Fix Missing utm_term in Search Campaigns (5-Minute Guide)

Quick check: Open your Bing Ads or DuckDuckGo search campaign. Look at your tracking URL.

Do you see utm_term= in the URL?

• ✅ Yes → You're tracking keywords correctly
• ❌ No → You can't see which keywords drive conversions

This guide shows you how to add utm_term in 5 minutes across every major search platform.

Do You Need utm_term?

Skip utm_term if:

• ✅ Google Ads with auto-tagging (gclid)
• ✅ Microsoft Ads with auto-tagging (msclkid)

Add utm_term if:

• ❌ Bing Ads with manual UTMs (no auto-tagging)
• ❌ DuckDuckGo Ads
• ❌ Baidu, Yandex, other international search engines
• ❌ Any search platform without auto-tagging

Platform-Specific Instructions

Bing/Microsoft Ads (Manual UTMs)

Time: 2 minutes

Step 1: Bing Ads → Campaign → Ad group → Keywords

Step 2: Click keyword → Edit destination URL

Step 3: Add utm_term parameter:

Before:

?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search-jan-2025

After:

?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search-jan-2025&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}`

{"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}} = Bing's macro that auto-fills the actual search query

Step 4: Save

Step 5: Repeat for all keywords (or use bulk edit - see below)

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DuckDuckGo Ads

Time: 2 minutes

Step 1: Campaign settings → Tracking template

Step 2: Add utm_term:

?utm_source=duckduckgo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search-jan-2025&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`

Check DuckDuckGo docs for exact macro syntax (may vary)

Step 3: Save

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Baidu (China)

Step 1: Campaign → Tracking URL template

Step 2: Add:

?utm_source=baidu&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search-jan-2025&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`

Step 3: Save

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Yandex (Russia)

Step 1: Campaign settings → URL parameters

Step 2: Add:

?utm_source=yandex&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search-jan-2025&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`

Step 3: Save

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Yahoo (Gemini)

Step 1: Campaign → Tracking template

Step 2: Add:

?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search-jan-2025&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`

Step 3: Save

Bulk Update (Save Time)

If you have 10+ keywords to update:

Bing Ads Editor Method

Step 1: Download Bing Ads Editor (desktop app)

Step 2: File → Open → Your account

Step 3: Keywords tab → Select all keywords

Step 4: Edit → Destination URLs

Step 5: Find/Replace:

Find: ?utm_campaign=product-search-jan-2025
Replace: ?utm_campaign=product-search-jan-2025&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}`

Step 6: Post changes

Result: All keywords updated with utm_term in one action.

Keyword Macro Reference

Always check platform documentation for current macro syntax (may change).

utm_term Naming Format

Dynamic (Recommended)

Use platform's keyword macro:

utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}`

Platform automatically fills with actual search query:
- "buy crm software" becomes utm_term=buy crm software
- "best project management" becomes utm_term=best project management

Manual (If Platform Has No Macro)

Format:

utm_term=buy-crm-software (lowercase, hyphens)

Rules:

• Lowercase
• Hyphens instead of spaces
• No special characters

Verify It Works

Test 1: Check URL (30 seconds)

Step 1: Search for your ad (or use ad preview tool)

Step 2: Click ad

Step 3: Look at browser address bar

Step 4: Confirm you see utm_term:

✅ Good:
https://yoursite.com/demo?utm_term=buy-crm-software

❌ Missing:
https://yoursite.com/demo
(no utm_term)

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Test 2: GA4 Real-Time (1 minute)

Step 1: Click your ad

Step 2: Open GA4 → Reports → Real-time

Step 3: Find your session

Step 4: Verify "Manual term" dimension shows keyword

Expected: Your search keyword appears ✅

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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 term

Step 4: Look for your campaign → keywords should be listed

What to Do After Adding utm_term

Week 1: Verify Tracking

• Test 3-5 different keywords
• Check GA4 real-time for each
• Confirm keywords appearing correctly

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Week 2-3: Collect Data

• Let campaign run (minimum 50 clicks per keyword)
• Don't optimize yet (need enough data)

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Week 4: Analyze Performance

GA4 → Explore → Free form

Dimensions: First user manual term Metrics: Sessions, Conversions, Conversion rate

Look for:

• Which keywords have highest CVR?
• Which have most conversions?
• Any obvious winners or losers?

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Month 2: Optimize

• Scale high-converting keywords (+50% bid)
• Pause low-converting keywords (<3% CVR)
• Add zero-conversion keywords as negatives

Result: Same budget, more conversions.

Common Mistakes

Mistake #1: Not Using Dynamic Macro

Wrong:

All keywords: utm_term=search-keyword

Problem: All keywords merge, can't differentiate.

Fix:

utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}`

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Mistake #2: Mixing with Auto-Tagging

Wrong:

Google Ads: ?gclid=abc123&utm_term=keyword

Problem: Breaks auto-tagging.

Fix: Use EITHER gclid OR utm_term, never both.

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Mistake #3: Using utm_term for Display Ads

Wrong:

Display banner: utm_term=300x250-blue-cta

Problem: utm_term is for keywords (search), not display creatives.

Fix: Use utm_content for display:

utm_content=300x250-blue-cta

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Mistake #4: Adding to Wrong Ad Type

utm_term is ONLY for search ads (keyword-triggered).

Don't use for:

• Display ads (use utm_content)
• Social ads (use utm_content)
• Email (use utm_content if needed)
• Video ads (use utm_content)

Quick Reference Checklist

✅ Identify platform (Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc.) ✅ Find correct keyword macro ({"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}, {"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}) ✅ Add to destination URL: &utm_term={"{"}{"{"}macro{"}"}{"}"}} ✅ Test with real search (check browser URL) ✅ Verify in GA4 real-time (keyword appears) ✅ Wait 2 weeks for data ✅ Analyze keyword performance in GA4 ✅ Optimize budget based on conversion rates

FAQ

Do I need utm_term for Google Ads?

No. Google Ads auto-tagging (gclid) captures keywords automatically. Adding utm_term breaks auto-tagging.

Use utm_term only for:

• Bing Ads (manual UTMs)
• DuckDuckGo
• Other search platforms without auto-tagging

What if my keyword macro doesn't work?

Troubleshoot:

1. Check platform documentation for correct syntax
2. Try alternative: {"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}} vs {"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}
3. Contact platform support for correct macro

Fallback: Manually add utm_term to each keyword (tedious but works)

Can I change utm_term mid-campaign?

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

• Week 1-2: Old utm_term format
• Week 3-4: New utm_term format
• GA4 treats as different keywords

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

What if I have 200+ keywords?

Use bulk edit tools:

• Bing Ads Editor (desktop app)
• Spreadsheet import (if platform supports)
• API scripts (for automation)

Don't manually update 200 keywords one by one.

How do I track keywords from Google Ads?

Use auto-tagging. Enable in Google Ads settings:

1. Settings → Account settings
2. Auto-tagging: ON
3. Save

Don't add manual UTMs. gclid captures keywords automatically.

Can I use utm_term for organic keywords?

No. utm_term is for paid search only.

For organic keywords:

• Google Search Console (keyword query report)
• GA4's organic search traffic report (limited data)

Conclusion

Fix missing utm_term in 3 steps:

1. Add utm_term to search ad tracking URLs

   • Use platform's keyword macro
   • Example: &utm_term={"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}

2. Verify in GA4 real-time (keyword appears)

3. Analyze after 2 weeks (keyword performance data)

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

Time investment: 5 minutes setup → lifetime of keyword insights.

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Related: utm_term vs gclid: When to Use Which