What Is utm_content? How to Track Creative Variations

utm_content identifies the specific creative, link, or placement a visitor clicked. It is useful when several links share the same source, medium, and campaign but point to different versions of the message.

When should you use it?

Use content when you want to compare two banners, email buttons, ad formats, or positions on the same page.

utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_content=hero_button

Here, hero_button tells you which link variation was used while the campaign remains the same as other summer sale links.

Useful content values

• hero_button and footer_link for page positions.
• video and carousel for creative formats.
• blue_banner and red_banner for variants.
• cta_a and cta_b for message tests.

What not to put in content

Do not use content to replace source, medium, or campaign. A value such as facebook belongs in source; paid_social belongs in medium; and summer_sale belongs in campaign.

Keep it readable

Use lowercase values, short labels, and a documented vocabulary. Avoid whole sentences or internal notes in a URL. If a creative needs detail, keep it in the campaign sheet and use a short ID in utm_content.

Example

Four ads can share one campaign while remaining distinguishable with values such as video_1, video_2, carousel_1, and static_1.

Use the BestUTM builder to create each variation and keep the campaign value stable across them.

How to choose content values in practice

Use a stable pattern that another person can understand without opening the ad platform. For example, hero_cta, product_card_1, and story_video describe the placement or creative clearly.

Do not put an entire internal brief into a URL. Keep detailed creative information in the campaign document and use a short, stable identifier in utm_content.

Make the rule usable for the team

A tracking rule only works when the person creating the link can find it at the moment of work. Put the convention in the campaign brief, template, or handoff document rather than relying on a senior marketer to explain it each time.

After the campaign, keep the final links and the reasoning behind unusual values. This turns one-off decisions into reusable team knowledge.

Example decision tree

Ask one question before adding content: will the answer change what we do next? If the team will compare a hero CTA with a footer link, name both. If every link in the campaign is functionally identical, skip content and keep the report simpler.

For A/B tests, make sure the creative naming matches the experiment documentation. A value such as variant_b is useful only when someone can identify what variant B contained.