GA UTM tracking on email links

Jaime_Servaes
Level 3

GA UTM tracking on email links

So from what I can tell Marketo doesn't automatically add the GA UTM parameters to email links.  If that is true, does anyone have a recommendation on the quickest way to add these to emails? I really don't want to have to manually tag every link in an email.  So can I use tokens or some other cool tool do to this for me?

6 REPLIES 6
Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

Re: GA UTM tracking on email links

Hi Jaime,

This is true. There are quite a few ideas on the community to vote for on this.

The easiest way to add UTMs in emails depends on which versions of the editor you are using.

If you are using v1 emails, there is no simple solutions. You will have to add UTMs manually on each <a> tag you add to your editable zones. For the non editable ones, you can use tokens that you hard code to the template.

If you are using V2 templates, the best way is to add UTM's a variables in the email for your CTA modules, then simply fill out the variables when you create the email.

Read more here: Email 2.0 Hack - UTM Parameters as local variables

-Greg

Josh_Hill13
Level 10 - Champion Alumni

Re: GA UTM tracking on email links

Others have used Tokens for this as well, but that still requires some level of work to have the URL string setup.

The basic way is to use Concatenate in an Excel sheet and then paste the links into each email.

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

Re: GA UTM tracking on email links

Hi Josh,

The limitation with tokens is that, in case you are using modular v2 templates, you never know in advance how many CTAs you will have in you email and there can be many, driving to an inflation in the number of tokens.

The way we set this up is with Variables, which have a token as a default value, especially for global (email-wide) variables.

-Greg

Mark_Price
Level 7

Re: GA UTM tracking on email links

Hi Jaime,

As Gregoire Michel​ mentioned, program or email 2.0 variables can help with this.   

Here's the way I've been doing it for years and it saves lots of time!  

sws-utm-recipe.png

You might use a program token and other times use an email variable.  Depends on the amount of links / design. 

Hope it helps!

Yanir_Calisar2
Level 3

Re: GA UTM tracking on email links

Jaime ServaesGrégoire MichelJosh Hill

Check out this UTM Builder for Marketo extension: UTM Builder for Marketo

Once you install it - whenever you're editing a url on the email editor you'll see a widget opens up with UTM fields to append to the original URL.

You can also use tokens.

I'd love to hear your feedback.

Grégoire_Miche2
Level 10

Re: GA UTM tracking on email links

Hi Yanir,

Nice one.

We usually set this up with some variables in the email template. Some have a template scope, some have a module scope and some have a fixed value (utm_medium=email).

But I find your widget very interesting for people who do not have the possibility to adapt their email templates this way, for instance because they use a Marketo starter template and /or do not have the development skills not the possibility to hire a developper.

-Greg