UTMGuard
best-practicesUpdated 2025

UTM Lowercase Naming Standard: Best Practices & Examples

Comprehensive guide to lowercase UTM naming conventions. Learn the standard format, examples for every parameter, and how to enforce consistency.

Olivia James
•7 min readbest-practices

Every marketing team needs ONE standard for UTM naming. Here it is:

ALL UTM parameters: Always lowercase. No exceptions.

This isn't just a preference—it's the only way to prevent GA4 data fragmentation and maintain clean analytics.

Table of contents

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The Complete Lowercase Standard

utm_source (REQUIRED)

Rule: Lowercase platform/site name

Format: utm_source=platform_name

Examples:

Code
utm_source=google
utm_source=facebook
utm_source=linkedin
utm_source=twitter
utm_source=instagram
utm_source=newsletter
utm_source=partner_acme_corp

NOT:

Code
utm_source=Google        ← Uppercase
utm_source=FaceBook      ← Mixed case
utm_source=LINKEDIN      ← All caps

utm_medium (REQUIRED)

Rule: Lowercase channel type

Format: utm_medium=channel_type

Examples:

Code
utm_medium=cpc
utm_medium=email
utm_medium=social
utm_medium=display
utm_medium=affiliate
utm_medium=referral

NOT:

Code
utm_medium=CPC           ← Breaks channel grouping!
utm_medium=Email         ← Mixed case
utm_medium=SOCIAL        ← All caps

utm_campaign (REQUIRED)

Rule: Lowercase descriptive name

Format: utm_campaign=campaign_name_descriptor

Examples:

Code
utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024
utm_campaign=product_launch_beta
utm_campaign=black_friday_early_access
utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly_jan_15
utm_campaign=webinar_project_management

NOT:

Code
utm_campaign=Spring_Sale       ← Title case
utm_campaign=PRODUCT_LAUNCH    ← All caps
utm_campaign=Black-Friday      ← Mixed case

utm_content (OPTIONAL)

Rule: Lowercase creative/audience identifier

Format: utm_content=variant_identifier

Examples:

Code
utm_content=video_30sec
utm_content=carousel_products
utm_content=headline_a
utm_content=cta_blue_button
utm_content=audience_segment_1
utm_content=hero_image

NOT:

Code
utm_content=Video_30Sec        ← Mixed case
utm_content=CAROUSEL           ← All caps

utm_term (OPTIONAL)

Rule: Lowercase keyword/term

Format: utm_term=keyword_phrase

Examples:

Code
utm_term=project_management_software
utm_term=best_crm_tools
utm_term=email_marketing_platform

NOT:

Code
utm_term=Project_Management    ← Title case
utm_term=Best-CRM             ← Mixed case

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Character Rules

Allowed Characters

Lowercase letters: a-z ✅ Numbers: 0-9 ✅ Underscores: _ ✅ Hyphens: - ✅ (but underscores preferred)

Avoid

Uppercase: A-Z ❌ Spaces: ❌ (use underscores instead) Special characters: !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *, (, ) ❌ Accents/diacritics: é, ñ, ü ❌ (can work but avoid for compatibility)

Examples

✅ Correct:

Code
utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024
utm_content=video_ad_30_seconds
utm_source=partner_site_techcrunch

❌ Wrong:

Code
utm_campaign=Spring Sale 2024      ← Spaces, title case
utm_content=Video Ad (30 seconds)  ← Spaces, parentheses, title case
utm_source=Partner Site!           ← Spaces, special char, title case

Naming Patterns by Use Case

Email Campaigns

Code
utm_source=newsletter
utm_medium=email
utm_campaign=weekly_digest_jan_15_2024
utm_content=header_cta

OR:

Code
utm_source=email_platform_name
utm_medium=email
utm_campaign=promo_spring_sale
utm_content=section_top
Code
utm_source=google
utm_medium=cpc
utm_campaign=brand_search_q1_2024
utm_content=ad_headline_variation_a
utm_term=project_management_software
Code
utm_source=facebook
utm_medium=cpc
utm_campaign=product_launch_video
utm_content=carousel_ad_5_products

Organic Social

Code
utm_source=linkedin
utm_medium=social
utm_campaign=thought_leadership_posts
utm_content=article_share_jan_10

Display Advertising

Code
utm_source=display_network_google
utm_medium=display
utm_campaign=retargeting_cart_abandonment
utm_content=banner_300x250

Affiliate Links

Code
utm_source=affiliate_partner_name
utm_medium=affiliate
utm_campaign=partnership_q1_2024
utm_content=banner_link

Date Formatting in Campaign Names

Recommended Format: YYYY_MM_DD or Month_Year

Examples:

Code
utm_campaign=newsletter_2024_01_15
utm_campaign=promo_jan_2024
utm_campaign=webinar_2024_q1
utm_campaign=spring_sale_march_2024

NOT:

Code
utm_campaign=Newsletter_Jan_15     ← Title case
utm_campaign=promo-01-15-2024      ← Inconsistent format
utm_campaign=Webinar_Q1            ← Uppercase

Multi-Word Separation

Use Underscores (Recommended)

Why: More readable in URLs, universally compatible

Examples:

Code
utm_campaign=spring_sale_early_access
utm_content=video_ad_product_demo
utm_source=email_newsletter_monthly

Hyphens (Acceptable Alternative)

Examples:

Code
utm_campaign=spring-sale-early-access
utm_content=video-ad-product-demo

Rule: Choose one (underscores OR hyphens) and be consistent.

Never Use Spaces

Wrong:

Code
utm_campaign=spring sale          ← Becomes spring%20sale (ugly, fragile)

Abbreviations & Acronyms

Keep Lowercase

Even for brands/acronyms:

Code
utm_source=ibm                    ← NOT IBM
utm_campaign=api_launch           ← NOT API
utm_content=pdf_download          ← NOT PDF

Why: Consistency trumps proper capitalization

Use Full Words When Possible

Preferred:

Code
utm_campaign=webinar_january
utm_content=video_advertisement

Acceptable (if documented):

Code
utm_campaign=webinar_jan
utm_content=video_ad

Avoid cryptic abbreviations:

Code
utm_campaign=wbnr_j               ← Unclear
utm_content=vid_adv               ← Inconsistent

Version/Iteration Naming

Use Numbers or Letters

Examples:

Code
utm_content=headline_v1
utm_content=headline_v2
utm_content=creative_test_a
utm_content=creative_test_b

OR:

Code
utm_campaign=spring_sale_iteration_1
utm_campaign=spring_sale_iteration_2

Enforcement Methods

1. Google Sheets Formula

Auto-lowercase ANY input:

Code
=LOWER(TRIM(SUBSTITUTE(A2," ","_")))

This converts:

  • "Spring Sale" → "spring_sale"
  • "Video Ad" → "video_ad"

2. Dropdown Validation

Pre-approved values only:

Code
utm_source: google, facebook, linkedin, email, newsletter
utm_medium: cpc, email, social, display, affiliate, referral

3. JavaScript Validation

Javascript
function validateUTM(param) {
  // Check lowercase
  if (param !== param.toLowerCase()) {
    return false;
  }
  // Check no spaces
  if (param.includes(' ')) {
    return false;
  }
  // Check allowed characters
  if (!/^[a-z0-9_-]+$/.test(param)) {
    return false;
  }
  return true;
}

4. Team Standards Document

One-page reference card:

Code
UTM NAMING STANDARD

FORMAT: all lowercase, underscores for spaces, no special characters

REQUIRED:
- utm_source: platform_name
- utm_medium: channel_type
- utm_campaign: campaign_name_descriptor

OPTIONAL:
- utm_content: creative_variant
- utm_term: keyword_phrase

EXAMPLES:
✅ utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale_2024
❌ utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Spring_Sale_2024

REMEMBER: GA4 is case-sensitive!
"facebook" ≠ "Facebook" ≠ "FACEBOOK"

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FAQ

Can I use uppercase for acronyms like "IBM" or "CEO"?

No—use lowercase even for acronyms:

Code
utm_source=ibm
utm_campaign=ceo_announcement

If you need branded display, track as lowercase and use calculated fields to format for presentation.

What about product names that are trademarked in title case?

Track lowercase, display title case:

In UTM:

Code
utm_campaign=iphone_15_launch

In reports (calculated field):

Code
Display name: "iPhone 15 Launch"

Should I use underscores or hyphens?

Either works—be consistent:

  • Underscores: Slightly more readable (spring_sale)
  • Hyphens: Slightly shorter (spring-sale)

Pick one standard for your team and document it.

How do I handle international campaigns?

Use English transliterations:

Code
utm_campaign=primavera_2024     ← NOT Primavera (title case)
utm_campaign=nuevo_producto     ← Lowercase Spanish

Avoid accents/special characters:

Code
utm_campaign=cafe_promotion     ← NOT café

What if my CMS auto-capitalizes?

Override CMS defaults:

  • WordPress: Use plugin or custom code to force lowercase
  • HubSpot: Update default tracking settings
  • Mailchimp: Override campaign defaults

Or: Build URLs outside CMS, paste complete URLs.

Can I document exceptions to the standard?

Generally no—consistency is more valuable than edge-case perfection.

If you MUST have exceptions:

  1. Document clearly
  2. Limit to <5% of campaigns
  3. Review quarterly

Example acceptable exception:

Code
utm_source=partner_IBM  ← Documented exception for contractual requirement

Still lowercase, just includes brand in approved format.

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