Google Analytics Integration

Octeth integrates with Google Analytics by adding UTM tracking parameters to the links in your email campaigns. When a subscriber clicks a link in your email, these parameters tell Google Analytics where the visitor came from — specifically, that they arrived from your email campaign. This allows you to measure how much website traffic, engagement, and conversions your email campaigns generate.

This article covers what UTM parameters are, how to configure default tracking values, and how to enable Google Analytics tracking on your email campaigns.

What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags added to the end of a URL. When someone clicks a tagged link, Google Analytics reads these tags and records the visit with the associated campaign information.

For example, a regular link looks like this:

https://www.example.com/pricing

With UTM parameters added, the same link looks like this:

https://www.example.com/pricing?utm_source=Octeth&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Summer+Sale

The visitor reaches the same page, but Google Analytics now knows this visit came from an email campaign called "Summer Sale" sent through Octeth.

The Five UTM Parameters

There are five UTM parameters. Each one describes a different aspect of the traffic source:

Parameter	Purpose	Example Value
utm_source	Identifies where the traffic comes from. This is the name of the platform or tool sending the traffic.	Octeth
utm_medium	Identifies the marketing channel or type of traffic.	Email
utm_campaign	Identifies the specific campaign that generated the click.	Summer Sale 2026
utm_content	Differentiates between multiple links in the same campaign. Useful when your email has more than one call-to-action.	header-button
utm_term	Identifies a keyword or term associated with the link. In email marketing, this is typically the link text or title.	Learn More

The first three parameters — utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign — are the most important. Together, they tell you which platform sent the traffic, through which channel, and for which campaign.

TIP

Consistent naming is key. If one campaign uses utm_source=Octeth and another uses utm_source=octeth, Google Analytics treats them as two different sources. Decide on a naming convention and stick with it across all campaigns.

Configuring Default UTM Values

Before enabling Google Analytics tracking on individual campaigns, configure the default values for utm_source and utm_medium. These defaults apply to every campaign that has Google Analytics tracking enabled.

This is an administrator-level setting.

1. Log in as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Settings in the top menu.
3. Click the Integrations tab.
4. Select the Google Analytics section.

[[SCREENSHOT: The Admin Settings Integrations page showing the Google Analytics tab with Source Keyword and Medium Keyword fields]]

You will see two fields:

Field	Description	Default Value
Source Keyword	The value used for the utm_source parameter. This identifies Octeth as the traffic source in your Google Analytics reports.	Octeth
Medium Keyword	The value used for the utm_medium parameter. This identifies email as the marketing channel.	Email

5. Enter or update the Source Keyword value. For example, keep the default Octeth or change it to match your organization's naming convention (such as your company name).
6. Enter or update the Medium Keyword value. The standard practice is to use Email for email campaigns.
7. Click Save to apply your changes.

INFO

These values are applied globally. Every campaign with Google Analytics tracking enabled uses the same source and medium values. If you need different source or medium values for specific emails, use the email-level UTM tracking available through the API.

Enabling Google Analytics on a Campaign

Once the default UTM values are configured, you can enable Google Analytics tracking on individual email campaigns. When enabled, Octeth automatically appends UTM parameters to every tracked link in the campaign's email content.

When Creating a New Campaign

1. Navigate to Campaigns and click Create New Campaign.
2. Fill in the campaign details (name, subscriber list, email content).
3. In the campaign settings area, check the Enable Google Analytics integration checkbox.

[[SCREENSHOT: The campaign creation form showing the Enable Google Analytics integration checkbox and the Domains textarea field]]

4. A Domains field appears below the checkbox. Enter the domains you want to track — one domain per line.

   For example:

   example.com
   shop.example.com

   Only links pointing to these domains will have UTM parameters added. Links to other domains (such as social media sites or external resources) remain unchanged.

   TIP

   Enter * (an asterisk) in the Domains field to add UTM parameters to links pointing to any domain.

5. Complete the rest of the campaign setup and save or send your campaign.

When Editing an Existing Campaign

1. Navigate to Campaigns and click on the campaign you want to edit.
2. Click Edit to open the campaign settings.
3. Check or uncheck the Enable Google Analytics integration checkbox.
4. Update the Domains field if needed.
5. Click Save to apply your changes.

How Campaign-Level Tracking Works

When Google Analytics tracking is enabled on a campaign and a subscriber clicks a tracked link, Octeth generates UTM parameters automatically based on the campaign and subscriber information:

UTM Parameter	Value	Source
utm_source	The Source Keyword from admin settings	Admin > Settings > Integrations > Google Analytics
utm_medium	The Medium Keyword from admin settings	Admin > Settings > Integrations > Google Analytics
utm_campaign	The campaign name	The name you gave the campaign
utm_content	Subscriber# followed by the subscriber's ID number	Automatically generated (e.g., Subscriber#1042)
utm_term	The link title or text	Extracted from the link in the email content

For example, if your campaign is named "March Newsletter" and a subscriber with ID 1042 clicks a link titled "Read More" pointing to https://example.com/blog, the final URL becomes:

https://example.com/blog?utm_source=Octeth&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Read+More&utm_content=Subscriber%231042&utm_campaign=March+Newsletter

WARNING

Google Analytics tracking only works when link tracking is also enabled on the email. Link tracking is what allows Octeth to intercept the click and append UTM parameters before redirecting the subscriber. If link tracking is disabled, UTM parameters cannot be added.

Domain Matching

Octeth checks each link in the email against the domains you entered in the campaign settings. Only links whose domain matches one of the listed domains receive UTM parameters.

• If the link points to https://example.com/page and example.com is in the list, UTM parameters are added.
• If the link points to https://other-site.com/page and other-site.com is not in the list, UTM parameters are not added.
• If you entered * as the domain, UTM parameters are added to all links regardless of domain.

This prevents UTM parameters from being appended to links where they are not needed, such as links to social media profiles or unsubscribe pages hosted on third-party platforms.

Email-Level UTM Tracking via API

For more granular control, Octeth also supports configuring UTM parameters at the individual email level through the API. This allows you to set custom values for all five UTM parameters (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content, utm_term) on a per-email basis, and even use merge tags for dynamic values.

Email-level UTM tracking is configured through the Email.Update API endpoint. For details on the available parameters and usage, refer to the API Reference.

INFO

When both campaign-level and email-level UTM tracking are configured, Octeth avoids duplicating parameters. If campaign-level tracking has already added UTM parameters to a link, email-level tracking does not overwrite them.

Tips and Best Practices

Use Consistent Naming Conventions

Establish a naming convention for your campaigns and stick with it. For example, use the format YYYY-MM - Campaign Name (such as 2026-03 - March Newsletter). Consistent naming makes it much easier to filter and compare campaigns in Google Analytics.

Track Only Your Own Domains

Rather than using * to track all domains, list only the domains you own and have Google Analytics installed on. Adding UTM parameters to third-party URLs serves no purpose since you cannot see those visits in your own analytics account.

Enable Link Tracking on Your Emails

UTM parameters are appended during the link tracking redirect. Make sure link tracking is enabled when composing your email content in the email builder. Without link tracking, Octeth cannot modify the URLs when subscribers click them.

Test Before Sending

Send a test email to yourself before launching the campaign. Click the links and check the URL in your browser's address bar to verify that UTM parameters appear correctly. You can also check Google Analytics in real time to confirm the visit is being attributed to the correct source and campaign.

Troubleshooting

UTM Parameters Are Not Appearing on Links

1. Verify Google Analytics is enabled on the campaign. Open the campaign settings and confirm the Enable Google Analytics integration checkbox is checked.
2. Check the Domains field. Make sure the domain of your link is listed in the Domains field, or that * is entered to track all domains.
3. Confirm link tracking is enabled. Open the email in the email builder and verify that link tracking is turned on. UTM parameters require link tracking to function.
4. Check the admin settings. Navigate to Admin > Settings > Integrations > Google Analytics and verify that the Source Keyword and Medium Keyword fields are not empty.

Google Analytics Is Not Showing Email Campaign Traffic

1. Verify Google Analytics is installed on your website. The UTM parameters only work if Google Analytics is active on the destination pages.
2. Check for UTM parameter conflicts. If your links already contain utm_ parameters before Octeth processes them, Octeth does not overwrite the existing values. Remove any pre-existing UTM parameters from your email links if you want Octeth to generate them.
3. Allow time for data processing. Google Analytics may take several hours to fully process incoming data. Check the Real-Time reports first to confirm data is arriving.

Duplicate UTM Parameters on Links

If you see duplicate UTM parameters in your URLs, this may happen when both campaign-level and email-level UTM tracking are active. Octeth checks for existing parameters and avoids adding duplicates, but if UTM parameters were manually included in the original link URL, they may appear alongside the auto-generated ones. Remove manually added UTM parameters from your email content to let Octeth manage them consistently.