Overview
This article helps you understand how UTM parameters work in your careers site. You'll learn how the platform captures UTM data from campaigns, job boards, social media, and email marketing. You'll also discover how this data flows through registrations and applications, and how to troubleshoot common tracking issues.
Key benefits
Track which channels and campaigns drive the most candidate traffic to your site.
Measure campaign performance across job boards, paid ads, social posts, and email campaigns.
Pass UTM data to integrated ATS and CRM systems for complete candidate journey tracking.
Build data-driven marketing strategies by understanding candidate sources and conversion paths.
Enable referral source tracking even when UTM parameters aren't present on incoming links.
Before you start
Before working with UTM tracking, make sure you have:
Admin access to your careers site if configuring job alert UTM settings.
Basic understanding of campaign URLs and how UTM parameters are structured.
Knowledge of which external platforms link to your careers site.
📌 Note: UTM tracking works automatically when parameters are present in URLs. No special configuration is required for basic capture functionality.
Understanding UTM parameters
UTM parameters are short pieces of text added to URLs. They help track where website visitors come from.
What UTM parameters are
UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module. When someone clicks a link with UTM parameters, they land on your careers site. Access Volcanic captures those values and stores them. The platform links them to key actions like candidate registration and job applications.
Parameters your site tracks
Your platform captures three standard UTM parameters:
UTM Source identifies the website or platform that sent the traffic.
Example: utm_source=linkedin or utm_source=indeed
UTM Medium identifies the type of link or channel used.
Example: utm_medium=email or utm_medium=paid_social
UTM Campaign identifies the specific campaign or promotion name.
Example: utm_campaign=graduate_hiring_2026 or utm_campaign=spring_recruitment
How UTM parameters are captured
Your career site captures UTM parameters from URLs when users first land on your site. This happens during each browser session.
Capture timing and session rules
The platform captures UTM values from the first page a user lands on. If a user visits multiple pages during the same session, the original UTM values remain associated.
They stay linked to that session throughout.
When values appear as none
UTM parameters must be present on the initial landing page.
If they're missing, your site cannot capture source data. This appears as none or empty source fields in reports and downstream systems.
This happens when users visit your site directly. They might type the URL, use bookmarks, or click links without UTM parameters.
Who controls UTM values
External platforms linking to your site control UTM values.
This includes Google Ads, LinkedIn, job boards, and email campaign tools.
Your careers site captures and stores the values it receives.
The platform typically doesn't modify them.
Tracking across registrations and applications
UTM tracking behaviour depends on user actions during their browsing session. The system follows specific rules for different scenarios.
Registration capture
When a user registers through your candidate registration form, your career site records the UTM parameters.
The system takes them from the current session and stores them on the candidate profile.
Application capture in the same session
Users often apply for jobs during the same session as registration.
When this happens, the system copies the UTM details from that session.
It adds them to the job application record.
New session behaviour
Users may end their session and return later. When they start a new browser session, captured UTM values may change. The new values depend on the parameters present on the new entry link.
🤓 Tip: If you want return visits attributed to specific campaigns, include UTM parameters on return links.
Adding UTM parameters to job alerts
You can configure UTM parameters for links in automated job alert emails. This helps track which alerts drive applications.
Log in to your Admin Area.
Navigate to the job alerts configuration section.
Add your desired UTM parameters to the job alert link settings.
Click Submit to save your changes.
When candidates click job alert links and apply during that session, the configured UTM details are stored. They're saved with the candidate's application.
📌 Note: Contact Support via the Digital Assistant if you need assistance locating job alert UTM configuration settings for your specific platform version.
🤓 Tip: See our Job alerts guide to learn more about managing the email alerts sent to candidates.
UTM data in integrations
Your site can pass captured UTM data to integrated ATS, CRM, and other platform integrations. The flow depends on your integration type.
Integration behaviour overview
How UTM data flows to integrated systems depends on the integration type and configuration.
The integrated software determines how it stores and uses received UTM data.
⚠️ Important: Your career site passes UTM data to integrations but cannot control how external platforms store or display that information.
API-based integrations
Registration data: UTM values stored on the candidate profile are sent to the integrated system.
Application data: UTM values stored on the job application record are sent to the integrated system.
Email-based integrations
For email-based integrations like Broadbean and Idibu, UTM details from job applications are included.
They appear in application notification emails sent to configured addresses.
Bullhorn integration
The Bullhorn integration maps UTM Source, UTM Medium, and UTM Campaign from candidate records.
It sends them to corresponding Bullhorn candidate fields.
The UTM Source value provided to Bullhorn depends on both the integration configuration and the value stored. It reads from the candidate record.
JobAdder integration
UTM parameters from candidate profiles can be mapped to JobAdder fields. Use User Mappings in the integration settings to configure this.
JobAdder sets the job application source as the job board name defined in JobAdder. Access Volcanic cannot modify this behaviour.
Referral source tracking without UTMs
Your site supports alternative source tracking when UTM parameters aren't present. This helps capture attribution data from organic traffic.
How referral source tracking works
Referral source tracking identifies external sources that actively redirect visitors to your site.
When a redirect occurs from a third-party source, the platform can capture a source= parameter. This works even without UTM values.
This implementation appends the source= parameter to track referral sources. It captures sources that lead to candidate registrations or job applications.
Reporting and display
Reports may show source values using either utm_source for UTM tracking or source for referral tracking.
The reporting interface treats both as source attribution data.
UTM priority behaviour
If UTM data exists in the URL, the platform uses UTM values.
Referral source tracking doesn't activate in this case. However, reporting can still display the data under source fields.
Benefits of referral tracking
Referral source tracking provides source attribution without requiring manual UTM setup on every link.
This helps identify external sources introducing applicants. It also supports SEO analysis of referrals and backlinks.
Disabling referral tracking
You can turn off referral source tracking if needed.
Go to your Site settings.
Find the option for tracking applicants and registrations without UTM parameters.
Disable this option.
Click Submit.
Building trackable campaign URLs
Create UTM-enabled URLs for campaigns to measure performance across channels. This helps you understand which campaigns drive results.
Planning your approach
Before creating campaign URLs, decide on consistent naming conventions for your organisation.
Consider whether to use lowercase or title case. Also decide whether to use underscores or hyphens as word separators.
Ensure published links direct candidates to the first page they'll land on. UTM parameters are captured on the initial page of a session.
Using URL builder tools
Several online tools help build UTM URLs. Google Analytics' Campaign URL Builder is a commonly used free option.
Typical inputs for URL builders include:
Website URL: The destination page for your campaign traffic.
Campaign Source: The utm_source value identifying the platform or site.
Campaign Medium: The utm_medium value identifying the channel type.
Campaign Name: The utm_campaign value identifying the specific campaign.
Example campaign URL structure
Here's an example showing a base URL and how it looks with UTM parameters added:
The same URL with UTM parameters added: https://careers.example.com/jobs/software-engineer?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=2026_graduate_campaign
🤓 Tip: Keep campaign names human-readable so reports are easy to interpret without referring to external documentation.
Best practices
Use clear, human-readable campaign names that team members can understand in reports.
Maintain consistent naming conventions across your team for sources, mediums, and campaigns.
Avoid spaces in parameter values and use hyphens or underscores instead.
Test campaign links before publishing to verify UTM parameters appear in the URL.
Review source data in your reporting or ATS to confirm expected UTM values are captured.
Document your UTM naming conventions so marketing teams use consistent values.
Check third-party platforms pass UTM parameters through redirects to your site.
Consider using both UTM tracking for campaigns and referral tracking for organic sources.
📌 Note: Inconsistent naming conventions make reporting difficult and reduce the value of your tracking data.
FAQs
Q1: Do I need to add all three UTM parameters to every link?
Answer: Your website tracks source, medium, and campaign. Including all three provides the most detailed reporting, but the platform captures whatever parameters are present in the URL.
Q2: Will my site modify my UTM values?
Answer: Your career site typically captures and stores the values it receives from URLs. The platform records what external sources provide in the link.
Q3: What happens if a candidate applies in a later session?
Answer: If a candidate returns in a new browser session, stored UTM values may change based on the new entry link. Include UTM parameters on return links if you want those sessions attributed to specific campaigns.
Q4: Can I track sources without using UTM parameters?
Answer: Yes, if referral source tracking is enabled, your site captures
source=parameters when third-party sites redirect traffic to your careers site, even without UTM values in the URL.
Q5: Why does a job application show none for UTM source?
Answer: Applications show
nonewhen candidates apply during sessions without UTM parameters in the landing URL. This happens with direct visits, bookmarks, or redirects that don't preserve UTM data.
Q6: Why is UTM source data missing on some applications?
Answer: Your careers site captures UTM data only when parameters are present in the URL. Users typing your URL directly or using bookmarks provide no UTM data. Some third-party platforms also redirect users without preserving UTM parameters in the redirect chain.
Q7: What should I check if UTM tracking isn't working?
Answer: Confirm the original link candidates clicked includes UTM parameters and lands them on your site as the first page in their session. Verify third-party platforms pass UTM values through during redirects. Review whether candidates typically apply during their initial visit or return later in new sessions.
Q8: How can I test if my UTM tracking is working correctly?
Answer: Click your campaign link and check the URL in your browser address bar to confirm UTM parameters are present. Then check your platform reporting or ATS to verify the values are captured on test registrations or applications.
Q9: Can I see which campaigns drive the most applications?
Answer: Yes, use your platform reporting tools or export application data to analyse UTM campaign values. Your ATS may also provide campaign performance reports if it receives UTM data from Access Volcanic.
Q10: What if candidates register with UTMs but apply later without them?
Answer: The registration captures the original session's UTM values on the candidate profile. If they apply in a new session without UTMs, the application may show different or missing source data depending on the new session.
Q11: How do I add UTM parameters to job alert emails?
Answer: Configure UTM parameters in your Admin Area's job alerts settings. Contact Support if you need assistance locating these settings for your specific platform version.
Q12: Why don't my job board applications show the job board as the source?
Answer: Job boards must include UTM parameters when redirecting candidates to your site. If the job board doesn't pass source data through the redirect, Access Volcanic cannot capture it. Contact your job board provider to confirm they support UTM tracking.