UTMs, Spreadsheets, and the One-Rule of Good Automation
“Fahim, we need to automate UTMs.”
That’s what my new client, who runs a busy marketing agency, said during one of our first calls.
I nodded like I understood. The truth is, I didn’t.
UTM? Was that some kind of dashboard tool? A campaign platform? Something for enterprise teams?
It wasn’t a high priority, so I moved on—but the curiosity stuck. Later that night, I Googled it.
What Are UTMs?
UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module (weird name, I know). It’s a way to add tracking parameters to URLs, like this:
https://example.com?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=springlaunch
They help you figure out exactly where your web traffic is coming from—especially useful when you’re juggling YouTube ads, LinkedIn posts, email newsletters, and Google Ads all at once.
Without UTMs, you’re guessing. With them, you get clear attribution on clicks, conversions, and ROI.
Why This Client Needed It
This agency owner was obsessed, in a good way, with data-driven marketing. She wanted to know:
- Which platform brought in the most traffic?
- What campaigns were underperforming?
- Where should she double down on ad spend?
She was already inside Google Ads and Analytics daily. She just needed every shared URL to be tracked properly. No human error. No missing parameters. No broken links.
So I built something that worked without friction.
How to Create a Simple UTM Generator in Google Sheets
I could have built a form. A custom app. Maybe even embedded something into her site.
But instead, I opened Google Sheets. One hour later, the job was done.
Here’s what the sheet includes:
| Column Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Client | Dropdown to select client name |
| Website URL | Base destination URL |
| Campaign Name (utm_campaign) | Campaign identifier |
| Campaign Source (utm_source) | E.g. LinkedIn, YouTube |
| Campaign Medium (utm_medium) | E.g. CPC, email, social |
| Campaign Term (utm_term) | Optional keyword targeting |
| Campaign Content (utm_content) | Optional content label |
| Generated UTM URL | Auto-generated full tracking URL |
| Date Created | Auto-filled timestamp |
| Last Modified | Auto-updates on any change |
✅ The first seven columns are dropdowns, managed via a separate config tab.
✅ The UTM URL is generated automatically using Google Apps Script.
✅ Anytime you update a value, the URL updates too.
Common Questions People Ask
“Can’t I just use an online UTM builder?”
Sure, if you’re doing it once or twice.
But when you’re creating 10+ links per week across clients and campaigns, you need:
- Speed
- Consistency
- Team visibility
This sheet scales with your needs and avoids the chaos of pasting broken URLs into Slack threads.
“What if someone messes up the inputs?”
That’s why I added dropdowns. No more mistyped campaign names. No more inconsistent sources like “Linkedin” vs “LinkedIn” vs “LI”.
The sheet is guarded by structure, which keeps data clean and analytics useful.
“How does this connect to Google Analytics or Ads?”
The moment someone clicks a UTM-tagged link, tools like GA4 or Google Ads pick up the parameters. You’ll see:
- Campaign performance by source/medium
- Which links converted
- Which ads need pausing
It turns raw traffic into actionable insight.
“Is this really automation?”
Absolutely. Automation isn’t just about bots or platforms. It’s about:
- Removing repetitive manual work
- Reducing errors
- Creating reliable, scalable systems
This is lightweight automation—and sometimes, that’s exactly what your team needs.
The Bigger Lesson: Don’t Over-Engineer Everything
A lot of people think automation has to be fancy.
But this taught me something valuable: if you can solve the problem quickly, clearly, and without drama, that’s good automation.
The client didn’t need a web app. She needed a solution. And that’s what I delivered.
Want the UTM Generator Sheet?
I’m happy to share the exact spreadsheet I used—no charge.
Just message me and I’ll send it over.
And if you’re running a marketing agency or business that needs simple, smart automations like this, I’d love to help.
Let’s keep things functional, not flashy.
