What it does
Tracking links get long and hard to read, especially once values are URL-encoded. This decoder pulls out the five standard UTM tags and shows each one on its own line.
Use it to check a link before you send it, to see how a partner or ad platform tagged a link, or to work out why a visit landed in the wrong channel in your reports.
How to use it
- 1Paste the full link, including https://, into the “Input” box.
- 2Press “Run”.
- 3Read the five lines: utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content and utm_term. A tag that isn't in the link shows an empty value.
- 4If you see “Invalid URL”, check that you copied the whole link and that it starts with http:// or https://.
What to check before a link goes out
Most tracking problems are small typos that only show up weeks later as a strange row in a report.
- Source, medium and campaign are all filled in.
- Values are lowercase and match your team's naming.
- No stray spaces or doubled tags from copying a link twice.
- The link points to the page you meant, not a staging copy.
Links you didn't tag yourself
Some platforms add UTM tags for you. ChatGPT, for example, adds utm_source=chatgpt.com to many links it shows. Decoding those links tells you how the visit will be labelled in your analytics.
This decoder only reads the five utm_ tags. Other parameters, such as ad click IDs, are ignored. If a visit still looks wrong, the referrer may matter more than the tags. atrby combines both to show which sources, AI assistants included, bring paying customers.
Cleaning up inconsistent tags
Analytics tools group visits by the exact text of each tag. "Newsletter", "newsletter" and "news-letter" become three sources, and each one looks smaller than the real total.
Decode a handful of links from each channel and compare them side by side. Once you spot the variants, agree on one spelling, write it down where your team builds links, and fix the links that are still live. Old visits keep the tags they arrived with, so reports only line up from the day you change.
Questions
Is the link sent anywhere?
No. The decoder runs in your browser and doesn't fetch the link.
Why is a value showing as empty?
The link doesn't contain that tag. utm_content and utm_term are often left out on purpose.
Does it decode encoded characters?
Yes. Values like %20 or + are shown as the text they stand for.
Can it fix a broken link?
No, it only reads tags. To make a new, clean link, use the UTM builder and paste in the same values.