UTM sources and referrers
Understand the Top UTM Sources and Top Referrers panels, and why they don't always match.
1 min read
Two panels of a Smart Link's analytics say where scans came from, in two different ways.
| Panel | Where the value comes from |
|---|---|
| Top UTM Sources | The UTM Source you set on the Smart Link or on the variant that was scanned |
| Top Referrers | The web page the visitor was on when they opened the link, if their browser says so |
Why they differ
- QR scans have no referrer. A phone camera opens the link directly, so poster scans don't appear in Top Referrers at all.
- Referrers are for clicks. A link in a newsletter or on a website usually shows the site it was clicked on, such as a webmail or a social network.
- UTM sources are what you typed. Every scan of a variant tagged
postercounts underposter, wherever the person really was. A link with no UTM Source doesn't appear in the panel.
Use both together
Tag each channel's variant with its own UTM Source, such as poster, newsletter and instagram, and read Top UTM Sources for the split. Use Top Referrers to check clicks come from the sites you expect.