What This Rule Detects

Detects when Pinterest's click ID (epik) appears WITHOUT manual UTM parameters. Unlike Google Ads, GA4 cannot read epik - without UTM parameters, your paid Pinterest traffic will appear as "pinterest.com / referral" instead of paid social campaigns.

Why It Matters

Critical Attribution Loss:

• Paid ads show as referral traffic - GA4 cannot read epik without UTM help
• No campaign tracking - Cannot identify which Pinterest campaigns drive results
• Impossible ROI calculation - Cannot attribute conversions to specific ad spend
• Budget waste - Spending on "referral" traffic that's actually paid ads

Technical Reality:

• GA4 does NOT have native Pinterest Ads support (unlike Google Ads gclid)
• epik is for Pinterest's internal tracking - GA4 cannot read it
• Without UTM parameters, GA4 only sees the referrer: pinterest.com
• Result: Traffic categorized as "pinterest.com / referral" (organic-looking traffic)

Real Example:

• Pinterest Ads budget: $4,000/month
• GA4 shows: "pinterest.com / referral" with 2,000 sessions
• Campaign breakdown: Not available (no utm_campaign)
• Cost per session: Cannot calculate (no connection to ad spend)
• Reality: This is ALL paid traffic, but GA4 has no way to know that

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Default Pinterest Ads (No UTMs)

Pinterest automatically adds epik, but doesn't add UTMs unless you configure them:

Scenario 2: Pinterest Promoted Pins Without UTMs

Promoted pins include epik but need UTMs for proper attribution:

Scenario 3: Pinterest Shopping Ads

Shopping catalog ads with epik but missing UTMs:

How to Fix

Required: Add UTM Parameters to All Pinterest Ads

Pinterest ads REQUIRE UTM parameters for GA4 tracking. The epik alone is not enough.

Step 1: Configure URL Parameters in Pinterest Ads Manager

1. Open Pinterest Ads Manager
2. Go to your campaign/ad group/ad
3. Find "Destination URL" or "Tracking parameters" section
4. Add UTM parameters (see templates below)

Step 2: Use These UTM Templates

For Pinterest Promoted Pins:

utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign={campaign_name}&utm_content={pin_id}

For Pinterest Shopping Ads:

utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign={campaign_name}&utm_content={product_id}

For Pinterest Video Ads:

utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign={campaign_name}&utm_content={video_id}

For Pinterest Carousel Ads:

utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaign_name}&utm_content={carousel_id}

Step 3: Apply to All Active Campaigns

• Update existing campaigns with URL parameters
• Set as default for new campaigns
• Test with Pinterest Preview feature before publishing

Step 4: Verify in GA4

1. GA4 → Reports → Traffic acquisition
2. Look for "pinterest / paid-social" or "pinterest / shopping"
3. Click into source to see campaign breakdown
4. Verify campaign names match your Pinterest campaigns

Benefits:

• ✅ Proper attribution - paid traffic classified correctly
• ✅ Campaign tracking - see which campaigns drive results
• ✅ ROI calculation - connect ad spend to conversions
• ✅ Works with epik - they complement each other

Verification Steps

Test Your Configuration:

1. Click one of your Pinterest Ads
2. Check the URL in browser - should contain both epik= AND utm_ parameters
3. Open GA4 Real-Time reports
4. Verify session appears as "pinterest / paid-social" (not "pinterest.com / referral")
5. Check that campaign name is captured

Examples

❌ Incorrect (Missing UTMs)

https://example.com?epik=pqr678
Result: Shows as "pinterest.com / referral" in GA4
Impact: Cannot distinguish paid from organic, no campaign tracking

https://shop.com/products?epik=xyz123
Result: Traffic appears as referral, no attribution to ad spend
Impact: Cannot calculate ROI, budget decisions impossible

✅ Correct (epik + UTMs)

https://example.com?epik=pqr678&utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=spring-pins
Result: Shows as "pinterest / paid-social" with campaign="spring-pins"
Tracking: Proper attribution, campaign tracking, ROI calculation possible

https://shop.com/products?epik=xyz123&utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=catalog-ads
Result: Shows as "pinterest / shopping" with full campaign details
Tracking: Complete attribution chain from ad to conversion

Platform Click ID Validation

UTMGuard also checks that your utm_source matches the platform:

❌ Mismatch Error

https://example.com?epik=pqr678&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc
Error: utm_source should be "pinterest", not "facebook"
Impact: Confusing attribution data

✅ Correct Match

https://example.com?epik=pqr678&utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=paid-social
Result: Single accurate session attributed to Pinterest Ads
Tracking: SUCCESS

https://shop.com/products?epik=xyz123&utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=shopping
Result: Clean Pinterest attribution, no confusion
Tracking: SUCCESS

GA4 Impact Analysis

Without UTM Parameters:

• Pinterest Ads traffic misclassified as "pinterest.com / referral"
• Cannot distinguish paid ads from organic Pinterest traffic
• Campaign names and details completely lost
• Impossible to calculate true advertising ROI

With Proper UTM Parameters:

• Traffic correctly attributed to "pinterest / paid-social" or "pinterest / shopping"
• Campaign-level tracking and analysis available
• Cost per session and conversion metrics accurate
• Budget allocation based on real performance data

Detection in UTMGuard

UTMGuard automatically detects this issue:

1. Scans GA4 traffic for epik parameter
2. Identifies sessions with epik but NO manual UTMs
3. Counts affected sessions appearing as referral traffic
4. Calculates lost attribution and misclassified traffic
5. Provides exact URLs and campaigns to fix

Related Validation Rules

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I disable epik on Pinterest Ads?

A: No. Pinterest always adds epik to ad clicks. You cannot disable it. The only solution is adding manual UTM parameters.

Q: Does this affect organic pins?

A: No. This only affects Pinterest Ads (promoted pins). Organic pin clicks don't include epik parameter.

Q: Will this affect Pinterest Tag tracking?

A: No. Pinterest Tag tracks on-site behavior independently. Adding manual UTMs only affects GA4 tracking accuracy.

Q: Can I still track campaigns without UTMs?

A: Not in GA4. Unlike Google Ads, GA4 cannot read Pinterest's epik parameter. You must add UTM parameters manually.

Q: What if I need campaign names in GA4?

A: You MUST add manual UTM parameters. GA4 has no native Pinterest Ads integration and cannot extract campaign data from epik.

Q: How do I track different pin creatives?

A: Use utm_content to distinguish pin variations: utm_content=pin-blue-sweater vs utm_content=pin-red-sweater. This helps track which creatives perform best.

External Resources

• Google Analytics 4: About Auto-Tagging
• Pinterest Ads Manager: Conversion Tracking
• GA4 Traffic Acquisition Reports
• Pinterest Business: Measurement Tools

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