How to Track Campaigns with UTM Parameters and Short Links

If you post the same link on Instagram, in a newsletter and on a flyer, plain analytics can't tell you which one actually drove the clicks. UTM parameters solve that, and pairing them with a short link keeps the URL clean and trackable.

What UTM parameters are

UTMs are small tags you add to the end of a URL. The three you'll use most are:

• utm_source — where the traffic comes from (instagram, newsletter, flyer)
• utm_medium — the type of channel (social, email, print)
• utm_campaign — the specific campaign (summer_sale_2026)

A tagged URL looks like yoursite.com/offer?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=summer_sale. Ugly — which is exactly why you shorten it.

Why shorten the tagged URL

A long string of UTMs is unusable on a printed flyer or in a bio. Shorten it once and you get a tidy link plus your own click counts on top of whatever Google Analytics reports. With ShareCut you can also generate a QR code from the same short link for offline placements.

A simple naming system

Decide on lowercase, no-spaces conventions and stick to them. Inconsistent tags (Email vs email vs newsletter) fragment your reports. Keep a small spreadsheet of every campaign tag you create.

Rule of thumb: one short link per placement. That's the only way to know whether the flyer or the story drove the result.

Put it to work

Build your tagged URL, shorten it, and drop the QR code on anything physical. Then read the click counts per link to see which channel earns its place. Create your first tracked short link →