Choose a small vocabulary
Define allowed values for source, medium, and campaign. For example, use newsletter for the source and email for the medium. Choose a case convention and avoid switching between names that mean the same thing.
Use a stable campaign name
Choose a readable name that identifies the initiative. Add a date when it helps distinguish separate runs. Avoid personal information in campaign values because URLs can be logged and shared.
Preserve existing URL parameters
Use a URL parser to add campaign parameters. Do not concatenate question marks by hand. Keep existing destination parameters and fragments. Replace a campaign parameter deliberately if it already exists.
Verify the complete journey
Open the final link and confirm the destination still works. Check that redirects preserve the parameters and that your analytics configuration records them. Document how your reporting tool groups source and medium.
Further reading
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