Track a campaign with short links and UTM tags
A practical workflow for naming, building and testing campaign links before sharing them.
Start with one destination
Choose the exact page visitors should reach. A product announcement usually belongs on the product page, not a generic homepage. Open the destination on your phone and check that the main action is easy to find before you shorten the URL.
Name the campaign consistently
Use source for the place you share a link, medium for the type of channel, and campaign for the initiative. For example: utm_source=newsletter, utm_medium=email and utm_campaign=autumn_launch. Keep spelling and capitalization consistent so reporting does not split one campaign into several names. Do not include names, email addresses or other personal information in URL parameters.
Build, shorten, then test
Use the UTM builder to add the parameters to the destination, then shorten that complete URL. Create a separate link for each placement you want to compare. Open the short link and confirm that the correct page loads and its campaign parameters survive the redirect. If you also use a QR code, scan the final exported image before printing.
Read the right numbers
A click records interest in a link. It does not by itself prove a sale or a unique human visitor. Compare link activity with the destination’s own conversion measurement. On canli.link, your link dashboard shows recorded activity; word campaigns also have their own private insights page. Use the same date range when comparing channels.
Keep a simple record
Save each short URL, its destination, channel and campaign name together. This helps you reuse the right link, find mistakes and explain a traffic spike later. Start with a small number of clearly named links instead of creating a different naming system for every post.