UTM parameters

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We recommend moving recipes that use the UTM rule type to the top of your recipes list on your Context dashboard. UTM rules won’t trigger unless the correct campaign parameter is present in the URL. Given that Context reads recipes from top to bottom, other recipes could potentially run for a customer (ie. location based rule), before getting to the recipe that includes the UTM rule type.

UTM parameters are five variants of URL parameters used by marketers to track the effectiveness of online marketing campaigns across traffic sources and publishing media.

The UTM Parameters rule allows you to run a recipe when a user visits your store as the result of engaging with a web address with UTM values applied (ie. possibly clicking a web address with UTM parameters in an email newsletter or digital ad).

An example web address with UTM parameters:

https://www.domainname.com?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=clearance_event

There are 5 types of UTM parameters:

Content
Source
Medium
Campaign
Term

The Context app allows you to trigger a recipe using any one of these parameters.

If implemented thoughtfully, UTM Parameters rule can be one of the most powerful rules within the Context app.

The power of the UTM rule lies within the ability to create custom and curated content for specific audiences, without the need for creating and managing separate landing pages.

Great ways to use the UTM Parameter rule:

Send UTM parameters to multiple companies calling them to your website. Once they land on your store, customize your artwork and messaging to include the name and brand of each company.
Welcome users that have visited your store after they clicked on an external ad, and offer them a special discount code that only they can see.
If your LinkedIn audience loves your custom image notebooks and bold laptop sleeves, create a product list variation that displays only those products when they enter the store from your LinkedIn ad.

Adding the UTM Parameter rule to your recipe.

If this is your first rule in the recipe, select “Create your first rule”. When adding additional rules, select “Add another rule”.

From the rule type menu select “UTM Parameter”

Building your UTM Parameter rule

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There are three parts to creating an effective UTM parameter rule:

Choosing your UTM field that will trigger the recipe;
Deciding whether you want to use part of the field or an exact match;
Your UTM parameter value.

Choose the UTM field that will trigger the recipe:

Campaign Field: Allows you to use the utm_campaign field to display specific content only for users who enter your page through a specific promotion or strategic campaign
Content Field: Allows you to use the utm_content field to display specific content only for users that enter your page by clicking on your banner ad or text link. This is ideal for A/B testing and content-targeted ads
Medium Field: Allows you to use the utm_medium field to display specific content only for users that enter your page from a specific medium, such as email or a Facebook ad.
Source Field: Allows you to use the utm_source field to display specific content only for users that enter from a specific site such as your newsletter, Twitter, or Google.
Term Field: Allows you to use the utm_term field to display specific content only for users who enter your page after using your predefined search term.

Exactly Matches or Starts With:

Exactly Matches: When “Exactly Matches” is selected, the URL the visitor entered your store with MUST exactly match the UTM parameter value you set for this rule. For example, if the value of “clearanceevent22” was set for the “Campaign Field”, the recipe would ONLY run when the campaign value is “clearanceevent22”.
Starts With: “Starts With” allows you to enter a partial value for a UTM parameter. For example, if you’ve entered the value “clearanceevent” in the “Campaign Field” parameter, the following UTM values would be evaluated as true, and your recipe would run.

Evaluated as true:

clearanceevent20
clearanceevent21
clearanceevent22

Evaluated as NOT true:

21clearanceevent
22clearanceevent

Provide the Parameter Value

Input your UTM parameter’s value. This is the information that you originally assigned to the field when you were creating the web address with one or more UTM parameters.

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When entering the UTM parameter value into the “Parameter Value” field, you only have to include the value that you originally assigned.

For example:

https://www.domainname.com?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=clearanceevent22

Your campaign parameter value is: clearanceevent22

Let’s look at an example:

A large retailer will be emailing all of their subscribers, announcing an annual inventory clearance sale. The campaign is called Annual Clearance Event 22, which they've shortened to “clearanceevent22”. They use the same campaign name every year and just change the number (year) at the end. They've created a URL with UTM parameters that they'll include in their email.

The URL including the UTM parameters looks like:

https://www.domainname.com?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=clearanceevent22

Scenario 1

The retailer wants to run this recipe every time a user enters their Shopify store using a current or past URL that includes any of their “clearanceevent” campaigns.

Their UTM Parameter rule would look like this:

Scenario 2

The retailer wants to run this recipe every time a user enters their Shopify store using a URL for the current “clearanceevent22” campaign.

Their UTM Parameter rule would look like this:

Creating sophisticated recipes

Now that you’ve added a UTM parameter condition to your recipe, add other rule types such as Customer segments, Date range, Weather and Geographic location to expand or refine your conditions.

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Combining rules is considered an “AND” operator. This means that both rules need to be true before your content variations will be displayed (i.e. If the visitor is in Toronto AND the weather is currently sunny).

Learn more about combining rules for more targeted marketing