Google UTM builder with the GA4 parameters the official one leaves out

The five classic UTMs still do the work: utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign build GA4's session source, medium and campaign dimensions and its default channel grouping; utm_term and utm_content are available as session manual term and content. GA4 added four more that the official builder does not expose. utm_id is a campaign id, and it is required for GA4's cost data import to join spend to sessions. utm_source_platform names the buying platform (Google Ads, Meta, DV360) and feeds the Paid channel groupings. utm_creative_format (display, video, search) and utm_marketing_tactic (prospecting, remarketing) are free-text dimensions for the reports you build yourself.

None of them is mandatory for tracking to work. utm_id is the one to adopt: without it, GA4 cannot match imported cost to the sessions the campaign produced, and the ROAS reports stay empty.

Google Ads has its own tracking: auto-tagging appends a gclid to every click, and GA4 uses it to pull campaign, ad group and keyword directly from the Google Ads account. Keep it on, and never type a gclid into a URL by hand. UTMs on Google Ads clicks exist for the other readers: third-party attribution tools, your CRM, and GA4 views where the Google Ads link is missing or the property is not linked.

Google Ads also substitutes ValueTrack macros at click time: {campaignid}, {adgroupid}, {keyword}, {creative}, {matchtype}, {device} and more. Put them in the UTMs and you tag the whole account once. The builder's ValueTrack toggle fills empty campaign, term, content and id fields with the right macros, and with the destination URL left blank it outputs the string for the account-level Final URL suffix, which is where a tag for every ad belongs.

Three cases that GA4 otherwise lumps into "google / organic" or "referral" and that a tag separates.

• Google Business Profile. Clicks from Maps and the profile card arrive as organic search. Tag the website link in the profile with source google, medium organic and a campaign such as business_profile, and they get their own line.
• YouTube. Links in descriptions, cards and pinned comments are referral traffic from youtube.com. Tag them with source youtube, medium video, and the video or series as the campaign.
• Third-party mentions. A guest post or directory listing that links to you is a referral; tag it with a campaign to measure the placement. Never tag links on your own site, which resets the session source.