Click IDs & UTMs
When someone clicks an ad, the link they land on quietly carries a few extra tags. Signal Sparrow reads these automatically to figure out which channel and campaign sent the visitor. You don't have to set anything up — this just works.
Ad click IDs
Each ad platform adds its own hidden "click ID" to the links in its ads. Signal Sparrow recognizes all the major ones and maps them to the right channel:
| Click ID | Comes from |
|---|---|
fbclid | Meta (Facebook & Instagram) |
gclid, wbraid, gbraid | |
ttclid, ttp | TikTok |
msclkid | Microsoft Ads |
li_fat_id |
So if a visitor arrives with a gclid in their link, Signal Sparrow knows the visit came from Google — even before they do anything else on your site.
UTM tags
UTMs are labels you add to your own links to describe a campaign. They're the standard way to tag newsletters, social posts, and ads. Signal Sparrow captures the full set:
utm_source— where the traffic came from (e.g.newsletter)utm_medium— the type of channel (e.g.email)utm_campaign— the campaign name (e.g.spring_launch)utm_term— a keyword, if relevantutm_content— which specific link or creative
An example tagged link:
https://yourdomain.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring_launch
Signal Sparrow reads exactly what's in the link, so decide on a naming style and stick to it. Email and email are treated as different sources. Consistent tags make your reports clean and easy to trust.
What you need to do
For paid ads, nothing — the click IDs are added by the platforms automatically. For your own links (emails, social, partnerships), add UTM tags so those visits are labeled clearly instead of showing up as "direct/unknown."