At Freshy, we regularly assist clients in resolving tracking issues within Google Analytics (GA4) and Google Tag Manager (GTM). In this case, we helped a client troubleshoot why their UTM parameters were not appearing in Google Analytics reports, despite having them in their campaign URLs.
Issue Background
The client reported that their UTM codes were no longer tracking in Google Analytics. This issue affected both old and new UTM-tagged links, which previously tracked correctly. Their initial troubleshooting suggested a potential issue with the Google Tag Manager setup or possible misconfiguration.
The client requested that we:
- Review the site’s GTM setup.
- Verify whether UTM data was being captured properly in GA4.
Diagnosis
Upon investigation, we found the following:
- GTM Configuration Review: The client’s Google Tag Manager account was properly installed on their site. However, the GTM container itself had no active Tags or Triggers configured. No analytics or event tracking was being managed through GTM.
- GA4 Tracking Confirmation: GA4 was configured separately and was successfully tracking website activity, but not via GTM.
- Initial Misunderstanding: It was initially unclear if the issue stemmed from GTM setup or GA4 configuration. The client’s UTMs had never been configured through GTM; tracking was dependent solely on GA4 settings.
Resolution Steps
- GTM Verification: We confirmed that GTM was live and installed but inactive (no active Tags related to UTM tracking). Clarified with the client that UTM tracking in this case was not dependent on GTM setup.
- GA4 UTM Parameter Testing: We verified that GA4 was capturing UTM parameters correctly by testing with a sample UTM-tagged URL and reviewing GA4’s Realtime Reports under Traffic Sources.
- Historical Data Review: We analyzed four months of GA4 data. Only a handful of UTM-tagged sessions appeared, indicating limited use or traffic rather than a technical failure.
- Client Collaboration: We requested UTM-tagged URLs from the client to confirm if any current campaigns were active. Upon receiving a specific UTM URL, we tested and verified that it appeared correctly in GA4 reports under Session Source / Medium and Session Campaign fields.
- Final Confirmation: At the time of testing, the UTM parameters were correctly recorded, with 12 event counts associated with the provided UTM campaign.
Final Outcome
The issue was confirmed to be a misunderstanding rather than a technical failure:
- GA4 was capturing UTM parameters correctly.
- No errors were found in GTM because GTM was not used for UTM tracking.
- UTM tracking data appeared in GA4 reports as expected after testing.
The client’s concern was resolved, and they were provided a direct report link in GA4 for their UTM campaign analysis.
Key Technical Takeaways
- GTM vs GA4: UTM parameter tracking does not require Google Tag Manager; it is handled natively by Google Analytics.
- Campaign URL Testing: Always test campaign URLs with UTM parameters in GA4 Realtime Reports.
- Clear Configuration: Ensure GA4 is configured to capture UTM parameters without filters blocking campaign data.
- Communication: Clarify how tracking is configured and which platform (GTM or GA4) is responsible for specific tracking behaviors.
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