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URL Parameters explained
On this page
You may have already noticed that whenever you enter a website through an ad or a social media link, there’s always a big URL on your top bar.
If you look closer, you may recognize some words in the middle of all the random letters and numbers. Those words may identify campaign ads, the source from which you came (social media, google search, etc.), and much more.
After you learn how these parameters work, you can start collecting various information from your visitors and customers that will allow you to make better and more informed decisions regarding your business.
URL Parameters
A URL parameter or query string is the part of the URL that usually follows the question mark (?) and is used to pass data along with the URL. These can be operational parameters that change the page’s content or passive parameters that are primarily used for tracking and do not change the content.
They consist of key-value pairs. The key indicates the data to be passed, and the value is the data to pass. It looks like ?key=value , but multiple pairs can be separated by ampersands (&), like ?key=value&key2=value2.
How to collect campaign data with custom URLs
In Jumpseller, we consider the keys ref, aff and all of the UTM campaign parameters.
UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module. The name comes from Urchin Software Company, one of the first developers of web analytics software. Google acquired this company in 2005 and created Google Analytics, and these UTM Parameters are the standard for analytics.
It is best to explain it with an example:
You have an Instagram account and a TikTok account, and you want to track which of these two channels sends more people to your store.
If you add the URL of your store to both your profiles, it will be tough for you to understand which orders came from TikTok or Instagram; it will be better for you to create different URLs with specific UTM parameters, such as:
Normal URL
www.mystore.com
URL for Tiktok
www.mystore.com?utm_source=tiktok
URL for Instagram
www.mystore.com?utm_source=instagram
You can even add more complexity to these URLs to be able to add more specificity.
URL for Tiktok
www.mystore.com?utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_term=social_media&utm_content=video
URL for Instagram
www.mystore.com?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_term=social_media&utm_content=video
These parameters will reflect in your Google Analytics metrics but also directly in your Jumpseller Orders and Statistics.
In your Admin Panel, go to Orders > Select an Order > Referral Information
There are five different UTM parameters that may be used in any order.
| Parameter | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| utm_source | Identifies which site sent the traffic and is a required parameter. | utm_source= google |
| utm_medium | Identifies what link was used, such as paid ads (cost per click), email, or direct (visitor typing the full URL directly). | utm_medium= cpc |
| utm_campaign | Identifies a specific product promotion or strategic campaign. | utm_campaign= spring_sale |
| utm_term | Identifies search terms. | utm_term= running+shoes |
| utm_content | Identifies what was clicked on to bring the user to the site, such as a banner, ad, or a text link. It is often used for A/B testing and content-targeted ads. | utm_content= logolink or utm_content= textlink |
Ref and Aff Parameters
As an additional feature, we have a special place for ?ref and ?aff parameters that will be reflected in the order page. The ref parameter will also be present in the orders export. These will be especially useful if you have a set of influencers or people promoting your business, for example.
Influencer 1: www.mystore.com ?ref=influencer-1
Influencer 2: www.mystore.com ?ref=influencer-2
Influencer 3: www.mystore.com ?ref=influencer-3
Use operational URL Parameters to add a coupon
Apart from passive parameters to track your campaign results, you can also create great effects using these parameters. In this section we will show you how to add a discount coupon directly from the url to your store.
Use Javascript Responsibly: If you are not sure about the full effects of this code get help from our support team.
- Step 1: Create a promotion with a coupon code. For example the coupon code it will be: CYBERSALE.
-
Step 2: Paste this code in the layout of your theme: Themes > Code Editor > Templates > Layout, right before the line that contains this text </body> (Please note the / symbol, the line must contain </body>, not <body>).
<script> var callbackFunction = function() { console.log("Coupon " + discount + " added") } var add_url_coupon = function() { queryString = window.location.search; urlParams = new URLSearchParams(queryString); if (urlParams.has('discount')) { discount = urlParams.get('discount') Jumpseller.addCouponToCart(discount, { callback: callbackFunction }) } } $(document).ready(add_url_coupon); </script> -
Step 3: Test it. If your store is
www.mystore.com, the URLwww.mystore.com/?discount=CYBERSALEwill automatically add that promotion to the browser that opened the link.
Conclusion
Creating URLs with parameters to collect the information you want is simple after you understand its logic.
There are quite a few tools to help you build them without having to delve too much into the technical side of it, like Google’s Campaign Url Builder or UTM Builder, both let you create URLs that work with Google Analytics.
Create a store with Jumpseller and start analyzing the results from your store dashboard to guide your decisions and grow your business faster.
If you have any questions regarding all of this, you may contact us any time and we will be happy to assist you.