UTM Parameters for QR Codes
Track your QR code traffic in Google Analytics and other analytics platforms.
What are UTM Parameters?
Tags added to URLs that help analytics tools identify traffic sources.
Standard UTM Parameters
utm_source: Where traffic comes from (e.g., qr-code, poster, business-card)
utm_medium: Marketing medium (e.g., offline, print, packaging)
utm_campaign: Campaign name (e.g., summer-sale-2024, product-launch)
utm_term (optional): Keywords or product identifiers
utm_content (optional): Differentiate similar content (e.g., version-a, version-b)
Why Use UTM Parameters?
Benefits:
- See QR code performance in Google Analytics
- Compare offline vs online campaigns
- Attribute conversions correctly
- Measure ROI accurately
Setting Up UTM Parameters
In iloveQR:
- Edit your QR code
- Go to Tracking section
- Enable UTM Parameters
- Fill in the fields
- Save changes
Naming Conventions
Be Consistent: Use lowercase with hyphens.
Be Specific:
- Good: summer-sale-2024-poster
- Bad: campaign1
Be Descriptive:
- Good: product-packaging-v2
- Bad: test
Examples by Use Case
Business Cards:
- Source: business-card
- Medium: offline
- Campaign: networking-2024
Product Packaging:
- Source: product-box
- Medium: packaging
- Campaign: widget-pro-launch
Event Poster:
- Source: event-poster
- Medium: print
- Campaign: tech-conference-2024
- Content: booth-24
Restaurant Table Tent:
- Source: table-tent
- Medium: print
- Campaign: dinner-menu
- Content: location-downtown
Viewing in Google Analytics
GA4: Navigate to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition, filter by campaign.
Universal Analytics: Acquisition > Campaigns > All Campaigns
Advanced Tracking
Combine with:
- QR code-specific short codes
- Custom domains
- Event tracking
- Conversion goals
Auto-Tagging
Enable auto-tagging to add source/medium automatically based on QR code name and type.
Best Practices
Document Your System: Keep a spreadsheet of UTM conventions.
Train Your Team: Ensure everyone follows same naming.
Review Regularly: Check analytics monthly for insights.
Clean Up: Archive old campaigns to keep reports clean.
Test Links: Always test before printing or distribution.