RedFoX UTM Link Builder

Descripción

Clean UTM links. Reports that add up. RedFoX UTM Link Builder is the UTM builder inside your WordPress dashboard. Pick a page, a channel and a campaign – and get a clean, consistent tracking link in seconds, copied to your clipboard and saved in a searchable history. Need it short? One switch turns it into a short link on your own domain, with the UTM details added on the way.

Campaign reports only add up when every link is named the same way. One Facebook instead of facebook, one campaign spelled two ways, one ? too many – and your analytics split into rows nobody can add up again. The builder follows the RedFoX UTM Convention (free PDF), so everyone on your team builds links the same way, without typos.

Why people use it

  • Same naming across your team: fixed channels, sources and campaign names instead of free typing – everyone builds links the same way.
  • No more typos: capitals, umlauts and spaces are fixed automatically, and the link checker finds mistakes in links you got from somewhere else.
  • All links in one place: every link you build is in the history, with campaign, date, author and note.
  • Every button measurable: short name and click purpose end up in utm_content, so you see which email and which button brought the visit.
  • Short and readable when it matters: example.com/webinar on a flyer, in a bio or a video – your reports still get the full campaign details.
  • Quick to use: choose instead of type – the link is ready in a few clicks, even right from the dashboard.
  • No lock-in: UTM links are plain addresses that keep working without the plugin.

Features

  • Build links step by step: choose a page of your site (search field) or any address, then channel, source, campaign and click. The link appears live and is copied with one click.
  • Channels of the convention built in: email, organic social, social ads, video and search ads – each with its sources and placements, explained right in the drop-down. Add your own channels (e.g. referral, sms, print).
  • Campaigns: create them with a naming helper (phase_offer_year_month), describe what they are for, archive them when they are over. Campaign names cannot be changed once links carry them.
  • utm_content made easy: short name + click purpose, e.g. email_invite_cta_register – so you see later which email and which button brought the visit.
  • History: every link is saved with date, author and note. Search, filter by campaign, copy again.
  • Protection against mistakes: the same link already exists it is simply copied again. Same short name in the same campaign but a different target you are asked first. Capitals, umlauts and spaces are converted automatically.
  • Short links on your own domain: switch on “Make it short” and share example.com/webinar instead of a long UTM link. The UTM details are saved with the short link and added when someone clicks, so your reports stay complete. Without UTM parameters, it is a plain short link – e.g. to your booking page or a video call.
  • Redirects done right: 302 (default), 301 or 307, server-side only – no cloaking, no JavaScript or meta refresh. Incoming parameters are passed on, short links are kept out of search engines (noindex, nofollow).
  • Change the target any time: the short address stays the same, the target changes. Switch short links off and on again.
  • Two targets with one click: give a short link a second target – e.g. the sign-up page while your offer is open and the waiting list while it is closed – and point it to A or B with one click. The UTM details go to both.
  • Click counts without tracking: one number per short link – no IP address, no cookie, no browser data. Link previews in messengers and social networks are not counted.
  • Safe addresses: before a short link is saved, the plugin checks that no page, post or other link plugin uses the address. Optional prefix (e.g. example.com/go/…); every link keeps its address if you change the prefix later.
  • Quick link on the dashboard: page, channel, source, campaign, short name – copy. Same rules, lands in the history.
  • Link checker: paste any link (e.g. from an email) and see what is wrong: a second ?, spaces, & from HTML source, unknown sources or campaigns, a misspelled contact placeholder. Short links of your site are resolved, so you see where they lead.
  • Contact ID for emails (optional): adds sid=%SUBSCRIBERID% (ActiveCampaign), {{contact.id}} (FluentCRM), mc_eid=*|EMAIL_UID|* (Mailchimp) or your own placeholder to email links, so a live chat or a one-click sign-up recognises who clicked. Off by default.
  • Export & import of campaigns, links and short links as JSON – e.g. to move them to another site.
  • Ready for translation.

Who it is for

Small teams, coaches, course creators and agencies who send newsletters, post on social media and run ads – and want reports in Matomo, Google Analytics or any other tool that add up.

What it does not do

It builds, stores and – if you want – shortens links. It does not track visitors, does not store IP addresses and does not set cookies. UTM links work on their own; short links need the plugin to be active, because your website does the redirect.

Privacy

The plugin does not contact any external service, sets no cookies and tracks nothing on your website. Links, campaigns and settings are stored in your WordPress database only.

Short links: when someone opens a short link, your website redirects them and – if click counting is on – adds one to the link’s click number. No IP address, no cookie, no user agent or other personal data is stored. The browser’s user agent is only looked at to leave out link previews and bots; it is not saved.

The optional contact ID adds a placeholder to email links that your email system replaces with the recipient’s contact number. It ties a visit to a person – only switch it on if your privacy policy covers it.

The admin page links to the RedFoX UTM Convention and to help pages on redfox-business.com and to the reviews on WordPress.org. Nothing is loaded from there; they are normal links.

Capturas

Instalación

  1. Install and activate the plugin.
  2. Open “UTM Link Builder” in the admin menu.
  3. Create your first campaign (step 3), choose a target and a channel – done. Copy the link with “Save & copy”.
  4. Want it short? Switch on “Make it short” in the result box. For a plain short link without UTM details, switch off “With UTM parameters”.
  5. Optional, under Settings: choose your email system for the contact ID, a prefix for short links, switch placement off if you do not need it, add your own channels.

FAQ

What is the RedFoX UTM Convention?

A short set of rules for UTM parameters that keeps reports clean: utm_medium is the channel (email, organic_social, paid_social …), utm_source the specific origin (newsletter, instagram …), utm_campaign the initiative, utm_content the single click. Read it online or download the PDF: English · Deutsch.

Can I use my own values?

Yes. Sources, placements, prefixes and click purposes can be edited in the settings, and you can add your own channels. Any address can be the target, not only pages of your site.

What is «placement»?

An extra parameter that says where the link sits (e.g. email_button or bio). It is not a standard UTM parameter – analytics tools only show it if you set it up as a custom dimension. You can switch it off in the settings.

Do my links stop working if I deactivate or delete the plugin?

UTM links: no. They are normal addresses with parameters and do not depend on the plugin. Short links: yes – your website does the redirect, so they only work while the plugin is active. Deleting the plugin keeps your history, campaigns and short links – unless you tick “Remove all links, campaigns and settings when the plugin is deleted” in the settings.

Should I use a short link in an email button?

No need: nobody sees the address behind a button, and the full UTM link keeps the contact ID. The builder therefore offers no short link for email buttons. For visible text links you can use one; if your chat or form should recognise who clicked, use the short link with the contact ID (example.com/webinar?sid=%SUBSCRIBERID%) – the redirect passes it on.

Can I use short links in Google or Meta ads?

Better not. Ad platforms want the final address without a redirect. Use the full UTM link (or the platform’s own placeholders) in ads.

Can a short link lead to different pages at different times?

Yes. Add a target B under “More” when you create the short link (or later with “Change target”). Under Short links, “Point to B” and “Point to A” switch it with one click – the address you shared stays the same. Links with two targets always use 302, so the switch reaches everyone.

Which redirect type should I choose?

302 (default) for almost everything: you can change the target any time. 301 tells browsers and search engines the move is permanent – browsers remember it, so a later change may not reach everyone. 307 works like 302 and also keeps form data.

Do short links need special permalink settings?

Any setting other than “Plain” works. The Short links page tells you if that needs changing.

Who can build links?

Everyone who can edit posts. Settings, export and import are for administrators. Developers can change the capability with the filter redfox_utm_capability.

Should I build Meta ad links here?

No. In Meta ads, use Meta’s own placeholders (e.g. {{site_source_name}}, {{ad.name}}) so Meta fills them in. The link checker knows the values Meta uses (fb, ig, msg, an).

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Registro de cambios

1.5.0

  • New: short links on your own domain. “Make it short” turns a UTM link into a short link; with “With UTM parameters” switched off you create a plain short link.
  • New: redirect type per link (302 default, 301, 307), incoming parameters are passed on, noindex, nofollow header.
  • New: click counts without IP address and without cookies; link previews are not counted.
  • New: Short links page – change the target, switch links off and on, delete them.
  • New: two targets per short link (A/B), switched with one click.
  • New: optional prefix for short links; existing links keep their address.
  • New: dashboard widget “Quick link”.
  • New: Mailchimp as email system (mc_eid=*|EMAIL_UID|*).
  • New: the link checker resolves short links of your site.
  • New: own admin menu “UTM Link Builder” with one page per part (instead of tabs under Tools); old addresses are forwarded.
  • New look: product header, cards, help box with links to the chat, help center and convention. Tables turn into cards on phones.
  • Export and import include short links.

1.4.1

  • First public release on WordPress.org.
  • All internal names use the prefix redfox_utm_. Links and campaigns from 1.4.0 or older: export them before the update and import them afterwards.
  • Translations come from translate.wordpress.org.

1.4.0

  • English as the base language, German included.
  • Default values follow the site language (English or German, as in the convention PDFs).
  • Add your own channels; switch the placement parameter off.
  • Contact ID off by default, with a privacy note.
  • Short introduction for new installs.

1.3.0

  • Renamed from «RedFoX Link-Baukasten». Data stays.

1.2.0

  • Labels and help per channel (email, social, video, ads).