The ads get plenty of clicks, and at the end of the month you still cannot tell which campaign sent the people who filled in the form. The person running the ads looks at clicks. The sales side looks at phone numbers they can call back. This shows up often when a Facebook Ads link to the website has no UTM tags.
UTM tags for Facebook Ads or Zalo Ads links (Zalo Ads is the ad platform of Zalo, Vietnam’s most widely used messaging app) label where each visit came from. Connecting that label to the person who submitted the form still takes form setup, a place that receives the data, and a test of the whole path.
Quick summary
- Start with three parameters:
utm_source,utm_medium,utm_campaign. - The form has to store the source. Send a test, then check the place that receives the data.
- One spelling per source, lowercase, with no accents.
- Reports should track all the way to valid enquiries and consultation outcomes.
What is a UTM tag? Start with three fields
UTM tags are parameters added to a URL so an analytics tool can tell the source, the channel, and the campaign. For a small campaign, three parameters are enough to start:
utm_source: where the visit came from, for examplefacebookorzalo.utm_medium: the channel group, for examplepaid_socialfor social ads.utm_campaign: the campaign name, written to a rule the whole team has agreed.
When you need to tell images or messages apart inside the same campaign, add utm_content.
Example: a link for a tour ad (this only shows how to name the tags; it is not a 123Website client campaign):
https://domain.vn/tour/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=honeymoon-phuquoc&utm_content=video-a
From the ad link to the data the customer sends
First, the ad has to land on the page that actually presents the offer. If someone is looking for a honeymoon tour and the link opens a list of every tour, the source can be correct and they still cannot find what they need.
- Keep the parameters: open the UTM link and check that the parameters are still there after any redirects.
- The form stores the source: that usually means a hidden field, or the matching setting in the form tool.
- Send a test: open the email, Google Sheet, or CRM you use. The source has to arrive with the data from that same submission.
- Across several pages: also test the case where the visitor moves to another page before submitting. Keeping the source across pages needs its own setup and its own check.
- Compare: match one submission with the conversion event in the ad tool or in GA4, if the project has that in place.
Note: do not assume every website template already stores UTM tags, or sends the data to a CRM on its own. That depends on the form tool and on the scope that was configured.
On the 123Website pricing page, each package has a different level of integration, so agree where the data goes before you sign.
Name the tags so someone else can read them
- One shared sheet: the campaign name, the full URL, the person in charge, and a note.
- One spelling per source: if you used
facebook, do not also usefb. - Lowercase, no accents: the whole team can check the links more easily. For Vietnamese words, that means dropping the diacritics.
Do not add UTM tags to menus or internal links just to count clicks. Clicks inside the site should be tracked with a suitable event, so they are not mixed up with the campaign’s source label.
Short links and QR codes need a test too. Build them from the URL that already has the UTM tags, then open the result on a phone and check the destination. Do not wait until the printed piece is back from the printer.
Reports should track through to the consultation outcome
For each campaign, record:
- The spend and the number of form submissions.
- Valid enquiries: a successful form submission does not always mean a customer with a real need. Tests, duplicate submissions, and wrong phone numbers are mixed in.
- The consultation outcome for each enquiry.
When someone taps through to Zalo, the system may not know whether they sent a message or bought. Count taps on the button on their own, separate from actual consultations. See also how Zalo and a form work together.
123Website has been operating since 2013. Even on a template project, we still agree who receives the form, and how the site runs after handover, in the delivery process. Source tracking only helps if someone reads the data and follows up the enquiries that come in.
Three questions to settle before you launch
Should I add UTM tags to organic search results?
No. Analytics tools already recognize organic search. UTM tags are for campaign links you create on purpose, such as ads, email, a shared post, or a QR code.
If a customer comes back a few days later, which source is recorded?
That depends on how the data is stored and on the attribution rule. Before you use a report, find out whether the system keeps the first visit, the most recent visit, or only the parameters on the current page. Do not merge those recording methods into one result.
What should I send if I want this checked?
Send the ad link with its UTM tags, the page that has the form, and where you want the data to go, through the contact page. Please do not put an ad-account password in the form message.
See how a landing page can be laid out
The templates below show where the information and the form can sit. Tracking the source is separate: it has to be configured and tested on the template you choose.
The landing page library has more layouts for different needs. Pick a page that matches the ad first, then talk about measurement.
The 123Website team. We have designed websites and business software since 2013, with 2,000+ projects delivered.
