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Appending UTM Parameters
Appending UTM Parameters
to Outbound Links:
Making SMS Clicks Trackable in GA4
TextingOnly has a built-in feature to automatically append UTM parameters to any URL included in an outbound SMS campaign message. When enabled, every link click from an SMS campaign appears as a trackable source in Google Analytics 4 — separate from organic, paid, and email traffic.
This is one of TextingOnly’s most straightforward attribution features — a toggle in the campaign settings that makes SMS-driven web traffic visible in your analytics. It’s the starting point for connecting your SMS program to your broader analytics stack.
Enabling UTM Append on a Campaign
UTM Naming Conventions
Consistent UTM naming makes GA4 reporting clean. Recommended conventions for TextingOnly campaigns:
If you’re running a Google Ads campaign called “Spring HVAC 2026” with a SmartLink on the landing page AND an SMS re-engagement campaign targeting the same audience, name both the same in their respective platforms. GA4 will show both the Google click traffic and the SMS link traffic under the same campaign name — making cross-channel comparison straightforward.
Reading SMS Traffic in GA4
After your UTM-appended campaign sends and contacts begin clicking links, look in GA4 under:
Filter by Session source/medium. Your SMS traffic appears as “sms / text” (or whatever values you set). Compare SMS-driven sessions to other sources for the same period.
Shows new vs returning users from SMS campaigns. A high percentage of returning users from SMS indicates your list contains existing customers — valuable for re-engagement campaign measurement.
Use GA4 Explorations to compare SMS campaign traffic vs email, paid search, and organic for the same time period. Conversion rate comparison across channels is where UTM append data becomes most valuable.
UTM parameters on outbound links track what happens after a contact clicks a link in your SMS campaign — web sessions, page views, goal completions on your site. They do not track the opt-in event itself (that’s in TextingOnly), or contacts who received the SMS but didn’t click a link. For the full attribution picture, combine UTM append data with TextingOnly’s Scans & Clicks report and engagement funnel data.
The full attribution picture — how UTM append connects to SmartLink naming conventions, GCLID capture, and the opt-in conversion event that lives in TextingOnly.
Read the KB Article →Build the outbound campaign where UTM append is enabled — the full campaign creation guide including message, list selection, reply automation, and parameter settings.
Read the KB Article →How agencies use UTM append to show clients SMS-driven web traffic alongside Google and Meta in unified GA4 reporting — the cross-channel attribution story.
Read the Playbook →