Understanding UTM Parameters

UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a URL that track where your website traffic comes from. Franchise Systems Ai (FS Ai) captures these parameters when prospects enter your system, giving you visibility into which marketing channels are driving leads.

What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are key-value pairs appended to a URL after a ? symbol. They were originally designed for Google Analytics but are now a standard across marketing platforms. A tagged URL looks like this:

https://yourbrand.com/apply?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_launch

The five standard UTM parameters are:

utm_source: Identifies where the traffic comes from (e.g., google, facebook, linkedin)
utm_medium: Describes the marketing medium (e.g., cpc, email, social)
utm_campaign: Names the specific campaign (e.g., spring_launch, franchise_expo_2025)
utm_term: Captures paid search keywords (e.g., franchise+opportunity)
utm_content: Differentiates variations of the same ad or link (e.g., hero_banner, sidebar_cta)

How FS Ai Uses UTM Data

When a prospect signs up through your applicant portal using a URL that contains UTM parameters, FS Ai automatically captures and stores those parameters on the prospect's record. This happens at the point of ingestion, when the prospect first enters the system.

The captured UTM source is extracted and stored as a dedicated field, making it available for filtering and reporting. For example, if a prospect signs up through ?utm_source=facebook, their record will show "facebook" as their source.

Lead Generation section of a lead's detail panel, showing the Source field

UTM Data Through the Pipeline

UTM data follows the contact through their lifecycle:

When a prospect is created, their UTM parameters are captured from the signup URL
When that prospect converts to a lead, the UTM data carries over to the application record
The UTM source is visible on the contact's profile and in pipeline views

This means you can see which marketing channel originated a lead even after they have progressed deep into your sales pipeline.

Where You See UTM Data

UTM source information appears in:

Lead and prospect records: The source field on individual contact profiles
Pipeline views: Filter and sort leads by their originating source
Analytics: The leads-by-source breakdown shows how many leads each UTM source has generated

Leads By Source chart and table on the Sales Analytics Overview page

Tips for Using UTM Parameters

Be consistent with naming: Use lowercase and hyphens or underscores. facebook and Facebook will be tracked as different sources.
Tag all inbound links: Apply UTM parameters to links in your social media posts, email campaigns, paid ads, and partner websites.
Use utm_campaign to track specific initiatives: This helps you compare performance across franchise expos, seasonal promotions, or ad campaigns.
Document your conventions: Keep a shared reference so your team uses the same source and medium values across all campaigns.