If you post in Instagram, run Telegram Ads, send newsletters and pay for Google ads, the obvious question is which of these brings clients. UTM tags answer it. They are labels on your links that tell analytics, and your lead form, where each visitor came from. This guide explains UTM tags without jargon and shows a naming system a small team can actually keep.
What a UTM tag looks like
A normal link:
https://example.am/en/
The same link with UTM tags:
https://example.am/en/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=bio&utm_campaign=autumn_offer
The page is the same. The visitor sees the same content. But your analytics now record that this visit came from the Instagram bio, as part of the autumn offer.
The five parameters
| Parameter | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| utm_source | Where the traffic comes from | instagram, telegram, google, newsletter |
| utm_medium | Type of placement | bio, story, post, ads, cpc, email |
| utm_campaign | Which campaign or offer | autumn_offer, trial_class, new_menu |
| utm_content | Which variant of the ad or link | video_a, banner_b, button_top |
| utm_term | Keyword, mostly for search ads | manicure_yerevan |
The first three are enough for most small businesses. Add utm_content when you test two versions of the same ad.
Naming rules that keep data clean
Most UTM problems are naming problems. "Instagram", "instagram" and "IG" end up as three different sources in reports.
- Lowercase only. Always.
- No spaces. Use underscores: autumn_offer.
- Latin letters. Avoid Armenian or Cyrillic letters in tags; they turn into unreadable codes in some tools.
- A fixed list of sources and mediums. Write it down and share it with everyone who posts links.
- Campaign names that mean something in three months: trial_class_oct, not test1.
Keep a simple shared sheet with columns for the page, source, medium, campaign and the final link built by a formula. Whoever posts a link takes it from the sheet.
Ready-made examples
| Where the link is | utm_source | utm_medium | utm_campaign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram profile bio | bio | always_on | |
| Instagram story with a link | story | name of offer | |
| Telegram channel post | telegram | post | name of offer |
| Telegram Ads | telegram_ads | ads | name of offer |
| Google Ads | cpc | name of campaign | |
| Email newsletter | newsletter | month or topic | |
| QR code on a flyer | flyer | qr | event or place |
The QR code case is often forgotten. A QR code is just a link, so add tags and you will know how many visits the printed flyers brought.
Passing the source to the lead
Analytics show visits. Owners care about requests. A well-built website saves the UTM tags when the visitor arrives and attaches them to the form submission, even if the person browses several pages before filling it in. The request in Telegram then looks like this:
- Name and phone
- Service
- Source: telegram_ads / ads / trial_class
The same data goes to a CRM or a Google Sheet, so at the end of the month you can count requests and sales by source. We explain the Telegram side in website leads to Telegram and the CRM side on the CRM integration page.
Common mistakes
- UTM tags on internal links. They overwrite the original source and break reports. Use tags only on links from outside your site.
- Different names for the same thing. Fix it with a shared list.
- Tags on some links, not others. Untagged traffic ends up as "direct" or "referral" and you cannot compare.
- Nobody looks at the data. Set a monthly check: requests by source, sales by source.
What Kinto sets up
| Service | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Analytics setup | Goals for forms and buttons, reports by source | from $500 |
| Leads to CRM or sheet | Source fields on every request | from $700 |
| Landing page for a campaign | One offer, one form, ready for tagged traffic | from $700, about 6 days |
On sites we build, leads arrive in Telegram, and the source can be attached to each request. Prices are on the pricing page. If you are preparing an ad campaign, read landing page for ads.
Next step
Want to see where your requests come from? Write to @kinto_am on Telegram or leave a request through the form, and we will check what your site tracks now and what to add. More on the website development page.
Updated: 2026-10-15