UTM parameters & custom variables
Add campaign tracking to OmniLab Smart Links and placement-specific parameters to variants.
See exactly where your traffic comes from by tagging a OmniLab Smart Link with UTM tags — the labels that tell your analytics where a visit came from. This page shows how to add those tags to a link, when to set them per placement, and how custom variables pass extra context to the destination.
Why tracking parameters matter
UTM tags travel along in the link and tell your analytics tool where each visit came from. OmniLab Smart Links already acts as a tracking hub inside OmniLab, but many teams also want the destination URL to carry this context into other tools, such as a web analytics tool, a customer database, or a reporting spreadsheet.
Three kinds of tracking help here:
- UTM Parameters on the main link add the same campaign context to every visit from the OmniLab Smart Link.
- UTM Parameters on a single variant refine or override that context for one placement.
- Custom Variables on a variant add extra named values for later analysis.
The five standard UTM parameters
The Edit UTM Parameters section on the OmniLab Smart Link form supports the five usual marketing tags. Source, medium, and campaign are worth filling in for almost any tracked link; term and content are extra detail you add only when you need it.
| Field | When it's worth filling in | Example |
|---|---|---|
| UTM Source | Almost always — names where the traffic came from | newsletter, instagram, poster |
| UTM Medium | Almost always — names the type of channel | email, social, print |
| UTM Campaign | Almost always — names the campaign or activation | spring_launch_2026 |
| UTM Term | When you run paid search or want to record a targeting term | family_offer |
| UTM Content | When you compare two creatives or placements in the same campaign | window_poster_a |
When you set these values on the main OmniLab Smart Link, OmniLab adds them as people pass through the redirect.
Add UTM parameters to the main OmniLab Smart Link
Open the OmniLab Smart Link create or edit form
Create a new OmniLab Smart Link, or open an existing one and choose Edit OmniLab Smart Link.
Use the Edit UTM Parameters section
In the OmniLab Smart Link form, find the Edit UTM Parameters section. These tags are optional and feed your tracking and analytics.
Enter any combination of UTM Source, UTM Medium, UTM Campaign, UTM Term, and UTM Content.
Save the OmniLab Smart Link
Save the UTM values, then save the OmniLab Smart Link itself.
Use this approach when every visit from the OmniLab Smart Link should carry the same attribution values.
When to use variants instead
Use the base OmniLab Smart Link UTM fields when the same tracked context applies everywhere.
Use variants when the destination stays broadly the same, but each placement should be distinguishable. Common examples:
- one poster design displayed in several store entrances
- one campaign link shared in email, print, and partner media
- one destination reused across multiple regions or venues
In those cases, create variants and give each one its own Variant Name, Variant ID, and optional tracking details.
Variant-specific UTM parameters
Each variant can carry its own UTM values. This helps when the main OmniLab Smart Link represents the shared destination, but each placement still needs its own attribution.
To open the variant form, go to Edit Variants and click + Add Variant (or edit an existing variant). The variant form includes UTM Parameters for that variant, plus Custom Variables for extra key-value pairs.
Example:
| Variant | Example URL idea | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
window-a | .../l/spring-launch?v=window-a | Track the front-window poster separately |
newsletter-may | .../l/spring-launch?v=newsletter-may | Separate email traffic from print |
food-court | .../l/spring-launch?v=food-court | Compare one venue placement against another |
When you later open OmniLab Smart Link analytics, the Scans by Variant widget helps you compare those placements directly inside OmniLab.
What custom variables are for
Custom Variables are extra named values you add at variant level.
On the add-or-edit variant form, Custom Variables sit below the variant's UTM Parameters. Click + Add Variable to add rows, then set each key and value. This screenshot is from the Add Variant flow; editing an existing variant uses the same fields.
Use them when you need more context than the standard UTM fields provide. For example:
| Variable | Example value | Possible use |
|---|---|---|
placement | window-a | Distinguish one printed asset from another |
store_code | paris-centre | Pass a venue or store identifier |
creative | summer-offer-b | Separate two artwork versions |
Choose names your reporting team will understand later. Short, consistent names are easier to reuse across multiple OmniLab Smart Links.
A practical tracking model
This is a simple pattern that scales well:
| Level | What to track there |
|---|---|
| Main OmniLab Smart Link | The overall campaign or channel context |
| Variant | The exact placement, region, venue, or creative version |
For example, a OmniLab Smart Link for a seasonal campaign could use:
- main OmniLab Smart Link:
utm_campaign=spring_launch_2026 - variant
window-a:placement=window-a - variant
food-court:placement=food-court
That gives you one clean destination strategy, one set of OmniLab analytics, and enough detail to compare placements later.
Keep your naming consistent
If one campaign uses poster, print, and in-store to mean the same thing, your reports become harder to read. Decide on one naming style before you build a larger OmniLab Smart Links library.
Related
Create a Redirection OmniLab Smart Link
Add base-link tracking while creating the main OmniLab Smart Link type used for campaigns and websites.
Variants
Use variants when different placements need their own URLs, analytics, and optional tracking values.
UTM source and referrer analysis
Interpret how UTM values and referrers appear later in OmniLab Smart Links reporting.