UTM Builder for YouTube

Find out which videos send traffic, not just which get views. Tag description links, cards, and community posts separately.

Recommended Parameters for YouTube

Source

youtube

Medium

social

Suggested Campaign Names

video_descriptionpinned_commentend_screencommunity_postchannel_trailer

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Shorten your UTM URLs, track clicks with analytics, and organize campaigns with custom domains. Starting at $5/month.

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Build Your UTM URL

1. Enter Your Destination URL

The website or landing page you want to track

Must include http:// or https://

2. Campaign Tracking Parameters

These parameters help you track your marketing campaigns

Where the traffic is coming from

Marketing medium or channel

Specific campaign identifier

3. Optional Parameters

Additional tracking for paid search and A/B testing

Paid search keywords

A/B test variations

Generated URL

Fill in the form to see your URL with UTM parameters...

How to Build UTM Parameters for YouTube

  1. 1

    Paste the link you put under the video

    Enter the destination you promote in the description. TrimLink detects YouTube and suggests utm_source=youtube.

  2. 2

    Name the campaign after the video, not the month

    Use the video slug as utm_campaign. Months tell you when; video titles tell you which content earned the click, which is the decision you actually make later.

  3. 3

    Separate description, comment, and card placements

    Set utm_content to description, pinned_comment, end_screen, or card. The same video often converts very differently by placement.

  4. 4

    Shorten it before you paste it

    A tagged URL is long and looks untrustworthy above the fold in a description. Shorten it so viewers see a clean branded link.

YouTube Tracking Tips

Views are not traffic

YouTube Analytics stops at the video. A tagged link is the only way to connect a video to what happens on your site afterwards.

The first two lines matter

Only the first ~150 characters of a description show before "more". A short branded link there beats a 200-character tagged URL.

Tag evergreen videos differently

A tutorial from last year still earns clicks. Give evergreen videos their own campaign so they do not get buried in a launch campaign that ended months ago.

UTM Examples for YouTube

Campaign: how_to_shorten_links

source=youtubemedium=socialcontent=description
?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=how_to_shorten_links&utm_content=description

Campaign: channel_trailer

source=youtubemedium=socialcontent=end_screen
?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=channel_trailer&utm_content=end_screen

Frequently Asked Questions

What utm_source should I use for YouTube?▼
Use utm_source=youtube consistently. Avoid variations like YouTube, yt, or youtube.com — analytics treats each as a separate source and splits one channel across several rows.
Should YouTube be social or video?▼
Either works as long as you pick one and stick to it. utm_medium=social groups YouTube with your other social channels; utm_medium=video separates video traffic for its own analysis. Consistency matters more than the choice.
Can I track links in pinned comments?▼
Yes, and you should tag them separately with utm_content=pinned_comment. Pinned comments often outperform description links because they sit above the fold on mobile.

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