4 → Explore → Free form

Dimensions: First user manual ad content Metrics: Sessions, Conversions, Conversion rate Filter: Your campaign

Look for:

• Which utm_content has highest conversion rate?
• Which has most sessions?
• Any clear winners or losers?

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Month 2: Optimize

• Scale high-performing creatives (+50-100% budget)
• Pause low-performing creatives (bottom 20%)
• Test new variations of winning creative

Result: Same budget, more conversions.

Common Mistakes

Mistake #1: Same utm_content for All Ads

Wrong:

All ads: utm_content=display-ad

Problem: Can't differentiate creatives.

Fix: Unique value per ad:

Ad 1: utm_content=300x250-blue-cta
Ad 2: utm_content=728x90-red-cta
Ad 3: utm_content=video-15sec

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Mistake #2: Too Generic

Wrong:

utm_content=banner1
utm_content=banner2
utm_content=banner3

Problem: 3 months later, you won't remember which banner was which.

Fix:

utm_content=300x250-product-shot-blue-cta
utm_content=728x90-lifestyle-image-red-cta
utm_content=video-15sec-demo

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Mistake #3: Including Campaign Info

Wrong:

utm_content=retargeting-300x250-blue-cta

Problem: "retargeting" is redundant (already in utm_campaign).

Fix:

utm_content=300x250-blue-cta

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Mistake #4: Using Spaces

Wrong:

utm_content=300x250 blue cta

Problem: Breaks URL (becomes 300x250%20blue%20cta)

Fix:

utm_content=300x250-blue-cta

Prevention Checklist

✅ Add utm_content to ALL display ad creatives ✅ Use format: {"{"}{"{"}size{"}"}{"}"}}-{"{"}{"{"}design{"}"}{"}"}}-{"{"}{"{"}cta{"}"}{"}"}} ✅ Make each creative's utm_content unique ✅ Test with one ad, verify in GA4 real-time ✅ Roll out to all ads ✅ Check GA4 weekly to compare performance ✅ Pause losers, scale winners

FAQ

Do I need utm_content if I only have one banner?

Not required, but recommended. You might add more creatives later. Better to start with good tracking from day 1.

If you only have one banner, you can skip utm_content. But add it when you create a second banner.

Can I change utm_content mid-campaign?

You can, but don't. Changing mid-campaign fragments your data:

• Week 1-2: Old utm_content
• Week 3-4: New utm_content
• GA4 treats as two separate creatives

Better: Set it once at campaign start, don't change.

What if I have 20+ banner variations?

Track them all! That's the point of utm_content:

utm_content=300x250-product1-blue-cta
utm_content=300x250-product2-blue-cta
... (18 more)

In GA4, you'll see all 20 and can identify top 5 performers.

Should I include banner size even if I only have one size?

Yes! Future campaigns might have multiple sizes. Consistent naming makes historical comparison easier.

Always include:

• Banner size (300x250, 728x90, etc.)
• Design type (product, lifestyle, text, video)
• CTA element (blue-cta, red-cta, "buy-now", etc.)

How often should I review utm_content performance?

Weekly for active campaigns.

Look for:

• Creative fatigue (declining performance over time)
• Clear winners (scale these)
• Clear losers (pause these)

Monthly: Full creative audit, test new variations based on winners.

Can I use utm_content for search ads too?

You can, but utm_term is more appropriate for search ads (tracks keywords).

utm_content is best for:

• Display ads (many visual variations)
• Email (multiple CTAs)
• Social posts (different formats)

utm_term is best for:

• Search ads (track keywords)

Conclusion

Fix missing utm_content in 5 steps:

1. Go to your ad platform (Google Ads, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)
2. Edit each ad and add utm_content to destination URL
3. Use format: {"{"}{"{"}size{"}"}{"}"}}-{"{"}{"{"}design{"}"}{"}"}}-{"{"}{"{"}cta{"}"}{"}"}} (example: 300x250-blue-cta)
4. Make each ad unique (different utm_content values)
5. Verify in GA4 real-time reports

Result: You can now see which creatives drive conversions, enabling data-driven optimization.

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Related: utm_content Creative Tracking Complete Guide