UTM Builder for Google Ads: Free GA4 Campaign URL Tool

Website URL

Website URLs, one per line

utm_source

utm_medium

utm_campaign

utm_id (optional)

utm_term (optional)

utm_content (optional)

More GA4 parameters

utm_source_platform

utm_creative_format

utm_marketing_tactic

Make values lowercase and replace spaces with underscores

Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.

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Short answer

A UTM builder adds utm_ tags to a link so Google Analytics 4 can report where each visit came from. Google says to always use utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, and their values are case sensitive. For Google Ads, utm_source=google with utm_medium=cpc fits GA4's Paid Search channel, but with auto-tagging on, GA4 gives the gclid priority over your UTM tags.

How to use the UTM Builder for Google Ads

Choose a mode: single link, Google Ads (Final URL suffix and tracking template) or bulk for many URLs at once.
Enter your landing page URL, then fill in utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, plus any optional tags.
Fix anything flagged, such as spaces, capital letters, an existing query string or a #fragment.
Check which GA4 channel the tags fall into, then copy the result or download it as a CSV.

Which UTM parameters does GA4 use?

Google lists nine utm_ parameters for Google Analytics 4. Its advice is that "you should always use utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign", and it warns: "Parameter values are case sensitive" (URL builders: Collect campaign data with custom URLs).

Parameter	What it holds	Example for a Google Ads click
utm_source	The referrer, such as google, newsletter4 or billboard	google
utm_medium	The marketing medium, such as cpc, banner or email	cpc
utm_campaign	A product, slogan or promo code, such as spring_sale	drain_cleaning
utm_id	The campaign ID	{campaignid}
utm_term	The paid keyword	{keyword}
utm_content	What tells your creatives apart	{creative}
utm_source_platform	Optional. Reported in GA4 as Manual source platform	Leave blank
utm_creative_format, utm_marketing_tactic	Optional. Google's help pages disagree on whether GA4 reports them	Leave blank

Do you need UTM tags if Google Ads auto-tagging is on?

For GA4's source, medium and channel reports, no. Auto-tagging adds a gclid to your landing page URL, as in www.example.com/?gclid=123xyz, and Google says that "in Google Analytics 4 (GA4), auto-tagging is prioritized over manual tagging due to the absence of an override option" (About auto-tagging). GA4's help agrees: when you use both, source, medium and the other traffic-classification dimensions "use the auto-tagged values" (Traffic-source dimensions, manual tagging, and auto-tagging).

So keep auto-tagging on, and add UTM tags when something else needs them: a form or CRM that saves UTM values with each lead, or links you place outside Google Ads, such as emails and social posts.

How do you add UTM tags in Google Ads?

Use the Final URL suffix, a field for "parameters that will be attached to the end of your landing page URL". You can set it at the account, campaign, ad group, ad, dynamic ads target, keyword and sitelink levels. Leave out the leading question mark: Google's example suffix x=y lands on https://example.com/?x=y (Add a Final URL suffix).

Google Ads mode writes the suffix with ValueTrack parameters. Each one sits in braces and is replaced with a real value when someone clicks (About ValueTrack parameters). A typical suffix, set at campaign level so each campaign carries its own name:

utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=drain_cleaning&utm_id={campaignid}&utm_term={keyword}&utm_content={creative}

ValueTrack parameter	What Google puts in its place
{campaignid}	The campaign ID
{adgroupid}	The ad group ID
{creative}	A unique ID for your ad
{keyword}	The keyword from your account that matched the search. Blank when the ad matched without keywords, as in Performance Max
{matchtype}	e (exact), p (phrase), b (broad) or a (AI Max keywordless)
{device}	m (mobile), t (tablet) or c (computer)
{network}	g (Google search), s (search partners), d (Display Network), ytv (YouTube), x (Performance Max) and more

The full list is on Google's Set up tracking with ValueTrack parameters page.

A tracking template is a separate field, usually needed only when a third-party tracking tool asks for one. It is built around {lpurl}, which stands for your final URL, as in Google's example {lpurl}?campaignid={campaignid}&adgroupid={adgroupid}&keyword={keyword}&device={device} (Set up your tracking template). If you set templates at several levels, "the most specific template will be used": keyword first, then ad, ad group, campaign and account (About tracking in Google Ads).

Which GA4 channel will your tagged links land in?

For clicks without a gclid, GA4 counts traffic as Paid Search when the source is on its list of search sites and the medium matches the regular expression ^(.*cp.*|ppc|retargeting|paid.*)$ (Default channel group). The builder runs the same test on your tags:

cpc, ppc, paidsearch, retargeting: match the medium rule, so utm_source=google with utm_medium=cpc is Paid Search.
cpm: matches because it contains "cp", but GA4 also lists cpm as a Display medium, so avoid it for search clicks.
google_ads, adwords, search: do not match, so those clicks miss Paid Search.

Auto-tagged clicks follow their own rules. Search campaigns land in Paid Search, while Performance Max, Demand Gen, App, Smart and Local campaigns go to Cross-network.

UTM mistakes to avoid

Capital letters. Values are case sensitive, so Google and google show up as two sources. Use lowercase everywhere.
Spaces. A space becomes %20 or + in the address. Use underscores, as in spring_sale.
A second question mark. If the URL already has a query string, add your tags after an & instead.
Tags after a #. The query string has to come before any #fragment, or your tags are not part of it.
Names that drift. Pick one naming convention and reuse it. The Campaign Structure Generator suggests one.

Before launch, run the tagged URL through the Landing Page Audit Tool to confirm it still loads, and report on the results with the PPC Report Generator.

Sources

Updated 2 October 2026 by the Paid Pilot team. Google Ads is a trademark of Google LLC; Paid Pilot is an independent agency.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need UTM parameters if Google Ads auto-tagging is on?

Not for GA4's traffic source reports. Google says that in GA4, auto-tagging is prioritized over manual tagging, so source, medium and channel come from the gclid when both are present. Keep auto-tagging on, and add UTM tags only when another tool needs them, such as a form or CRM that saves UTM values with each lead, or for links you share outside Google Ads.

What should utm_source and utm_medium be for Google Ads?

Use utm_source=google and utm_medium=cpc. Google lists google as an example source and cpc as an example medium, and cpc matches the GA4 Paid Search medium pattern ^(.*cp.*|ppc|retargeting|paid.*)$. Avoid mediums like google_ads or adwords, which do not match that pattern, and avoid cpm, which GA4 also lists as a Display medium. Whatever you pick, keep it lowercase.

Are UTM parameters case sensitive?

Yes. Google Analytics treats parameter values as case sensitive, so utm_source=Google and utm_source=google are reported as two different sources and your data gets split. Write every value in lowercase, use underscores instead of spaces, and keep one agreed spelling for each source, medium and campaign so every link you build reports in the same rows.

What is a Final URL suffix in Google Ads?

A Final URL suffix is a Google Ads field for parameters that are attached to the end of your landing page URL, such as UTM tags. You enter it without a leading question mark, so the suffix x=y sends people to example.com/?x=y. You can set it at the account, campaign, ad group, ad, dynamic ads target, keyword and sitelink levels.

What is the difference between a tracking template and a Final URL suffix?

A Final URL suffix adds parameters to the end of your landing page URL. A tracking template is a separate tracking URL built around {lpurl}, which stands for your final URL, and is usually set up for a third-party tracking tool. When templates exist at several levels, the most specific one is used: keyword, then ad, ad group, campaign and account. Most small businesses need only the suffix.

Why does Google Ads traffic show as Cross-network in GA4?

GA4's default channel rules put auto-tagged traffic from Performance Max, Demand Gen, App, Smart and Local campaigns in Cross-network, not Paid Search. Paid Search covers Google Ads clicks from the Google Search and Google Partners networks, or from Search, Hotel and Travel campaign types. This is expected, so compare Search campaigns under Paid Search and the rest under Cross-network.

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