How to create UTMs for ads

You’ll need to generate URL parameters for your ads in order to track them on Google Analytics. Google Analytics automatically identifies your Facebook ad campaign traffic if the URL parameters are set up correctly on the ads.

These URL parameters are also known as UTM parameters because of the utm_prefix in the parameter names.

Learn more about UTMs

Once you’ve generated the trackable URL, the next step is to add it to your Facebook ads.

With Madgicx, you can define a default UTM structure for all your ads and add it to all of them (including every ad you create in the future) at the click of a button.

When you’ve set up default UTMs, they will apply to all ads and future ads, meaning you won’t have to add them when creating new ads.

To set up default UTMs, head to Settings in Madgicx, select the ad account you want to add UTMs to and click “Add” in the “Default UTM” parameter.

If you have ads running without UTMs, you will be prompted to “Set up a default UTM” for all of your ads.

If you want different UTMs for different ads, you will need to add these manually through Facebook.

If you want the UTMs to apply to some ads only, you will also need to do this via Facebook, as Madgicx’s UTM builder applies the UTMs to all of your ads.

Madgicx will suggest defaults for your UTMs, which you can modify by clicking on the dropdowns. Many of the values are pulled from the names you assign your assets.

When you have checked and modified your default UTM, you will be prompted to apply the changes to all of your ads.

Please note: applying default UTMs through Madgicx will affect all of your ads, meaning ads that are currently live will be modified and sent for review. 

This review process can take some time, meaning your ads will stop running.

When you have added default UTMs, you can always modify them by coming back to the settings page, selecting your ad account, and clicking on “Check” next to “Default UTM”.

Ensure your UTMs are showing up in Google Analytics

To test if your trackable URLs are working and verify that they’re being recorded by Google Analytics, try the following:

Copy the trackable URL you’ve just generated with your preferred UTM builder, open a new tab in your browser, and paste the URL into the address bar. Make sure that the page has loaded correctly and that all the UTM parameters are displaying correctly.

In Google Analytics, navigate to the “Reports” section and then to “Realtime” report on the main menu.

The source and medium of your trackable URL should appear in the “Users by First user source” widget.

If you’re able to verify this, then you’ll know that GA is tracking and recording your UTMs.

Setting up UTMs with Madgicx will ensure you’re tracking all your Facebook ads properly across your entire account on both Google Analytics and your CRM.