Google Ads already auto-tags clicks with `gclid` so Google Analytics knows the source, but if you use any other analytics tool (Mixpanel, Amplitude, PostHog) you need explicit UTMs to attribute Google Ads traffic correctly. UTMs also let you separate Search from Display from Shopping inside the same analytics tool without piecing it together from gclid metadata.
Pick these defaults and lock them in — every Google Ads link your team builds will stay consistent and roll up cleanly in reports.
https://yoursite.com/landing?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand-search-2026q2&utm_content=ad-v3https://yoursite.com/landing?utm_source=google&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=retargeting-2026q2&utm_content=banner-300x250https://yoursite.com/landing?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=ecom-2026q2https://yoursite.com/landing?utm_source=google&utm_medium=pmax&utm_campaign=demand-gen-2026q2If you ONLY use Google Analytics, no — gclid handles it. If you use Mixpanel, Amplitude, PostHog, or any other analytics tool, yes — those tools don't read gclid and need explicit UTM parameters to attribute Google Ads traffic.
`utm_source=google` (lowercase). Don't use 'googleads' or 'adwords' — Google deprecated AdWords, and `google` is the standard.
Use utm_medium to distinguish: `cpc` for Search, `display` for Display Network, `shopping` for Google Shopping, `pmax` for Performance Max. utm_source stays `google` across all of them.
Yes — use ValueTrack: `utm_term={keyword}`. Google replaces {keyword} at click time with the matched keyword. Same trick works for placement, device, etc.
`gclid` is Google's click identifier — opaque, internal, only readable by Google Analytics. UTMs are open, human-readable parameters readable by every analytics tool. Use both: gclid for Google's reporting, UTMs for everyone else.
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