Learn business growth with Google Analytics 4 › Forums › Google Analytics 4 › Analyzing Acquisition Data in GA4: HTTP Referrer vs. UTM Parameters › Reply To: Analyzing Acquisition Data in GA4: HTTP Referrer vs. UTM Parameters
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The http referrer field and UTM parameters both allow Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to track the origin of user traffic. In this case, you’re asking if a visitor came from LinkedIn, followed a link that included both UTM parameters and an http referrer field, which would GA4 apply to the report.
For your first question, GA4 would assign the source/medium tracking according to your UTM parameters because they are manually set by you and tend to be more specific than the http referrer. So in the report table, the source/medium will be listed as “linkedin/testsocialpost.”
For your second question, if two different people visit your website from two different LinkedIn posts, where one post includes UTM parameters and the other doesn’t, both parameters will be represented in the GA4 reports. One will show as “linkedin/testsocialpost” (from the link with the UTM parameters) and the other as “linkedin.com/referral” (from the post without UTM parameters). GA4 is able to differentiate and track both sources in this case. In general, keep in mind that UTM parameters are a more customized and specific method of tracking your source mediums compared to the more automatic http referrer field.