Glossary
UTM parameter
UTM parameters are query-string tags — utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign — that let your analytics attribute a visit to a specific campaign. In QR codes they are the standard way to measure scans without any third-party tracker.
The five parameters
utm_source (where: poster, packaging), utm_medium (qr), utm_campaign
(spring26), plus optional utm_term and utm_content for distinguishing variants.
A useful convention for print: utm_source identifies the physical placement, utm_content
identifies the individual asset, so you can compare the code by the till against the one in
the window.
The size cost
A full UTM set adds 60–100 characters, which typically pushes a code up two or three versions. On a small printed code that is the difference between working and not.
Mitigations: keep values short and lowercase-free where possible, put the UTM tags on a
short URL you own, or use a single short ?s= parameter that your server expands into full
UTM values before redirecting.
Why this is the privacy-respecting option
UTM tagging is measured entirely in your analytics. Nothing about the person scanning is shared with the QR generator, which is not true of a dynamic-QR provider's dashboard.
Related
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- Static QR code — A static QR code contains its destination directly in the pattern. It cannot be edited or tracked, and it never expires — because nothing has to keep…
- Scan rate — Scan rate is the share of people who see a QR code and scan it. There is no universal benchmark worth quoting — placement, context and the reason to scan…