utm vs short link for creators
UTM parameters vs short links for creators
DealPage is a referral link tracker that counts clicks on your own short links, so you see the numbers even when you cannot see the brand's analytics.
Who gets to see the data
UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a URL. They are read by the analytics on the destination site — the brand's site. That is useful for the brand. For the creator, it usually means the data lands in a dashboard you do not have access to.
A short link is counted before the visitor reaches the destination. The click data belongs to whoever owns the short link, which is you.
When UTMs are still right
If a sponsor asks you to use specific UTM tags, use them. They are how the brand matches traffic to campaigns in its own reporting. Some affiliate programs also rely on their own parameters to credit you, and those must stay intact.
The two do not conflict. A short link can redirect to a destination URL that already contains the brand's UTM tags.
Combining them in DealPage
Paste the full destination URL, UTM tags included, as the Deal's target. Then create short links per source. Your posts carry the short links; the brand's analytics still receive the UTM tags; and you get your own counts by source.
If the sponsor later sends a corrected URL, change it once and every short link you posted uses the new one.
Frequently asked
- Do short links remove UTM parameters?
- Not in DealPage. The visitor is redirected to the destination exactly as you entered it, UTM tags included.
- Can I see UTM data in DealPage?
- No. UTM data is reported by the destination site's analytics. DealPage reports clicks on your short links by source, day and country.
- Should I put UTM tags on every link?
- Only if the brand asks for them or you can see the destination's analytics. Otherwise a labelled short link already tells you where clicks came from.