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GA4 Linking and Auto-tagging (When to Use UTMs)

Goal​

Keep attribution consistent between Google Ads and GA4.

Step-by-step​

  1. Link Google Ads to GA4 (Linked accounts).
  2. Enable auto-tagging in Google Ads.
  3. Confirm you can see Google Ads traffic in GA4.

When to use UTMs​

  • Use auto-tagging for Google Ads.
  • Add UTMs when your downstream tools require them (CRM, BI) or for cross-channel naming consistency.

UTM naming standard (simple)​

  • utm_source=google
  • utm_medium=cpc
  • utm_campaign=market-objective-theme

Mini-lab​

Create one campaign name and the matching UTM campaign value.

Next Step​

Continue to GTM Setup and QA (How to Test Tracking).