UTM Tracking & Ad Attribution
Bento makes it easy to attribute visitors and actions to your ads using UTM parameters. This guide will show you how it works, how to view your UTM-driven visitors, and how to troubleshoot if you’re not seeing the results you expect.
What Are UTM Parameters?
UTM parameters are tags you add to your URLs (like ?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=spring_sale
) to track where your visitors are coming from. When someone clicks a UTM-tagged link, Bento automatically creates an Ad based on the utm_source
(and other UTM fields) and attributes the visit accordingly.
Example: If your link is https://yourdomain.com/?utm_source=ebook
, Bento will create an Ad named ebook
and track visitors who arrive via that link.
Viewing UTM Visitors
To see all visitors who used a specific UTM link (e.g., from an ad or ebook):
- Go to People in your Bento dashboard.
- Click Add a Rule.
- Search for Ad and select the Ad filter (e.g., "Ads or Affiliates Seen").
- Type the name of your UTM source (e.g.,
ebook
,facebook
, etc.) into the filter. - Note: The filter is case sensitive—make sure you match the exact case used in your UTM parameter.
If you don’t see any results, double-check that your UTM source matches exactly, and that the users are identified (i.e., they have provided an email address). Bento only shows identified users in People search.
Why Am I Not Seeing Visitors?
- Case Sensitivity: The Ad filter is case sensitive. If your UTM link uses
ebook
, searching forEbook
orEBOOK
won’t match. - Identified Users Only: Bento’s People search only returns users who have provided an email address. Anonymous visitors won’t appear in this list.
- Ad Creation: Bento creates the Ad automatically when a UTM-tagged link is first visited. If you don’t see the Ad, make sure the link was actually clicked.
Practical Tips
- Use consistent, lowercase UTM values for easier searching.
- Test your UTM links by clicking them yourself and checking if your visit appears in People after you identify (e.g., sign up or log in).
- You can use other UTM parameters (like
utm_campaign
,utm_medium
) for more granular tracking, bututm_source
is the main field used for Ad creation in Bento. - If you’re running a campaign (e.g., in an ebook), use a unique
utm_source
so you can easily filter and analyze those visitors later.
Real-World Example
A customer set up a UTM link like https://yourdomain.com/?utm_source=ebook
for an ebook download. Bento created the Ad "ebook" and attributed visitors who clicked the link. To see all ebook-driven visitors, they went to People > Add Rule > Ad filter > typed "ebook" (case sensitive). Only users who provided an email (identified) appeared in the results.
Still Have Questions?
If you’re having trouble or want to learn more about advanced UTM tracking, reach out to Bento support or ask in our Discord. We’re here to help you get the most out of your campaigns!