# How to add UTM parameters to a QR code

> Append UTM parameters to the URL before generating: set utm_medium to qr, utm_source to the physical placement, utm_campaign to the campaign and utm_content to the individual asset. Budget for density — a full UTM set adds 60 to 100 characters, which can push the code up three versions.

Source: https://useqr.app/docs/how-to/how-to-add-utm-parameters-to-a-qr-code · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

---

## The pattern

A [UTM parameter](/glossary/utm-parameter) is just a query-string tag your analytics
reads on arrival. Append the set to the destination, then encode:

```
https://example.com/spring?utm_source=poster&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=spring26&utm_content=window
```

The [URL generator](/url) has UTM fields built in, so you fill in four boxes rather
than hand-assembling a query string (and hand-assembly is where stray spaces and `?`
vs `&` mistakes come from).

## A convention that keeps the data useful

- **`utm_medium=qr`, always.** One filter then isolates every QR scan across all
  campaigns — this is the parameter that earns its keep.
- **`utm_source`** = the physical placement: `poster`, `packaging`, `receipt`,
  `table-tent`.
- **`utm_campaign`** = the campaign name you use everywhere else.
- **`utm_content`** = the individual asset, so the window poster and the counter card
  become comparable: this is how you learn *which* placement works.

You will also see teams use `utm_source=qr&utm_medium=offline`. It functions; the
grouping is just coarser. What matters is picking one convention and never mixing them —
mixed conventions split your traffic into unmergeable buckets. The reporting side of
this is covered in [Google Analytics with QR codes](/docs/how-to/how-to-use-google-analytics-with-qr-codes).

## The density cost, in numbers

Parameters are payload, and payload is modules. Take a 26-character destination:

| Encoded URL | Length | Version (EC M) | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|
| `https://example.com/spring` | 26 chars | **2** | 25 × 25 |
| Same + full UTM set above | 99 chars | **6** | 41 × 41 |

At a printed width of 3 cm, that is the module shrinking from **1.2 mm to 0.73 mm** —
a 39% loss of module size for identical human-visible behaviour. Why length explodes
density is explained in [why longer URLs make denser codes](/docs/spec/why-longer-urls-make-denser-codes);
whether your printed size still covers the scan distance is a
[size calculator](/size-calculator) question.

For screens, none of this matters — pixels are free. For print, it often does.

## Having both: the short-link pattern

The standard resolution is to keep the tags **out of the code and in the redirect**:

```
Code encodes:   https://example.com/p/win     (29 chars, version 2–3)
Server 302 →    https://example.com/spring?utm_source=poster&utm_medium=qr&...
```

The code stays low-version and print-friendly; analytics still receives the full UTM
set. This is Option 2 of [tracking QR scans without a paid tool](/docs/how-to/how-to-track-qr-code-scans),
and it additionally gives you a destination you can
[change later](/docs/how-to/how-to-change-what-a-qr-code-points-to). If you use a
shortener instead of your own domain, read
[shortening before making a QR code](/docs/how-to/how-to-shorten-a-url-before-making-a-qr-code)
for the dependency you are taking on.

Before printing: decode the final artwork in the [validator](/validate) and read the
query string back character by character — UTM typos (`utm_souce`, duplicated `?`)
silently discard your attribution.

## FAQ

### What UTM parameters should I use for a QR code?
Set utm_medium to qr so all scans segment together, utm_source to the physical placement, utm_campaign to the campaign, and utm_content to the specific asset. Keep one convention across every code you print.

### Do UTM parameters make a QR code harder to scan?
They make it denser. A full set adds 60 to 100 characters, which can raise the version by three or more and shrink every module at a fixed print size. Either print larger or move the tags behind a short redirect.

### Should utm_source be qr or the placement?
Either convention works if applied consistently. Putting qr in utm_medium and the placement in utm_source preserves more information — medium filters all QR traffic, source compares placements.

### Do UTM parameters change what the person scanning sees?
Normally nothing beyond a longer URL in the address bar — the parameters are read by analytics, not the page. They are visible to the user, so keep values professional; anyone can read them.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/url
- https://useqr.app/validate
- https://useqr.app/size-calculator