Setting up UTM parameters

UTM parameters are the small tags that let Google Analytics — or any analytics platform — tell your QR traffic apart from everything else hitting your site. Unqode SmartQR can attach them automatically on every scan, so you don't have to remember to bake them into the URL yourself.

What they actually are

UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module, a naming relic from the analytics tool Google Analytics was built on top of. In practice they're just query-string parameters appended to a URL, like ?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=summer2026, that tell your analytics platform where a visit came from.

The five fields available

• Source* — where the traffic is coming from, e.g. flyer, poster, packaging
• Medium* — the channel, almost always qr for this kind of traffic
• Campaign* — the name of the specific push, e.g. summer2026, product-launch
• Content — optional; useful for distinguishing between two placements running the same campaign, e.g. storefront-window vs counter-card
• Term — optional; rarely needed for QR traffic, but there if a specific reporting setup calls for it

Source, Medium, and Campaign are required once you turn UTM tracking on; Content and Term are there for when the basics aren't granular enough.

Turning it on

1. 1Open a URL QR code (this requires Pro).
2. 2Find the UTM Parameters toggle and switch it on.
3. 3Fill in Source, Medium, and Campaign, and Content/Term if you need them.
4. 4Save the QR code.

From that point on, Unqode SmartQR appends the parameters to the destination URL on every redirect automatically — you never have to hand-edit the URL yourself, and the printed QR code doesn't need to know anything about UTMs at all.

Finding the data in GA4

In Google Analytics 4: Reports → Acquisition → Traffic Acquisition, then look at Session source/medium to see your QR traffic isolated from the rest. For a custom breakdown by campaign, Explore → Free Form lets you build exactly the report you want.