How to Fix Uppercase UTM Parameters (Complete Cleanup Guide)

Problem: Your GA4 reports show "Google", "google", and "GOOGLE" as three separate sources. Same for campaigns, mediums, and content—all fragmented by case variations.

Impact: Can't see total performance. Reporting takes 10x longer. Leadership loses confidence in your data.

Solution: 20-minute cleanup to consolidate all uppercase variations to lowercase.

Let's fix this systematically and prevent it from happening again.

The 20-Minute Cleanup

Step 1: Identify All Case Variations (5 min)

GA4 → Explore → Free Form

For utm_source:

1. Dimension: Session source
2. Metrics: Sessions
3. Export to CSV
4. Sort alphabetically
5. Look for variations: facebook, Facebook, FACEBOOK

For utm_campaign:

1. Dimension: Session campaign
2. Export and sort
3. Look for: spring_sale, Spring_Sale, SPRING_SALE

For utm_content:

1. Dimension: Session content
2. Export and sort
3. Look for: video_ad, Video_Ad, VIDEO_AD

Create fix list:

Step 2: Update Active Campaigns (10 min)

For each platform, replace uppercase with lowercase:

Google Ads:

1. Google Ads Editor → Download campaigns
2. Find/Replace:
   • Google → google
   • GOOGLE → google
3. Upload changes

Facebook Ads:

1. Ads Manager → Select campaigns
2. Bulk edit URL parameters
3. Update to lowercase
4. Apply changes

Email Platform:

1. Update master templates
2. Clone active campaigns with new URLs
3. Deprecate old versions

Social Schedulers:

1. Buffer/Hootsuite → Settings → UTM
2. Update source/campaign to lowercase
3. Recreate queued posts if needed

Step 3: Fix URL Builder Templates (3 min)

Google Sheets:

Add LOWER() formula to all UTM columns:

Column E (utm_source): =LOWER(TRIM(A2))
Column F (utm_medium): =LOWER(TRIM(B2))
Column G (utm_campaign): =LOWER(TRIM(C2))
Column H (utm_content): =LOWER(TRIM(D2))

Or use dropdown validation:

Data → Data validation → List of items (lowercase only)

Step 4: Verify Fix (2 min + 24-48 hours)

Immediate (GA4 Realtime):

1. Click new lowercase URL
2. GA4 → Realtime
3. Verify lowercase value appears
4. Check no new uppercase variations created

Full verification (24-48 hours):

1. GA4 → Traffic acquisition
2. Verify new traffic consolidating under lowercase values
3. Old uppercase rows stop growing
4. Total sessions = sum of old + new rows

Platform-Specific Fix Instructions

Google Ads

Tracking Template Method:

1. Google Ads → Settings → Account settings
2. Tracking → Tracking template
3. Enter:

`{"{"}{"{"}lpurl{"}"}{"}"}}`?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={{_campaign}}

(All lowercase)

Campaign URL Suffix Method:

1. Select campaigns → Settings
2. Campaign URL options → Final URL suffix
3. Enter:

utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=`{"{"}{"{"}campaignid{"}"}{"}"}}`

Facebook/Meta Ads

URL Parameters:

1. Ad Manager → URL Parameters
2. Build parameter:
   • utm_source: facebook
   • utm_medium: cpc
   • utm_campaign: {"{"}{"{"}campaign.name{"}"}{"}"}}
3. Apply to active campaigns

Bulk Edit:

1. Select all campaigns
2. Edit → URL parameters
3. Update all to lowercase
4. Save

LinkedIn Ads

Campaign Settings:

1. Campaign Manager → Campaign
2. Website → URL tracking
3. Update:

utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=`{"{"}{"{"}campaign_name{"}"}{"}"}}`

Email Platforms

Mailchimp:

1. Campaigns → Templates
2. Edit master template
3. Update UTM parameters to lowercase
4. Save as default

SendGrid/HubSpot:

1. Settings → Tracking → Google Analytics
2. Update default UTM values to lowercase
3. Apply to new campaigns

Historical Data: Consolidation Methods

Can't change historical GA4 data, but can consolidate for analysis:

Method 1: Google Sheets

For one-time reports:

1. Export GA4 data (Source, Campaign, Sessions)
2. Add columns:
   • Clean Source: =LOWER(A2)
   • Clean Campaign: =LOWER(B2)
3. Pivot table on "Clean" columns
4. See consolidated totals

Method 2: Looker Studio

For ongoing dashboards:

Create calculated fields:

Clean Source: LOWER(Session source)
Clean Campaign: LOWER(Session campaign)  
Clean Medium: LOWER(Session medium)

Use these in all charts instead of raw dimensions.

Method 3: BigQuery

For large datasets:

SELECT
  LOWER(utm_source) AS source,
  LOWER(utm_campaign) AS campaign,
  SUM(sessions) AS total_sessions
FROM `project.dataset.ga4_events`
GROUP BY source, campaign
ORDER BY total_sessions DESC

Common Fix Mistakes

Mistake 1: Fixing Some Platforms, Not All

Problem: Fix Google Ads but forget Facebook, email.

Result: Partial improvement, still have fragmentation.

Solution: Create checklist of ALL platforms, fix systematically.

Mistake 2: Fixing Templates But Not Active Campaigns

Problem: Update email template but active campaigns still use old URLs.

Result: Old uppercase values keep accumulating data.

Solution: Update both templates AND active/scheduled campaigns.

Mistake 3: Not Enforcing Going Forward

Problem: Fix current issues but team creates new uppercase variations next month.

Result: Problem returns.

Solution: Lock URL builder to auto-lowercase or dropdown-only values.

Prevention Checklist

• URL builder auto-lowercases all inputs
• Ad platform templates use lowercase
• Email platform defaults set to lowercase
• Social scheduler UTM settings lowercase
• Team trained on lowercase requirement
• Monthly audit to catch new variations
• Pre-launch checklist includes case validation

FAQ

Will fixing uppercase affect historical data?

No. Historical data remains fragmented (Google, google, GOOGLE as separate rows). Only new traffic (after fix) consolidates under lowercase. For historical analysis, use consolidation methods (Google Sheets, Looker Studio calculated fields).

Do I need to pause campaigns while fixing?

No. You can update URL parameters on active campaigns without pausing. For Google/Facebook ads, changes may require brief re-approval, but campaigns stay running.

What if I have hundreds of campaigns to fix?

Use bulk editing tools:

• Google Ads Editor (download, find/replace, upload)
• Facebook Bulk Edit (select all, edit parameters)
• Spreadsheet method (export, update, re import)

Should I delete old campaigns and start fresh?

Not necessary. Just update tracking parameters in existing campaigns. Old data stays fragmented, but all new data flows cleanly.

How do I handle acronyms (IBM, HP, API)?

Use lowercase in UTM parameters:

utm_source=ibm
utm_campaign=api_partnership

If you need branded/readable display, use calculated fields in reports to show "IBM" (but track as "ibm").

Can uppercase ever be correct?

No—always use lowercase for UTM parameters. GA4 doesn't recognize uppercase, and it fragments data. No exceptions.