Community can track clicks on the links you send and tag those links with UTM parameters. Tracking tells you which Members clicked. UTM parameters tell your analytics tool that the visit came from a Community text.
Tracked links are wrapped in an m.community.com link before they go out. That wrapper is what lets Community count the click, so a link that isn't wrapped isn't tracked.
Who this applies to Leaders who send links from the Community web dashboard or mobile app. Automatic UTM parameters apply to outbound SMS links.
What is link tracking?
Link tracking has two parts that work together.
The Community Link Tracker wraps each link you send in an m.community.com link. When a Member taps it, Community records the click and sends them on to your original URL. Links sent from the mobile app are wrapped automatically. Links sent from the web dashboard are wrapped when the Community Link Tracker box is checked.
UTM parameters are standard tags added to the end of a URL. Analytics tools such as Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics read them to work out where a visit came from. Community uses three standard UTM parameters:
| Parameter | What it describes | Example |
|---|---|---|
| utm_source | Who sent the traffic | community |
| utm_medium | The channel | sms |
| utm_campaign | The specific send | Your campaign ID |
You can have Community add UTM parameters for you, or add them to a link yourself.
Why should I use link tracking?
Clicks are the clearest signal of what a Member did after reading your message. Community can only show that signal for links that went through the Community Link Tracker. The Clicked a Link and Didn't Click a Link views in a campaign's results depend on it, and so does any follow-up you send based on those views. See Acting on Campaign Results.
UTM parameters answer the question from the other side. Without them, your analytics tool can't tell a visit from a Community text apart from other direct traffic. With them, Community traffic shows up as its own source, so you can compare it with email, social and paid channels using the same reports you already use.
How do I use it?
Tracking the links you send
- Compose your message and paste in the link.
- On the web dashboard, make sure the Community Link Tracker box is checked before you send.
- Send the message.
On the mobile app, links are wrapped automatically. There is nothing to turn on.
If you uncheck the Community Link Tracker box, the link goes out as you typed it. Community won't record clicks on it, and Members who click it won't appear in the Clicked a Link view for that campaign.
Adding UTM parameters automatically
This is the recommended method, because every outbound SMS link gets tagged without you editing each URL.
- Go to Settings > Customize.
- Next to the Add UTMs to Outbound Links setting, select Change.
- Turn on automatic UTM parameters and save.
Once this is on, Community adds the following to outbound SMS links:
| Parameter | Value Community adds |
|---|---|
| utm_source | community |
| utm_medium | sms |
| utm_campaign | The campaign ID |
| cmty_campaign | The campaign ID |
Community only adds a parameter when the link doesn't already have it. Any UTM parameters already in your link are kept as they are.
Adding UTM parameters manually
Use this when you want your own values, for example to match the naming your analytics team already uses.
- Copy the URL you want to share.
- Paste it into a new message.
- Add your UTM parameters to the end of the URL.
For example: link.com?utm_source=community&utm_medium=sms - Send the message.
- Check the results in your analytics tool.
Google's Campaign URL Builder can build the tagged link for you if you'd rather not type the parameters by hand.
Any UTM parameters you add are kept as they are when the link goes through the Community Link Tracker.
Seeing who clicked
- Open the campaign's results.
- Use the Clicked a Link view to see Members who clicked a link in the campaign.
- Use the Didn't Click a Link view to see Members who received a link and didn't click it.
To act on either group, see Acting on Campaign Results. To see what Members did after they reached your site, open your analytics tool and filter by the UTM source and campaign. If you have a Shopify store connected, see [Shopify] View Revenue from Sent Messages.
How do I use it well?
Leave the Community Link Tracker on by default. Unchecking it for one send means that campaign has no click data, and you can't add it back after the message goes out.
Use automatic UTM parameters unless you have a reason not to. Manual tagging depends on someone remembering to edit every link. Automatic tagging also uses the campaign ID, so each send shows up separately in your analytics tool.
Use clicks to decide your next message. Members who clicked showed interest, so they're a good audience for a follow-up that moves them one step further. Members who didn't click may respond to a different offer or a different angle. Acting on Campaign Results covers how to send to each group.
Measure in both places. Community tells you who clicked. Your analytics tool tells you what they did next. Looking at only one gives you half the picture.
Common questions
Why are my links not being tracked?
The link wasn't wrapped in an m.community.com link when it was sent. Community can only track links that go through the Community Link Tracker.
If you sent the message from the web dashboard, the Community Link Tracker box was most likely unchecked. Keep it checked when you compose. See Tracking the links you send.
Links sent from the mobile app are wrapped automatically.
Clicks on a link that wasn't wrapped can't be recovered after the message is sent.
Will Community overwrite the UTM parameters already in my link?
No. If your link already has UTM parameters, Community keeps them. With automatic UTM parameters turned on, Community only adds the parameters your link doesn't already have.