Google Analytics and UTM tracking
UTM parameters let you track how traffic arrives at your website. When a recipient clicks a link in your email, the UTM parameters are appended to the URL — and your analytics tool (Google Analytics, Matomo, or similar) uses them to attribute the visit to your email campaign. This article explains how to set up UTM tracking globally and per link in Apsis One.
In this article
What are UTM parameters?
UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags added to URLs that identify where traffic came from. When someone clicks a UTM-tagged link in your email, your website's analytics tool captures the parameters and attributes the visit to the correct source, medium, and campaign.
Example:
https://yoursite.com/spring-sale?utm_source=apsis_one&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring_sale_2026
Available parameters
Parameter | Required? | What it identifies | Example value |
utm_source | Yes* | The platform sending the traffic. |
|
utm_medium | Yes* | The marketing channel. |
|
utm_campaign | Yes* | The specific campaign or promotion. |
|
utm_term | No | A keyword or search term (less common in email). |
|
utm_content | No | Differentiates content variations — useful for A/B tests or multiple CTAs in one email. |
|
* Required when UTM tracking is enabled.
Works with more than Google Analytics
Although the Analytics tab in Apsis One is labelled "Google Analytics", UTM parameters are an open standard — they're simply tags appended to your link URLs. Any analytics platform that reads URL query parameters will pick them up automatically. You don't need Google Analytics to benefit from UTM tracking.
Analytics tool | UTM support |
Google Analytics (GA4) | Full native support — UTM parameters are automatically captured in traffic source reports. |
Matomo (Piwik) | Full native support — reads all five UTM parameters out of the box. |
Adobe Analytics | Supports UTM parameters via processing rules or classification rules — requires configuration. |
Plausible | Full native support — UTM parameters appear in the campaigns report automatically. |
Fathom | Supports UTM parameters for campaign attribution. |
Other tools | Any platform that reads URL query parameters can capture UTM values — check your tool's documentation. |
The takeaway: if your organisation uses Matomo, Plausible, or any other analytics tool instead of (or alongside) Google Analytics, the UTM settings in Apsis One work exactly the same way. The parameters are appended to your URLs regardless of which tool reads them on the other end.
Set up global UTM tracking
Global UTM settings apply to all tracked links in the email. Set them once and every link in the email gets the same parameters.
In the email editor, click Settings in the bottom bar.
Go to the Analytics tab.
Fill in the UTM parameters (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign are mandatory; utm_term and utm_content are optional).
The parameters are automatically appended to all tracked links in the email.
💡 Tip: Be consistent with naming
Use a consistent naming convention across all your campaigns — for example, always use apsis_one as your source and email as your medium. Inconsistent naming (mixing "Apsis", "apsis_one", "APSIS One") creates fragmented data in Google Analytics.
Override UTM on individual links
You can add, modify, or disable UTM tracking on individual links — overriding the global settings:
Select the link (text link, button, or image).
Open Link settings.
Under UTM tracking, tick or untick the Enabled checkbox.
If enabled, fill in or modify the UTM values for this specific link.
This is useful when you have multiple CTAs in one email and want to track which one drives traffic — for example, setting utm_content=hero_button on the primary CTA and utm_content=footer_link on the secondary one.
Practical example: Image vs Button — which converts more?
Say you have a hero image and a CTA button that both link to the same product page. You want to know which one your recipients actually click. Set up the global UTM parameters as normal (same source, medium, and campaign for the whole email), then override just utm_content on each link:
Element | URL | utm_content value |
Hero image |
| |
CTA button |
|
In Google Analytics, both clicks show under the same campaign — but the utm_content column tells you exactly which element drove each visit. Over time, this reveals whether your audience prefers to click images or buttons, helping you prioritise design effort where it matters most.
Using Data tags in UTM values
You can include Data tags (##attributename##) in any UTM parameter value. This lets you pass dynamic, per-recipient data to your analytics.
Start typing ## and scroll in the drop-down list until you find the attribute you wish to use.
Example:
utm_content=##attributename##
In Google Analytics, you'd then see traffic grouped by the customer Attribute value — giving you insight into which customer types engage most with your campaigns.
Custom parameters
In addition to UTM parameters (which are Google Analytics-specific), Apsis One lets you create your own Custom parameters. These work the same way — they're appended to links as URL parameters — but with your own parameter names.
Set them up in Settings → Custom parameters tab. Use custom parameters when your analytics or marketing stack requires different tracking parameters than the standard UTM format.
Best practices
Practice | Why |
Always set utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign | These three parameters are the minimum needed for meaningful campaign attribution in Google Analytics. |
Use lowercase, no spaces | UTM parameters are case-sensitive in Google Analytics. Use lowercase and underscores to avoid duplicated data (e.g. "Spring_Sale" and "spring_sale" appear as separate campaigns). |
Use utm_content for multiple CTAs | If your email has more than one CTA, use utm_content to distinguish them. This tells you which link actually drove the conversion. |
Document your naming convention | Share a UTM naming guide with your team so everyone uses the same source, medium, and campaign naming format. This prevents fragmented analytics data. |
Test UTM links before sending | Send a test email, click a link, and check the URL in your browser to verify the UTM parameters are correctly appended. |
⚠️ UTM settings are not saved with Assets
If you save a Row as an Asset, the UTM/Analytics settings applied to that Row are not saved. You'll need to reconfigure analytics tracking each time you use the Asset in a new email.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Cause and solution |
"UTM parameters aren't showing in Google Analytics" | Check that your website has Google Analytics installed and is collecting data. Also verify the UTM parameters are correctly spelled (utm_source, not utmsource). Send a test email, click a link, and check the URL in your browser. |
"I see duplicate campaign names in Google Analytics" | UTM values are case-sensitive. "Spring_Sale" and "spring_sale" are treated as different campaigns. Standardise on lowercase. |
"UTM parameters aren't on a specific link" | Check the link's individual UTM settings — the Enabled checkbox may be unticked, overriding the global setting. |
"My UTM Data tag shows raw text in the URL" | The Data tag may be empty for the recipient, or the syntax may be incorrect. Verify the Attribute discriminator and check that the Profile has data for that Attribute. |
What's next?
Link settings — All link configuration options including per-link UTM overrides.
Data tags and Segments — Use Data tags in UTM values for dynamic tracking.
Email: Settings, Preview and Test — Full settings reference including the Analytics tab.
Email Report — Analyse engagement results from your tracked campaigns.