Combining UTM parameters and the Channel ID (cid) parameter ensures that deep link tracking remains consistent, readable, and actionable across different touchpoints.
When generating deep links, apply parameters with a clear separation of concerns:
- UTM parameters: Describe the traffic source and context.
- CID: Identifies the commercial touchpoint or sales channel.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
utm_source | {{company_name}}-{{touchpoint}} | Identifies where the link is shown (e.g., Manage-Booking). |
utm_medium | {{channel}} | The delivery method (e.g., web, app, email). |
utm_campaign | {{campaign-context}} | Describes the content or context the user sees. |
cid | {{touchpoint}}_{{booking-reference}} | Identifies the sales channel; appending a booking reference helps verify purchase timeframes. |
Manage My Booking (web)
A link promoting activities for a specific destination within a customer's online booking portal:
{baseUrl}/paris?utm_source=company-Manage-Booking&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=Destination-Paris&cid=manage-booking_XY1234Booking confirmation email
A link included in a post-purchase email to explore local experiences:
{baseUrl}?utm_source=company-Confirmation-Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Things-To-Do&cid=confirmation-email_AB5678Missing
?before the first query parameter or using&instead.Double question marks, or a second
?used instead of&for subsequent parameters.Unencoded special characters inside parameter values (spaces, &, #, %) that break parameter boundaries.
Duplicate parameter keys (e.g., two utm_source values) — only one will be read, and the result is inconsistent.
Truncated URLs from character limits in email/SMS templates that cut off required parameters.
Case-sensitivity mismatches or typos in parameter names (e.g., Utm_Source, cId) — parameter names must match exactly and in lowercase.
Leftover placeholder tokens (e.g., {{campaign}}) that were not substituted before publishing the link.
Trailing whitespace or line breaks copied into the URL from source documents or spreadsheets.