Each form contains a number of hidden fields that are created automatically, regardless of the other fields you choose to include. Some of these "metadata" fields contain UTM tags, which can be used to track the performance of your digital campaigns.
What are UTM tags?
UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) stores information about where your donors come from, such as the medium (email, Facebook, etc.), the campaign, and even the ad set. So, if you're curious whether ad A or ad B brought in the money, UTM tags are what you need to work with.
Using UTM parameters in email communication
UTM parameters can also be used to tailor communication from your email platform. If a donor has responded to a specific ad, you can continue the communication with the same theme (images, cause, messaging style) in an introductory flow, for example. This way, you maintain the donor's original engagement.
Things to be aware of
The hidden fields only contain data if the URL leading to the page included UTM parameters. For example, if you guide the donor to the homepage and they then click on the donation page, the link to that page will not contain UTM parameters. However, if the donor comes directly from an ad on Facebook, for instance, it will often include UTM parameters, which will then be stored in the field in your OnlineFundraising form.
If the fields are empty in your export, it means they didn't include UTM parameters when the page was viewed.
We recommend using Google Tag Manager or similar tools to track traffic. This allows you to follow UTM parameters even if the donor navigates around the site before donating. You can learn more about this in our support article: Tracking with Google Tag Manager.
Which UTM parameters are stored?
In OnlineFundraising, we store the following UTM parameters:
| Parameter | Purpose | Example |
| utm_source | Where does the traffic come from? | utm_source=google |
| utm_medium | What type of link is used? | utm_medium=organic-social |
| utm_campaign | Which campaign does the traffic belong to? Allows grouping multiple ads into a single campaign | utm_campaign=mothers-day-appeal |
| utm_content | What content was shown to these recipients? | utm_content=adA |
There are many ways to use UTM parameters, and it should always be done in collaboration with everyone responsible for the digital channels: social media, digital advertising, email marketing, SMS (if they contain shortened links), etc. Here you coordinate how best to use UTM parameters to achieve the desired results across your digital efforts.
OnlineFundraising collects the above parameters if they are added to the link pointing to the page. An example of a correctly constructed link could be:
https://yourorganisation.org/support?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=awesomefundraiser&utm_content=adA
In this example, the blue text indicates the UTM parameters.
You can use various online tools to help build the above link correctly, such as Google's URL builder.
How to export metadata
If you want to extract data from an individual form and analyse it in Excel, for example, follow these steps:
1. Open the Export module and click on New export in the top right corner.
2. Select Metadata > DataSet.
3. Name your export so you can distinguish the type of data you're retrieving (e.g., the form's name).
4. Filter the export to include only the form you need data from.
We recommend retrieving data from one form at a time (note that datasets can only be exported one year at a time).
5. 5. Make sure Include all references is checked.
6. Enter your email address if necessary and click Create. The export is now queued, and you will be notified when it is ready.
7. 7. Click the download icon next to the desired export.
8. 8. Your file is now in Downloads (or a similar folder, depending on your operating system). Open it in Excel, for example, and find the columns beginning with utm_. You can now analyse your campaign. The file will be automatically deleted after 7 days.