Using UTM Codes with GiveCampus

What are UTM Parameters?

UTM parameters are tags you add to URLs to track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. There are five standard UTM parameters. While the details below show what each UTM parameter is typically used for, it is totally up to you how you leverage each one in a way that's most effective for you and your tracking efforts. 

• utm_source: Identifies which site sent the traffic (e.g., facebook, newsletter, google)
• utm_medium: Identifies what type of link was used (e.g., cpc, email, social)
• utm_campaign: Identifies a specific campaign (e.g., spring2025, giving_day)
• utm_term: Identifies search terms (mainly used for paid search)
• utm_content: Identifies what specifically was clicked (e.g., headerlink, footerlink)

How to Add UTM Parameters

To add UTM parameters to your GiveCampus URLs:

1. Start with your base URL (e.g., https://www.givecampus.com/schools/YourSchool/campaign-name)
2. Add a question mark (?) after the URL
3. Add your UTM parameters using the format: parameter=value
4. Use an ampersand (&) to separate multiple parameters

Example URLs

Single parameter:
<span class="hljs-tag"></span>https://www.givecampus.com/schools/SchoolNAme/CampaignName?utm_source=facebook<span class="hljs-tag"></span>

Multiple parameters:
<span class="hljs-tag"></span>https://www.givecampus.com/schools/SchoolNAme/CampaignName?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=500&utm_content=alumnimatch<span class="hljs-tag"></span>

Where can I add UTM Parameters?

• Giving Forms
• Campaign Pages
• Pre-Launch Pages
• Tiered Landing Pages
• Pre-Payment Pages
• School Pages

Best Practices

• Be consistent with your naming conventions
• Use lowercase letters and avoid spaces (use underscores instead)
• Keep parameter values short but descriptive
• Document your UTM naming conventions for your team

Viewing UTM Data

You can view UTM data in reports by:

• Custom Reporting: 
  • Accessing your custom reporting dashboard
  • Adding the UTM parameter columns to your report: 
    • utm_source
    • utm_medium
    • utm_campaign
    • utm_term
    • utm_content
  • Downloading the report to analyze your traffic sources
• API: 
  • These 5 new fields available within the Gifts API for schools to pull the tracking and appeal codes attached to gifts.

By effectively using UTM parameters, you can better understand which marketing channels and campaigns are driving donations, helping you optimize your fundraising strategies.