Campaign-link preflight checklist: review the exact link before sharing
Check the destination, campaign values and actual shared link, then record pass or hold before releasing your campaign.
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Before sharing a campaign link, compare its destination and UTM values with your plan, open the exact link from the intended placement, and record a pass or hold. Assign a reviewer rather than treating a filled-in URL as approval. Use this checklist after agreeing your campaign names.
Compare the link with the campaign plan
Write down the intended destination, source, medium and campaign before reviewing the URL. Ask which publication or platform will carry the link and which marketing medium describes that placement.
Google's campaign-tagging reference (opens in a new tab) defines utm_source as the referrer, utm_medium as the marketing medium and utm_campaign as the campaign or promotion. Parameter values are case-sensitive. Compare spelling and capitalization with the agreed plan.
For a proposed newsletter placement, use this review card:
destination: example.com/guide
utm_source: newsletter
utm_medium: email
utm_campaign: guide-launch
reviewer: assign-a-person
decision: pending
Substitute your real destination and approved vocabulary. If someone changes newsletter to Newsletter, put the link on hold until the reviewer agrees the intended spelling. Correct the value or update the plan explicitly; do not approve an unexplained discrepancy.
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Inspect the query before the fragment
RFC3986 section3.4 (opens in a new tab) defines the query as starting at the first ? and ending at # or the end of the URI. Put campaign parameters in the query, before a fragment.
Compare these illustrative arrangements:
Review this: example.com/guide#pricing?utm_source=newsletter
Use query first: example.com/guide?utm_source=newsletter#pricing
Keep the first line on hold and rebuild the query before the fragment. Include the rest of your planned parameters when creating the actual link. Preserve any destination parameters your page needs, and ask the site owner before changing unfamiliar values.
Open the exact link that will be shared
Copy the link from the actual draft placement, rather than testing only the earlier worksheet value. Open it, follow any redirect and compare the resulting address with the intended destination and campaign values. Check the page content as well as the address.
If your intended link includes utm_campaign=guide-launch but the final address omits it, record a hold and ask the link or destination owner to investigate. Do not assume every redirect behaves the same way. Retest the exact placement after a correction.
For this workflow, require a second review when someone changes the destination, tags or redirect after the first check. Keep the tested link alongside the decision so your colleague can repeat the same check.
Separate an analytics spot-check from attribution
If you have access to the site's GA4 setup, follow Google's DebugView instructions (opens in a new tab). DebugView requires debug mode; selecting an event shows its associated parameters. Inspect the relevant event rather than assuming a successful page load completes the analytics review.
DebugView performs limited attribution analysis. Google recommends Acquisition reports for the most accurate attribution information. Keep the optional event spot-check separate from your later reporting review.
Next: GA4 reporting guide. If analytics access is unavailable, record that check as not performed and name the person responsible for it. Never substitute an illustrative example for an observed event.
Record a pass or hold
Copy this review-log header into a spreadsheet or CSV file:
placement,intended_destination,tested_link,reviewer,destination_check,values_check,analytics_check,decision,next_action
newsletter,,,replace-with-reviewer,pending,pending,not-performed,hold,complete-review
Record the exact tested link, reviewer and unresolved issue. Recommend pass only when the required checks match your team's plan; use hold while a discrepancy remains. Decide separately whether your campaign requires the analytics spot-check before release.
For a rebuild, use the free UTMTool builder. Its campaign fields are labelled source, medium and name; no signup is required. Agree the corrected values first, then repeat the checks on the link you intend to share.
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Frequently asked questions
Which link should I test?
Copy the exact link from the placement you plan to share. Follow it through any redirect, then compare the destination and campaign values with your plan.
Does DebugView prove campaign attribution?
DebugView performs limited attribution analysis. Google recommends Acquisition reports for the most accurate attribution information.
When should I mark a link approved?
Recommend approval only after a named reviewer checks the exact shared link and records the result. Put unresolved discrepancies on hold and retest after a correction.
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Create a UTM link with the free builder. No account needed.