Free UTM Builder for YouTube
YouTube traffic routes to "Organic Video" for organic content (utm_medium=video) and "Paid Video" for YouTube Ads (utm_medium=paid_video). YouTube allows links in video descriptions, community posts, and channel pages—use utm_content to differentiate these placements for better insights.
Organic YouTube
youtubevideoPaid YouTube
youtubepaid_videoWorked Examples
Build Your YouTube UTM Link
Must start with http:// or https://
Automatically fills source and medium with opinionated defaults
Required Parameters
Where traffic comes from (e.g., instagram, facebook, newsletter)
How traffic arrives (e.g., social, paid_social, email, cpc)
Campaign identifier (e.g., spring-2025-promo, product-launch)
Naming Convention Rules
- •Use lowercase only (GA4 is case-sensitive)
- •Replace spaces with hyphens
- •Use consistent vocab across campaigns
- •Follow a schema: brand-yyq-campaign or prod-yyyymm-promo
- •Never include PII (personally identifiable information)
- •Keep it short and descriptive
GA4 Channel Preview
Fill in the required fields to see which GA4 channel your traffic will appear in.
Generated URL
Fill in the required fields to generate your UTM-tagged URL
Common utm_content Values for YouTube
shortsdescriptioncommunity-postend-screenpinned-commentchannel-bannerCommon Pitfalls
Stuffing UTMs in descriptions with broken URLs
YouTube descriptions allow clickable links, but long URLs with UTMs can break if they exceed character limits. Always test the link before publishing to ensure it works.
Not differentiating Shorts from regular videos
YouTube Shorts have different engagement patterns. Use utm_content=shorts for Shorts links and utm_content=description for regular video links to compare performance.
Using "social" instead of "video" for organic YouTube
Using utm_medium=social for YouTube routes to "Organic Social" instead of "Organic Video", which fragments video reporting. Stick with utm_medium=video for YouTube organic content.
YouTube UTM FAQs
Should I track YouTube Shorts differently from regular videos?
Yes! Use utm_content=shorts for Shorts links and utm_content=description for regular videos. Shorts have different engagement and this helps you measure their unique impact.
Can I use UTMs in YouTube end screens?
YouTube end screens link to other YouTube videos or channels, not external URLs. Use UTMs in your video description, pinned comments, or community tab posts instead.
How do I track YouTube community posts vs video descriptions?
Use utm_content=community-post for community tab links and utm_content=description for video description links. Community posts often have higher engagement from subscribers.