UTM ID Complete Setup Guide with Platform Click IDs

Mark Foster was setting up campaign tracking for a $500K annual ad budget across five platforms. His agency suggested using utm_id for better campaign organization.

He added utm_id to every campaign. Looked perfect in the tracking sheet. Three months later, GA4 cost reports showed $0 for everything.

The problem? He used utm_id without platform click IDs. Cost data import requires both.

This guide shows you exactly how to set up utm_id correctly with all required platform identifiers.

Table of contents

What Is utmid?
utmid vs Other UTM Parameters
Complete utmid Setup by Platform
Google Ads Setup
Facebook/Meta Ads Setup
LinkedIn Ads Setup
Microsoft Ads Setup
TikTok Ads Setup
utmid Naming Conventions
Option 1: Platform + Campaign Type + ID
Option 2: Use Platform Campaign IDs
Option 3: Custom Naming Schema
Best Practice Recommendation
Complete URL Examples
Google Search Ad
Facebook Ad
LinkedIn Ad
Validation & Testing
Test Checklist Per Campaign
Real-Time Testing
Common Issues & Fixes
FAQ
Is utmid required for GA4 cost import?
Can I change utmid after campaign launches?
Do I need different utmid for different ad groups?
What if platform doesn't support dynamic parameters?
Can I use the same utmid across platforms?
How long is utmid retained in GA4?

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What Is utm_id?

utm_id = Unique campaign identifier used for importing cost and performance data from advertising platforms into GA4.

utm_id vs Other UTM Parameters

Parameter	Purpose	Example
utm_source	Platform/publisher	google, facebook, mailchimp
utm_medium	Traffic type	cpc, email, social
utm_campaign	Campaign name	summer_sale, brand_search
utm_content	Ad variation	banner_a, text_ad_1
utm_term	Keyword (search)	running shoes, saas software
utm_id	Campaign ID	search_brand_q4, fb_123456

utm_id is optional but powerful when combined with platform click IDs for cost tracking.

Complete utm_id Setup by Platform

Google Ads Setup

Requirements:

Auto-tagging enabled (gclid)
utm_id parameter configured
GA4-Google Ads link active

Step 1: Enable Auto-Tagging

Google Ads → Settings → Account settings
Auto-tagging: Turn ON
Save

What this does: Adds gclid parameter to all click URLs automatically.

Step 2: Configure utm_id in URL Options

Campaign-level setup:

Select campaign
Settings → Campaign URL options
Final URL suffix:

Code

utm_id=`{"{"}{"{"}campaignid{"}"}{"}"}}`&utm_campaign=`{"{"}{"{"}campaign{"}"}{"}"}}`&utm_content=`{"{"}{"{"}adgroupid{"}"}{"}"}}`&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`

Dynamic parameters:

{"{"}{"{"}campaignid{"}"}{"}"}} - Unique campaign ID
{"{"}{"{"}campaign{"}"}{"}"}} - Campaign name
{"{"}{"{"}adgroupid{"}"}{"}"}} - Ad group ID
{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}} - Matched keyword

Result URL:

Code

https://site.com?gclid=CjwKCAiA...&utm_id=12345678&utm_campaign=Brand_Search&utm_content=9012&utm_term=best%20crm

Step 3: Link Google Ads to GA4

GA4 → Admin → Product Links → Google Ads links
Click "Link"
Select Google Ads account
Enable:
- ✅ Import cost data
- ✅ Import clicks and impressions
Save

Verify: Link status shows "Active"

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Facebook/Meta Ads Setup

Requirements:

Facebook auto-adds fbclid
utm_id in URL parameters
GA4-Meta link active

Step 1: Configure URL Parameters

Facebook Ads Manager:

Select campaign → Ad Set → Ad
Edit ad creative
URL parameters:

Code

utm_id={"{"}{"{"}campaign.id{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaign.name{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_content={"{"}{"{"}adset.name{"}"}{"}"}}

Facebook dynamic values:

{"{"}{"{"}campaign.id{"}"}{"}"}} - Campaign ID
{"{"}{"{"}campaign.name{"}"}{"}"}} - Campaign name
{"{"}{"{"}adset.name{"}"}{"}"}} - Ad set name
{"{"}{"{"}ad.name{"}"}{"}"}} - Ad name

Result URL:

Code

https://site.com?fbclid=IwAR2x...&utm_id=23456789&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Cold_Traffic

Note: Facebook automatically adds fbclid. Don't try to add it manually.

Step 2: Link Meta Ads to GA4

GA4 → Admin → Product Links → Meta Ads links
Click "Link"
Authenticate with Facebook Business Manager
Select ad account
Enable cost data import
Save

LinkedIn Ads Setup

Requirements:

LinkedIn Insight Tag installed (li_fat_id)
utm_id in campaign URLs
Manual cost import (LinkedIn doesn't auto-link)

Step 1: Install Insight Tag

LinkedIn Campaign Manager → Account Assets → Insight Tag
Copy tag code:

Html

<script type="text/javascript">
_linkedin_partner_id = "YOUR_PARTNER_ID";
window._linkedin_data_partner_ids = window._linkedin_data_partner_ids || [];
window._linkedin_data_partner_ids.push(_linkedin_partner_id);
</script><script type="text/javascript">
(function(l) {
if (!l){window.lintrk = function(a,b){window.lintrk.q.push([a,b])};
window.lintrk.q=[]}
var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];
var b = document.createElement("script");
b.type = "text/javascript";b.async = true;
b.src = "https://snap.licdn.com/li.lms-analytics/insight.min.js";
s.parentNode.insertBefore(b, s);})(window.lintrk);
</script>

Install in site <head> section

Step 2: Configure Campaign URLs

LinkedIn Campaign Manager:

Select campaign → Ads
Edit ad
URL parameters:

Code

utm_id={"{"}{"{"}campaign.id{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaign.name{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_content={"{"}{"{"}creative.id{"}"}{"}"}}

Result URL:

Code

https://site.com?li_fat_id=abc123...&utm_id=34567890&utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=cpc

Microsoft Ads Setup

Requirements:

UET auto-tagging enabled (msclkid)
utm_id configured
Manual cost import

Step 1: Enable UET Auto-Tagging

Microsoft Ads → Campaigns → Settings
Tracking: Enable UET auto-tagging
Save

Adds: msclkid parameter automatically

Step 2: Configure URL Suffix

Campaign settings:

Select campaign
Tracking template or URL options
Custom parameters:

Code

utm_id={"{"}{"{"}CampaignId{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}Campaign{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_content={"{"}{"{"}AdGroupId{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}`

Result URL:

Code

https://site.com?msclkid=def456...&utm_id=45678901&utm_campaign=Brand_Search_Bing

TikTok Ads Setup

Requirements:

TikTok auto-adds ttclid
utm_id in tracking parameters

Configure URL Parameters

TikTok Ads Manager:

Campaign → Ad Group → Ad
Tracking settings
Custom parameters:

Code

utm_id={"{"}{"{"}campaign_id{"}"}{"}"}}&utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={"{"}{"{"}campaign_name{"}"}{"}"}}

Result URL:

Code

https://site.com?ttclid=xyz789...&utm_id=56789012&utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=cpc

utm_id Naming Conventions

Option 1: Platform + Campaign Type + ID

Code

google_search_brand
facebook_cold_traffic
linkedin_lead_gen_q4

Format: platform_campaign-type_descriptor

Option 2: Use Platform Campaign IDs

Code

utm_id=12345678 (Google Ads campaign ID)
utm_id=23456789 (Facebook campaign ID)

Pros:

Guaranteed unique
Easy API matching
Auto-populated

Cons:

Less human-readable

Option 3: Custom Naming Schema

Code

utm_id=2024q4_google_search_brand_001
utm_id=2024q4_facebook_prospecting_cold_002

Format: year-quarter_platform_type_descriptor_counter

Pros:

Human-readable
Sortable by time period
Clear platform identification

Cons:

Requires discipline
Risk of duplicates

Best Practice Recommendation

Use platform campaign IDs for utm_id:

Code

Google: utm_id=`{"{"}{"{"}campaignid{"}"}{"}"}}`
Facebook: utm_id={"{"}{"{"}campaign.id{"}"}{"}"}}
LinkedIn: utm_id={"{"}{"{"}campaign.id{"}"}{"}"}}

Use utm_campaign for human-readable names:

Code

utm_campaign=brand_search_q4
utm_campaign=cold_traffic_prospecting

Complete URL Examples

Google Search Ad

Code

Destination URL:
https://yoursite.com/landing?
  gclid=CjwKCAiA8YyuBhBSEiwA5R3-E7vQ...
  &utm_id=12345678
  &utm_source=google
  &utm_medium=cpc
  &utm_campaign=brand_search_q4
  &utm_content=ad_group_123
  &utm_term=best%20crm%20software

Includes:

✅ gclid (auto-tagging)
✅ utm_id (campaign ID)
✅ utm_source (google)
✅ utm_medium (cpc)
✅ utm_campaign (human-readable)
✅ utm_content (ad group)
✅ utm_term (keyword)

Facebook Ad

Code

Destination URL:
https://yoursite.com/offer?
  fbclid=IwAR2xK9tL3mP4nQ5rS6tU7vW8xY9zA0bC1dE2fF3...
  &utm_id=23456789
  &utm_source=facebook
  &utm_medium=cpc
  &utm_campaign=cold_traffic_q4
  &utm_content=adset_prospecting

Includes:

✅ fbclid (auto-added by Facebook)
✅ utm_id (campaign ID)
✅ utm_source (facebook)
✅ utm_medium (cpc)
✅ utm_campaign (human-readable)
✅ utm_content (ad set)

LinkedIn Ad

Code

Destination URL:
https://yoursite.com/demo?
  li_fat_id=abc123def456ghi789...
  &utm_id=34567890
  &utm_source=linkedin
  &utm_medium=cpc
  &utm_campaign=lead_gen_b2b_q4
  &utm_content=creative_video_001

Includes:

✅ li_fat_id (LinkedIn Insight Tag)
✅ utm_id (campaign ID)
✅ utm_source (linkedin)
✅ utm_medium (cpc)
✅ utm_campaign (human-readable)
✅ utm_content (creative ID)

Validation & Testing

Test Checklist Per Campaign

Markdown

Platform: Google Ads
Campaign: Brand Search Q4
 
Pre-Launch Validation:
- [ ] Auto-tagging enabled (gclid will be added)
- [ ] Final URL suffix configured with utm_id
- [ ] Test ad clicked
- [ ] Landing URL contains gclid parameter
- [ ] Landing URL contains utm_id parameter
- [ ] GA4 Realtime shows both parameters
- [ ] GA4 linked to Google Ads
- [ ] Cost import enabled
- [ ] Wait 48 hours
- [ ] Verify cost data appears in GA4 reports
 
Status: [ ] PASS [ ] FAIL
Date tested: __________
Tested by: __________

Real-Time Testing

Click test ad
Check URL in browser:

Code

Expected: https://site.com?gclid=...&utm_id=...&utm_campaign=...

Check GA4 Realtime (within 30 seconds):
- Reports → Realtime
- Click event details
- Verify: gclid present, utm_id present
Check GA4 User Explorer:
- After 24 hours
- Find test user
- Verify all parameters captured correctly

Common Issues & Fixes

Issue	Symptom	Fix
No gclid	Cost import fails	Enable auto-tagging
No utm_id	Campaign grouping broken	Add Final URL suffix
Parameters stripped	URL too short	Fix redirects to preserve params
Cost shows $0	Even with gclid	Check GA4-platform link
utm_id duplicates	Multiple campaigns same ID	Use unique IDs per campaign

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FAQ

Is utm_id required for GA4 cost import?

No, but highly recommended.

Minimum for cost import:

Platform click ID (gclid, fbclid, etc.)

With utm_id you get:

Better campaign grouping
Custom cost reporting
Cross-platform campaign tracking

Can I change utm_id after campaign launches?

Yes, but not recommended. Changing utm_id creates split data:

Old sessions: old utm_id
New sessions: new utm_id

Better: Keep utm_id consistent for campaign duration.

Do I need different utm_id for different ad groups?

Depends on reporting needs:

Option 1: Campaign-level utm_id

Code

All ad groups: utm_id=12345 (campaign ID)
Differentiate with: utm_content=`{"{"}{"{"}adgroupid{"}"}{"}"}}`

Option 2: Ad group-level utm_id

Code

Ad group 1: utm_id=12345_ag1
Ad group 2: utm_id=12345_ag2

Recommendation: Campaign-level utm_id, use utm_content for ad groups.

What if platform doesn't support dynamic parameters?

Use static utm_id:

Code

utm_id=linkedin_lead_gen_q4_2024

Trade-off: Less granular, but still useful for cost grouping.

Can I use the same utm_id across platforms?

Not recommended.

Problem: Can't differentiate which platform drove results.

Better:

Code

Google: utm_id=google_12345
Facebook: utm_id=facebook_23456

OR use platform-specific IDs:

Code

Google: utm_id=12345 (Google campaign ID)
Facebook: utm_id=23456 (Facebook campaign ID)

How long is utm_id retained in GA4?

Standard retention: Based on your GA4 retention settings (2 months or 14 months).

Cost data: Retained separately per GA4 data import settings.

Related: UTM ID Without Platform Rule

UTM ID Complete Setup Guide with Platform Click IDs

🚨 Not sure what's breaking your tracking?

What Is utm_id?

utm_id vs Other UTM Parameters

Complete utm_id Setup by Platform

Google Ads Setup

Step 1: Enable Auto-Tagging

Step 2: Configure utm_id in URL Options

Step 3: Link Google Ads to GA4

😰 Is this your only tracking issue?

Facebook/Meta Ads Setup

Step 1: Configure URL Parameters

Step 2: Link Meta Ads to GA4

LinkedIn Ads Setup

Step 1: Install Insight Tag

Step 2: Configure Campaign URLs

Microsoft Ads Setup

Step 1: Enable UET Auto-Tagging

Step 2: Configure URL Suffix

TikTok Ads Setup

Configure URL Parameters

utm_id Naming Conventions

Option 1: Platform + Campaign Type + ID

Option 2: Use Platform Campaign IDs

Option 3: Custom Naming Schema

Best Practice Recommendation

Complete URL Examples

Google Search Ad

Facebook Ad

LinkedIn Ad

Validation & Testing

Test Checklist Per Campaign

Real-Time Testing

Common Issues & Fixes

✅ Fixed this issue? Great! Now check the other 39...

FAQ

Is utm_id required for GA4 cost import?

Can I change utm_id after campaign launches?

Do I need different utm_id for different ad groups?

What if platform doesn't support dynamic parameters?

Can I use the same utm_id across platforms?

How long is utm_id retained in GA4?

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