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UTM spec: allowed values, first vs last, production pathIf source is always direct, you are arguing with ads in the dark.

This worksheet is the dictionary for query strings and the equivalent fields on lead ads and calls. Allowed utm_source values, campaign naming, first-touch vs last-touch, who may mint links, and the production thank-you test. Shorteners that strip params are vandalism. GA4 is not a substitute for source on the contact.

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The short version

Intern through CEO

This worksheet is the dictionary for query strings and the equivalent fields on lead ads and calls. Allowed utm_source values, campaign naming, first-touch vs last-touch, who may mint links, and the production thank-you test. Shorteners that strip params are vandalism. GA4 is not a substitute for source on the contact.

  1. 01

    Lock casing and vocabulary. google vs Google Ads is two sources.

  2. 02

    Campaign names belong in utm_campaign (field), not a new tag per ad set.

  3. 03

    First vs last must be two field sets or a written overwrite rule. One field doing both is a forever fight.

  4. 04

    Production thank-you is the test. Staging is insufficient.

  5. 05

    Offline doors get equivalent fields or they pollute Direct.

Who

Same system. Three jobs.

Read your row

Intern

What you actually do

Production query test. Dictionary. You do not generate a hundred links.

Operator

What you protect

Dictionary, two field sets, production path, offline equivalents. Shorteners checked.

CEO

What you refuse to fund

If paying customers’ source is a story, you cannot allocate. This sheet is the cheap system.

Wire

How to connect it

Objects, then edges

utm_source/medium/campaign/content/term, gclid, page_slug, first_* vs last_*, hidden fields, offline equivalents.

  1. 01

    Landing query → hidden fields → GHL

  2. 02

    Browse-then-convert still carries stored first-touch if you wrote that rule

  3. 03

    Calendar links from email carry source

  4. 04

    Lead ads and tracking numbers map to the same columns

Steps

Do this in order

Why, then done when
  1. 01

    Write allowed sources

    Finite list.

    Why: Dialects.

    Done when: List.

  2. 02

    Campaign naming example

    Three good, three bad URLs.

    Why: Contractors invent otherwise.

    Done when: Examples on the page.

  3. 03

    First vs last rule

    Which fields lock.

    Why: Arguments.

    Done when: One paragraph.

  4. 04

    Production convert test

    Live path with query.

    Why: Redirects strip.

    Done when: Fields present.

  5. 05

    Offline map

    One phone or lead ad mapped.

    Why: UTM-perfect web + blob ads is still folklore.

    Done when: One door mapped.

Intern

Allowed list, three good URLs, production test, first/last. You are not building an attribution model.

CEO

Refuse more spend until production forms keep UTMs. Spend without source on the contact is a campfire.

Failure

Pretty thank-you, empty source, calendars clean, first overwritten, Direct 60%.

Test

Live convert with query. First stays on second visit if that is the rule. Offline door mapped.

Why

Questions people actually ask

Pushback is normal

Can’t we just use GA4?

GA4 does not own show rate or Won. The contact must carry source.

Auto-tagging?

Keep gclid plus human UTMs. Click ids do not name campaigns for the team.

Who mints links?

Write it. Unowned minting is how casing dies.

Sheet

Fill this in

0 marked

This lives in the browser until you copy it out. The point is to write the spec before anyone opens Workflows or Flows. Print or screenshot when it is true.

  1. Allowed utm_source values (list)

    Lowercase locked. Finite.

  2. utm_medium convention

    cpc, email, organic, sms…

  3. utm_campaign naming (good example)

    Readable. Not a dump of ad-set IDs only.

  4. utm_campaign naming (bad example)

    What contractors must not do.

  5. Who may mint links

    Role. Request path.

  6. first_* fields vs last_* fields

    Which lock, which update.

  7. Hidden fields on every public form? (yes/no)

    If no, which form is missing.

  8. Production thank-you test (date + pass/fail)

    Live URL with query.

  9. Email/calendar links carry source? (yes/no)

    Clean Calendly links fail.

  10. Offline equivalent (lead ad / call) mapped

    Same columns as UTMs.

  11. Shortener / page builder known to strip params?

    Name it. Ban or fix.

This week

This week: allowed sources, first vs last, production thank-you test, one offline door. No 40 new campaign names until the path works.

Working notes

GHL Engine Checklist

The minimum CRM, pipeline, and nurture spec before you add more pages. Request the file. It arrives by email — not a public dump, not a drip of slogans.

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