---
title: "UTM & Affiliate Tracking"
description: "Automatically capture UTM parameters and affiliate IDs from URLs and pass them with orders to SparkCRM."
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sparkcrm.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# UTM & Affiliate Tracking

The plugin automatically captures UTM and affiliate parameters from incoming URLs, stores them in a browser cookie, and includes them in all API requests sent to SparkCRM.

---

## How It Works

1. A visitor arrives at your WooCommerce site with tracking parameters in the URL
2. The plugin reads the parameters and stores them in a `spark_tracking` cookie
3. The cookie persists for **30 days** across page views and sessions
4. When the visitor places an order, the stored tracking data is automatically included in the API request to SparkCRM

This uses **last-touch attribution** — if a visitor returns via a different tracking link, the cookie is overwritten with the new parameters.

---

## Supported Parameters

### UTM Parameters

| Parameter | Example | Description |
|-----------|---------|-------------|
| `utm_source` | `google` | Traffic source (e.g., google, facebook, newsletter) |
| `utm_medium` | `cpc` | Marketing medium (e.g., cpc, email, social) |
| `utm_campaign` | `spring_sale` | Campaign name |
| `utm_term` | `running+shoes` | Paid search keyword |
| `utm_content` | `banner_ad` | Ad content or variant |

### Affiliate Parameters

| Parameter | Alias | Description |
|-----------|-------|-------------|
| `affiliate_id` | — | Primary affiliate identifier |
| `affiliate` | — | Alternative affiliate identifier |
| `sub_affiliate_id` | `sub1` | Sub-affiliate ID 1 |
| `sub_affiliate_id_2` | `sub2` | Sub-affiliate ID 2 |
| `sub_affiliate_id_3` | `sub3` | Sub-affiliate ID 3 |
| `sub_affiliate_id_4` | `sub4` | Sub-affiliate ID 4 |
| `sub_affiliate_id_5` | `sub5` | Sub-affiliate ID 5 |
| `cohort` | — | Cohort identifier |

> Sub-affiliate aliases (`sub1` through `sub5`) are automatically mapped to their canonical parameter names.

---

## URL Examples

**UTM tracking:**
```
https://yourstore.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale
```

**Affiliate tracking:**
```
https://yourstore.com/?affiliate_id=AFF123&sub1=creative_a&sub2=landing_v2
```

**Combined:**
```
https://yourstore.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid&affiliate_id=AFF456&sub1=ad_set_1
```

---

## Cookie Details

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| **Name** | `spark_tracking` |
| **Format** | JSON-encoded object |
| **Expiry** | 30 days |
| **Path** | `/` (entire site) |
| **Secure** | Yes (when site uses HTTPS) |
| **SameSite** | Lax |

**Example cookie value:**
```json
{
"utm_source": "google",
"utm_medium": "cpc",
"utm_campaign": "spring_sale",
"affiliate_id": "AFF123",
"sub_affiliate_id": "creative_a"
}
```

---

## SparkCRM Attribution

When tracking data reaches SparkCRM, it is stored on the order record and used for:

- **Order attribution** — See which source, campaign, or affiliate drove each order
- **First-touch attribution** — The first approved transaction locks attribution on the customer record permanently
- **Affiliate postbacks** — Sub-affiliate IDs are available as tokens in postback URLs
- **Reporting** — Filter and analyze orders by UTM source, campaign, affiliate, and more

---

## No Configuration Required

Tracking is enabled automatically when the plugin is active. There are no settings to configure — simply ensure your marketing URLs include the supported parameters.

Source: https://docs.sparkcrm.io/wordpress-plugin/tracking/index.mdx