Minimum UTM Requirements for GA4 (What You Actually Need)

Your developer asks: "Which UTM parameters do we actually need?"

Your agency sends you links with 7 different parameters.

Your competitor uses only utm_source.

Who's right?

Here's the definitive answer: GA4 requires exactly 2 parameters for attribution: utm_source AND utm_medium.

Everything else is optional (but recommended).

Use only utm_source? Your campaign becomes invisible. Add all 5 parameters? Better reporting and analysis.

Here's exactly what you need and why.

The Official GA4 UTM Hierarchy

Tier 1: Required for Attribution (MUST HAVE BOTH)

• utm_source - Where traffic came from
• utm_medium - How traffic arrived

Tier 2: Recommended for Analysis

• utm_campaign - Which promotion/campaign

Tier 3: Optional for Granular Tracking

• utm_content - Which link/creative
• utm_term - Which keyword (search ads)

Tier 4: Advanced (Rarely Used)

• utm_id - Campaign ID for cost import
• utm_source_platform - Ad platform
• utm_creative_format - Ad format
• utm_marketing_tactic - Marketing strategy

Let's break down what each tier actually does.

Tier 1: Required Parameters (The Non-Negotiables)

utm_source (REQUIRED)

What it is: The origin of your traffic

Examples:

• utm_source=newsletter (email campaign)
• utm_source=facebook (Facebook post)
• utm_source=google (Google Ads)
• utm_source=partner-blog (referral link)

What it does:

• Identifies specific traffic source
• Required by GA4 for attribution
• Won't work without utm_medium

What happens without it:

• GA4 uses HTTP referrer if available
• Falls back to "(direct)" if no referrer
• utm_medium becomes orphaned (ignored)

utm_medium (REQUIRED)

What it is: The channel or method of traffic delivery

Examples:

• utm_medium=email (email marketing)
• utm_medium=social (organic social)
• utm_medium=cpc (paid advertising)
• utm_medium=referral (partner link)

What it does:

• Determines GA4 channel grouping
• Required for attribution alongside utm_source
• Won't work without utm_source

What happens without it:

• utm_source becomes orphaned (ignored)
• Traffic defaults to "(direct) / (none)"
• Attribution completely breaks

Why Both Are Required (Not Just One)

utm_source alone is ambiguous:

Example: utm_source=google

• Could be: Organic search, paid ad, display ad, Google Discover, Gmail, Google News
• GA4 doesn't know which channel group to use
• Can't attribute without medium

utm_medium alone is ambiguous:

Example: utm_medium=cpc

• Could be: Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Bing Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Twitter Ads
• GA4 doesn't know the actual source
• Can't attribute without source

Together they're specific:

utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc

• Clear: Google Ads (paid search)
• GA4 assigns to "Paid Search" channel
• Attribution works

The rule: Always use both. One without the other = broken tracking.

Tier 2: Recommended Parameter

utm_campaign (RECOMMENDED)

What it is: The specific marketing campaign or promotion

Examples:

• utm_campaign=spring-sale-2024
• utm_campaign=product-launch
• utm_campaign=black-friday
• utm_campaign=newsletter-march

What it does:

• Distinguishes campaigns from same source/medium
• Enables campaign-level ROI analysis
• Groups related marketing efforts

What happens without it:

• Attribution still works (uses source/medium only)
• Can't distinguish between campaigns
• All campaigns from same source/medium look identical

Example without utm_campaign:

You send 4 email campaigns in March:

?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

GA4 shows:

• Source / Medium: newsletter / email
• Sessions: 12,000
• Conversions: 240

But you can't tell:

• Which email performed best
• Which subject line worked
• Which offer converted
• Which sending time was optimal

Example with utm_campaign:

Campaign 1: ?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring-sale Campaign 2: ?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new-product Campaign 3: ?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=webinar-invite Campaign 4: ?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=customer-story

GA4 shows:

• spring-sale: 5,200 sessions, 145 conversions (2.8% CVR)
• new-product: 3,800 sessions, 68 conversions (1.8% CVR)
• webinar-invite: 2,100 sessions, 19 conversions (0.9% CVR)
• customer-story: 900 sessions, 8 conversions (0.9% CVR)

Now you know: Spring sale emails work best. Double down on promotional emails.

Verdict: Always include utm_campaign unless you'll never run multiple campaigns from the same source.

Tier 3: Optional Parameters (Granular Tracking)

utm_content (OPTIONAL)

What it is: Identifies which specific link or creative was clicked

When to use:

• A/B testing different CTAs
• Multiple links to same destination in one email/page
• Testing different creatives in same ad

Examples:

• utm_content=header-cta vs utm_content=footer-cta
• utm_content=button-blue vs utm_content=button-red
• utm_content=image-ad vs utm_content=video-ad

Real use case:

Email with 3 CTAs to same landing page:

• Hero section: utm_content=hero-button
• Mid-article: utm_content=inline-link
• Footer: utm_content=footer-cta

GA4 report shows:

• hero-button: 68% of clicks
• inline-link: 22% of clicks
• footer-cta: 10% of clicks

Insight: Users decide to click in the first 3 seconds. Focus on hero messaging.

utm_term (OPTIONAL)

What it is: The search keyword for paid search ads

When to use:

• Google Ads with manual tagging (rare—auto-tagging is better)
• Bing Ads with manual tagging
• Testing specific keywords

Examples:

• utm_term=marketing-automation-software
• utm_term=email-marketing-tool
• utm_term=crm-platform

Important: If you use Google Ads auto-tagging (gclid), you don't need utm_term. Google automatically passes keyword data.

Only use utm_term if:

1. You're manually tagging search ads (not recommended)
2. You disabled auto-tagging (not recommended)
3. You're tracking organic keyword performance (rare)

Real Example: Minimum vs Complete UTM Structure

Client: SaaS company running email, social, and paid ads

Scenario 1: Minimum UTMs (Only Required)

Email link:

?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

GA4 shows:

• newsletter / email: 8,400 sessions

What you CAN'T see:

• Which email campaign performed better
• Which CTA got more clicks
• ROI per email send

Decision-making ability: Limited to "email works" or "email doesn't work"

Scenario 2: Recommended UTMs (Source + Medium + Campaign)

Email link:

?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=q1-promotion

GA4 shows:

• newsletter / email / q1-promotion: 8,400 sessions

What you CAN see:

• Q1 promotion performance vs Q4 holiday campaign
• Compare promotional vs educational emails
• Calculate ROI per campaign type

Decision-making ability: "Promotional emails convert 3x better than educational content"

Scenario 3: Complete UTMs (All Parameters)

Email link:

?utm_source=newsletter
&utm_medium=email
&utm_campaign=q1-promotion
&utm_content=hero-cta
&utm_id=campaign-12345

GA4 shows:

• Full attribution to campaign
• Click performance by CTA location
• Cost data if using utm_id

What you CAN see:

• Which CTA placement works best
• Cost per acquisition if cost import is set up
• Granular A/B test results

Decision-making ability: "Hero CTAs convert 2.8x better than footer CTAs in promotional emails"

Recommended UTM Structure by Channel

Email Marketing

Minimum:

?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

Recommended:

?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring-sale

Complete:

?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring-sale&utm_content=hero-button

Organic Social Media

Minimum:

?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Recommended:

?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=product-launch

Complete:

?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=product-launch&utm_content=video-post

Paid Social Media

Minimum:

?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social

Recommended:

?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=spring-ads

Complete:

?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=spring-ads&utm_content=carousel-ad

Note: For Facebook Ads, use fbclid auto-tagging instead. Don't add manual UTMs.

Partner/Referral Links

Minimum:

?utm_source=partner-blog&utm_medium=referral

Recommended:

?utm_source=partner-blog&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=guest-post-march

Complete:

?utm_source=partner-blog&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=guest-post-march&utm_content=author-bio-link

The "What Should I Use?" Decision Tree

Question 1: Do you need attribution to work?

• Yes → Use utm_source + utm_medium (REQUIRED)
• No → Use platform click IDs (gclid, fbclid)

Question 2: Will you run multiple campaigns from this source?

• Yes → Add utm_campaign (RECOMMENDED)
• No → Optional (but still recommended for consistency)

Question 3: Do you need to test different creatives or CTAs?

• Yes → Add utm_content (OPTIONAL)
• No → Skip it

Question 4: Are you tracking paid search keywords manually?

• Yes → Add utm_term (OPTIONAL, but auto-tagging is better)
• No → Skip it

Question 5: Do you import cost data to GA4?

• Yes → Add utm_id (OPTIONAL)
• No → Skip it

FAQ

Can I use only utm_source?

No. utm_source without utm_medium breaks attribution. GA4 will classify traffic as "(direct) / (none)".

Can I use only utm_medium?

No. utm_medium without utm_source also breaks attribution.

What if I use Google Ads or Facebook Ads?

Use their auto-tagging (gclid, fbclid) instead of manual UTM parameters. Don't add both—it creates duplicate sessions.

Are custom parameters allowed?

Yes. You can add custom parameters (like ?promo_code=SPRING) alongside UTM parameters. Just don't use parameter names starting with "utm_" unless they're official UTM parameters.

What about uppercase vs lowercase?

UTM parameters are case-sensitive in GA4. utm_source=Newsletter and utm_source=newsletter are treated as different sources. Always use lowercase.

Do I need all 5 parameters for every link?

No. Use the minimum required (source + medium) and add others based on your reporting needs.

What happens if I misspell a parameter name?

GA4 ignores it. utm_sorce=newsletter doesn't work. Only exact parameter names work: utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content, utm_term.

Quick Reference: UTM Parameter Cheat Sheet

Conclusion

Minimum UTM requirements for GA4:

• utm_source (REQUIRED)
• utm_medium (REQUIRED)

Recommended for useful reporting:

• utm_source (REQUIRED)
• utm_medium (REQUIRED)
• utm_campaign (RECOMMENDED)

Complete for advanced analysis:

• utm_source (REQUIRED)
• utm_medium (REQUIRED)
• utm_campaign (RECOMMENDED)
• utm_content (optional)
• utm_term (optional)

The rule: Always include source + medium. Add campaign for better reporting. Add content/term only when you need that level of detail.

---

Related: GA4 UTM Parameter Documentation