# utm_term — the paid-keyword UTM tag

- Canonical: https://linkclean.app/trackers/utm-term/
- Updated: 2026-07-20
- Author: Ken Tominaga (https://ken0nek.com)
- Get the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/linkclean/id6758604043

Parameter: `utm_term` · Category: UTM campaign tags · Vendor: Google Analytics (originally Urchin)

> utm_term names the **paid-search keyword** that triggered an ad click — “running shoes”, “privacy app ios”, etc. Only appears on paid-search URLs (Google Ads, Bing Ads). LinkClean strips it everywhere; the destination page never reads it.

## Paid-search attribution explained

utm_term is the fourth of Google's five UTM campaign tags. It's almost exclusively used on paid-search ads — the value is the keyword the searcher typed that matched the ad's targeting. `utm_term=privacy+ios+app` says the click came from someone searching that exact phrase.

On organic clicks (a click from an unpaid Google search result), utm_term is virtually never present — Google has stripped the referring keyword from organic referrer data since 2011. The tag is therefore a strong signal that the click was paid.

## When keyword data is more revealing than utm_source

Forwarding a link with utm_term still attached tells anyone downstream which keyword the advertiser was bidding on. That can be revealing — the keyword is often a competitor's name, a specific product configuration the publisher is targeting, or an internal A/B-test cohort label.

Like the rest of the UTM family it's not personally identifying — it identifies the *campaign*, not the visitor. But it does telegraph the advertiser's paid-search playbook to whoever receives the forwarded URL.

## How LinkClean removes it

utm_term ships default-on with the entire utm_* family. Stripped on every host — there's no legitimate non-Google-Analytics use of this name on the web.

## Example

Looks like this in a URL: `https://example.com/sale?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring&utm_term=privacy+ios+app&gclid=Cj0KCQ`

After LinkClean: `https://example.com/sale`

## Frequently asked

**Why is utm_term almost always paired with gclid?**

Because both are added by Google Ads on outbound paid-search clicks. utm_term names the keyword for Google Analytics; gclid names the click for Google Ads conversion tracking. Same campaign, two different systems each writing their own tag.

**Does utm_term ever appear on organic Google traffic?**

Almost never. Google has stripped keyword referrer data from organic searches since 2011 (the famous “not provided” transition). If utm_term is on a URL, the click was almost certainly paid.

**Can utm_term contain my actual search query?**

Yes — that's exactly what it encodes. The keyword you typed (or close to it) shows up verbatim. That makes utm_term one of the more revealing UTM tags when shared onward.

**What's the difference between utm_term and utm_content?**

utm_term names the keyword; utm_content names the creative variant (which version of the ad was clicked). One is about the search query, the other is about the ad copy. LinkClean strips both by default.


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