Keynou Drive + Google Analytics
Append UTM parameters to your Keynou Drive short links and track campaign performance in Google Analytics. Combine click data with GA attribution.
How it works
Keynou Drive and Google Analytics complement each other perfectly. Keynou Drive tracks clicks on your short links (who clicked, from where, on what device). Google Analytics tracks what those visitors do after they land on your site.
To connect them, simply append UTM parameters to your destination URL before shortening it with Keynou Drive. When a visitor clicks the short link, they arrive at your site with the UTM parameters intact, and Google Analytics attributes the session to the correct campaign.
Example:
Destination URL with UTMs:
https://yoursite.com/sale?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=spring_2025
Shortened with Keynou Drive:
https://go.yourbrand.com/spring-sale
When clicked, the visitor lands on:
https://yoursite.com/sale?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=spring_2025
Google Analytics attributes the session to:
Source: email | Medium: newsletter | Campaign: spring_2025UTM parameter reference
UTM parameters are tags you append to a URL after a question mark (?). When someone clicks that link, Google Analytics reads these tags and attributes the session to the correct traffic source, medium, and campaign.
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| utm_source | Yes | The platform sending traffic |
| utm_medium | Yes | The marketing channel |
| utm_campaign | Yes | The specific campaign name |
| utm_content | Optional | Differentiates ad creatives or CTAs |
| utm_term | Optional | Paid search keyword |
Note: UTM parameter values are case-sensitive in GA4. Use lowercase consistently to avoid split reporting (e.g., 'Facebook' and 'facebook' appear as separate sources).
Step-by-step workflow
Build your UTM URL
Use the Google Campaign URL Builder or append parameters manually. Always include utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign. Use lowercase and underscores for consistency.
Shorten with Keynou Drive
Paste the full UTM URL into Keynou Drive and create a short link with a custom alias. The short link is clean and shareable; the UTM string is preserved through the redirect.
Share your short link
Use the branded short link in your email campaigns, social posts, ads, or anywhere else. When clicked, the visitor lands on your site with all UTM parameters intact.
Analyze in GA4 and Keynou Drive
View campaign attribution in GA4 under Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition. Cross-reference with Keynou Drive's click analytics for link-level data including total clicks, unique clicks, geographic data, and device breakdowns.
Common UTM mistakes to avoid
Inconsistent capitalization
'Facebook' and 'facebook' create two separate rows in GA4. Always use lowercase.
Using spaces in parameter values
Use underscores or hyphens instead. Spaces break URL encoding and can corrupt tracking data.
Tagging internal links
UTM parameters on internal links overwrite the original acquisition context. Only tag external links that point to your site from other sources.
Missing required parameters
Always include utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign. Missing any of these results in '(not set)' values in GA4 reports.
Lock a naming convention
Document your taxonomy in a shared document. Enforce lowercase, underscores, and consistent campaign names across your entire team.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use UTM parameters with Keynou Drive?
When creating a short link, append UTM parameters to the destination URL before shortening (e.g., ?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=spring_sale). When a visitor clicks the short link, they arrive at your site with the UTM parameters intact, and Google Analytics attributes the session to the correct campaign.
Can I see Keynou Drive click data in Google Analytics?
Keynou Drive's click data is separate from Google Analytics. Keynou Drive tracks clicks on the short link itself (total clicks, unique clicks, device, country, referrer). Google Analytics tracks what those visitors do after they land on your site. Using both gives you a complete picture - link-level data from Keynou Drive and session-level data from GA4.
Does Keynou Drive support GA4?
Yes. UTM parameters work seamlessly with Google Analytics 4. As long as your destination URL has UTM parameters, GA4 will attribute the traffic correctly in the Traffic Acquisition report. The three required parameters - utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign - map directly to GA4's session source/medium and campaign dimensions.
Can I auto-generate UTM parameters?
You can use the Google Campaign URL Builder to generate UTM URLs, then shorten them with Keynou Drive. For bulk automation, use the Keynou Drive API to create links with pre-built UTM parameters programmatically. This is ideal for generating hundreds of campaign links from a spreadsheet or database.
Do UTM parameters survive through the short link redirect?
Yes. Keynou Drive uses a 301 redirect that carries the full destination URL, including all UTM parameters. When a visitor clicks your short link, they are redirected to the original URL with every UTM tag intact. Google Analytics receives the complete campaign attribution data.
What are the required UTM parameters?
Google recommends always including utm_source (the platform sending traffic, e.g., 'newsletter'), utm_medium (the marketing channel, e.g., 'email'), and utm_campaign (the campaign name, e.g., 'spring_sale'). Optional parameters include utm_content (for A/B testing creatives) and utm_term (for paid search keywords). Parameter values are case-sensitive in GA4.
What UTM naming conventions should I use?
Use lowercase only, underscores instead of spaces, and consistent naming across your team. For example: utm_source=facebook, utm_medium=cpc, utm_campaign=launch_v3_2025. Inconsistent capitalization (e.g., 'Facebook' vs 'facebook') creates separate rows in GA4 reports. Lock your taxonomy in a shared document and enforce it.