How to shorten a URL without losing UTM tracking
A URL shortener should make a message easier to read while preserving the information your campaign needs. This walkthrough checks the destination first, then the tracking, so a tidy link does not become a reporting mystery.
Start with the destination and one placement
Open the destination while signed out. A short link does not make a private document public or repair a missing page. Create the link inside your SOSU.SU account if you will need to manage it later.
Give each placement its own tagged destination. Use utm_source for the source, utm_medium for the channel type, and utm_campaign for the campaign. Agree on lowercase names before launch; inconsistent capitalization can split reports. Keep personal information and credentials out of the URL.
Try a complete, harmless URL
https://example.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=autumn_2026| Parameter | Value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| utm_source | newsletter | Identify the placement |
| utm_medium | Group email traffic | |
| utm_campaign | autumn_2026 | Connect the campaign |
Example Domain is a real public test page. It lets you inspect the final address, but it does not contain your analytics tag. Use your own instrumented landing page when testing attribution.
Create and open the short link
- Open the new-link form in your account and paste the complete tagged URL into the destination field.
- Choose 302 when you may need to update the destination. SOSU.SU makes 301 links uneditable after creation.
- Name the record “Autumn newsletter” and use an automatic code to avoid collisions with existing custom codes.
- Save and copy the generated short URL. The tracking belongs in the stored destination, so there is nothing to append to the short URL.
- Open the short URL in a fresh tab and compare the final address. All three parameter values should still be present.
Troubleshoot the actual failure
SOSU.SU does not forward extra query parameters appended to a short URL. If you shortened an untagged page and added UTM afterward, edit the 302 record and replace its destination with the complete tagged URL.
The destination may perform another redirect and remove parameters. Test the long URL directly to distinguish that behavior from the shortener. Use one question mark to begin the query and ampersands between parameters; text after # is not a substitute for campaign parameters.
Measure a visit separately from a sale
A short-link request, a website session, a completed form, and a paid order are different events. To measure the latter three, configure the destination website or your order system. Adding UTM parameters does not install analytics.
Record when your test clicks occurred. Compare channels over the same reporting period, examine human and bot activity separately, and treat unique visitors as an estimate rather than a head count. The first success criterion is simpler: the right page opens with the right parameters.
Result to verify
One working short URL opens Example Domain with newsletter / email / autumn_2026 intact. Repeat with your own landing page and separately confirm that its analytics receives the visit.