How does utm_id work?
Unlike utm_campaign which uses a human-readable name, utm_id is a unique identifier (often numeric) that matches a campaign in your cost data import file. Google Analytics uses this ID to join click data with cost, impression, and other campaign-level metrics you upload.
When should you use utm_id?
You typically need utm_id when:
- Importing cost data from non-Google ad platforms (Bing, LinkedIn, TikTok) into Google Analytics
- Using GA4's data import feature to enrich campaign reports with spend data
- Running campaigns across many platforms and wanting unified ROI reporting
If you only advertise on Google Ads with auto-tagging (gclid), cost data flows automatically and you don't need utm_id.
How is utm_id different from utm_campaign?
utm_campaign is a descriptive name like "summer_sale" — it's for human readability in reports. utm_id is a machine-readable identifier like "12345" — it's for joining datasets. You use both together: the campaign name for reading reports, the ID for importing cost data.
How does utm_id relate to other UTM parameters?
- utm_source — the traffic platform
- utm_medium — the marketing channel type
- utm_campaign — the campaign name
- utm_id — the campaign's unique import identifier
- utm_term — the paid keyword
- utm_content — the ad creative or link variant
utm_id and TTFB
Since utm_id is unique per campaign (not per click), it adds fewer distinct URL variants than parameters like fbclid or gclid, which change on every click. Still, when combined with other UTM parameters, the total URL variation can be significant. Configure your caching to ignore query parameters for optimal performance.
Test your site's performance with utm_id
Use the tool below to measure how the utm_id parameter affects your website's TTFB.
