URL parameters

Created by Aneta Węglarz, Modified on Wed, 28 Feb at 11:06 AM by Aneta Węglarz

What are URL parameters?

URL parameters are parts of a URL that are used to transmit click data. They typically appear after the question mark (?) in the URL and consist of a key and a value separated by an equals sign (=). When multiple parameters are used, they are often connected with an ampersand (&) symbol.

URL example with parameters:

https://www.example.com/page?param1=value1&param2=value2

In this case:

https://www.example.com/page is the base URL of the page

? initiates the parameters section

param1=value1 is the first parameter, where param1 is the key, and value1 is its assigned value

& separates different parameters

param2=value2 is the second parameter, with param2 as the key and value2 as the value

URL parameters are commonly used to convey information used for filtering results, identifying specific data to display, or tracking user behavior on a website.

How URL parameters work?

URL parameters are a crucial element in optimizing and tracking the effectiveness of advertisements. They can be categorized into two types:

First, content-changing parameters, which directly convey information to the destination page, as in the example http://example.com?productid=1234, directing the user to a specific section of the site.
Second, tracking parameters provide information about clicks to an account, campaign, or ad group in a tracking template. These can be user-defined tracking parameters or ValueTrack parameters that record details such as the network from which the click originated.

UTM Tags

UTM Tags (Urchin Tracking Module) are parameters added at the end of a URL path. They allow for the collection of statistical data regarding campaigns and help understand the source of traffic to a website. We can distinguish the following:

utm_source - this parameter identifies the source of traffic (e.g., Google, newsletter, Facebook).
utm_medium - it specifies how the link was shared. For instance, if it's a paid advertisement, you would use "cpc." If it's a link from a newsletter, you would use "email."
utm_campaign - it is used to identify a specific product promotion or campaign.
utm_term - typically used in paid advertising campaigns to specify the keywords used.
utm_content - it allows distinguishing between various elements within the same campaign. For example, if you have multiple links in one email, you can use this parameter to track which one was clicked.

Examples of usage:

Source of traffic is Google (utm_source=google).
Medium is cost per click (utm_medium=cpc).
The campaign is a sale (utm_campaign=sale).
Keyword is computers (utm_term=computers).
Content is ad1 (utm_content=ad1).

Modify link parameters in Sembot

The Sembot tool enables automated modification of both regular and mobile links, including products (using rules) and links from product feeds (Actions section - generating output feeds). You can add or remove parameter values without the need for interference with the shopping platform.

URL parameters

URL parameters are parts of a URL that are used to transmit click data. They typically appear after the question mark (?) in the URL and consist of a key and a value separated by an equals sign (=). When multiple parameters are used, they are often connected with an ampersand (&) symbol.

URL example with parameters:

https://www.example.com/page?param1=value1&param2=value2

In this case:

https://www.example.com/page is the base URL of the page

? initiates the parameters section

param1=value1 is the first parameter, where param1 is the key, and value1 is its assigned value

& separates different parameters

param2=value2 is the second parameter, with param2 as the key and value2 as the value

URL parameters are commonly used to convey information used for filtering results, identifying specific data to display, or tracking user behavior on a website.

URL parameters are a crucial element in optimizing and tracking the effectiveness of advertisements. They can be categorized into two types:

First, content-changing parameters, which directly convey information to the destination page, as in the example http://example.com?productid=1234, directing the user to a specific section of the site.

Second, tracking parameters provide information about clicks to an account, campaign, or ad group in a tracking template. These can be user-defined tracking parameters or ValueTrack parameters that record details such as the network from which the click originated.

UTM Tags

UTM Tags (Urchin Tracking Module) are parameters added at the end of a URL path. They allow for the collection of statistical data regarding campaigns and help understand the source of traffic to a website. We can distinguish the following:

utm_source - this parameter identifies the source of traffic (e.g., Google, newsletter, Facebook).

utm_medium - it specifies how the link was shared. For instance, if it's a paid advertisement, you would use "cpc." If it's a link from a newsletter, you would use "email."

utm_campaign - it is used to identify a specific product promotion or campaign.

utm_term - typically used in paid advertising campaigns to specify the keywords used.

utm_content - it allows distinguishing between various elements within the same campaign. For example, if you have multiple links in one email, you can use this parameter to track which one was clicked.

Examples of usage:

Source of traffic is Google (utm_source=google).

Medium is cost per click (utm_medium=cpc).

The campaign is a sale (utm_campaign=sale).

Keyword is computers (utm_term=computers).

Content is ad1 (utm_content=ad1).

The Sembot tool enables automated modification of both regular and mobile links, including products (using rules) and links from product feeds (Actions section - generating output feeds). You can add or remove parameter values without the need for interference with the shopping platform.