QR Code With UTM

How the QR Code With UTM works

Visits from a QR code arrive with no referrer. A phone camera opens the link directly, so Google Analytics and most other tools file the visit as "direct", mixed in with people who typed your address. Unless the link itself says where it came from, the poster you paid for looks like it did nothing.

How a QR code with UTM tags works

UTM parameters are five standard query-string tags that every analytics package reads:

The generator joins them onto your link. Starting from https://example.com/offer with source flyer, medium qr and campaign spring-sale, the code holds https://example.com/offer?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=spring-sale. If the address already has a query string the tags are appended with &, and any #section anchor is kept at the end where browsers expect it. Values are URL-encoded, so spaces and symbols are safe.

Source, medium and campaign are required. Analytics groups visits by all three, and a link missing one falls into a "(not set)" bucket that is hard to read later.

Naming that stays readable

• Lower case, hyphens, no spaces. Analytics treats Flyer and flyer as different sources.
• One medium for all codes. Pick qr and use it every time, so one filter shows every scan.
• Source is the placement. Use the physical object: menu, window, business-card.
• Content for A/B tests. Two poster designs, same campaign, utm_content=red and blue.
• Term for locations. utm_term can carry a shop, table or event stand identifier.

Keep a simple list of every code you print and the tags it carries.

Why not a redirect service?

Many "dynamic QR" services encode a short link on their own domain that redirects to yours. That lets you change the target later, but every scan depends on their server and subscription. If the service closes or you stop paying, every printed code breaks. A static code with UTM tags points straight at your site and works forever, at the cost of not being editable after printing.

If you need to change destinations later, encode a page on your own site, such as /qr/menu, and redirect it yourself. You keep control and still get the tags.

Size and error correction

Tags make the link longer, and a longer link needs a bigger grid with smaller modules. Keep names short: src=flyer style abbreviations are not needed, but spring-sale beats spring-sale-2026-promotion-final. Medium error correction is the default and suits clean print. Pick Quartile or High for outdoor posters, packaging that will be scuffed or codes that will be partly covered.

Tips and pitfalls

Test the link, not just the scan. Scan the code and check the page loads with the tags in the address bar. Some site builders strip query strings on redirect.

Check the reports. In Google Analytics 4 the data appears under Acquisition, Traffic acquisition, with the session source / medium dimension. Allow up to a day for new tags to show.

Do not tag internal links. UTM tags belong on links from outside your site only. Tagging links between your own pages starts a new session and breaks attribution.

How to read the result

The status line shows the QR version, grid size, error correction level, mask and the number of bytes encoded, which includes the tags. Download the PNG or SVG and test it before printing.

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