Find the right starting point
Tap the link a subscriber actually receives, on a real phone, before every send. SMS links open with no referrer, so the UTMs on the destination behind the short link are the only campaign signal GA4 gets. Check what your SMS platform adds by default, then confirm GA4 puts the visit in the SMS channel rather than Direct or Unassigned.
- Set the naming rules
Use a lowercase sms medium and one campaign pattern for sends and automated flows.
- Test the short link
Confirm the redirect lands on a URL that still carries every campaign tag.
- Fix misclassified traffic
Trace Direct or Unassigned SMS sessions back to a missing tag or an unrecognized medium.
SMS UTM Tracking: The Complete Guide to Measuring Text Message Campaigns in GA4
How to track SMS campaigns in GA4 with UTMs: the right source and medium, short links, Klaviyo, Attentive and Postscript setup, QA steps and SMS reporting.
More guides on this topic
Why SMS Traffic Shows as Direct or Unassigned in GA4 (and How to Fix It)
SMS clicks land in Direct when links lack UTMs and in Unassigned when the medium isn't exactly sms. How to diagnose each in GA4 and fix your text links.
SMS UTM Naming Conventions: Templates for Source, Medium and Campaign
Copy-ready SMS UTM templates for campaigns, flows and holiday sends. Set utm_medium=sms, pick one source rule and keep GA4 SMS reports clean.
Do UTM Parameters Survive Link Shorteners? SMS Short Link Tracking Explained
UTMs survive link shorteners when they sit on the destination URL. How SMS short links redirect, where to put UTMs, segment math and how to test.
Klaviyo SMS UTM Tracking: Setup, Dynamic Tags and GA4 Reporting
Set up Klaviyo SMS UTM tracking so texts land in GA4's SMS channel. Covers the June 2025 medium change, legacy settings, dynamic tags and GA4 reports.
Attentive and Postscript UTM Tracking: How to Set Up Text Campaign Links
Set up Attentive and Postscript UTM tracking for text links. Covers global defaults, journey overrides, the sms vs rcs Message Type and a GA4 channel fix.
Push Notification UTM Tracking: Web and App Push Links in GA4
How to tag web and app push links so GA4 reports them as Mobile Push Notifications, which utm_medium values work, and why app deep links need extra setup.
RCS Business Messaging UTM Tracking: What Changes from SMS
How to tag RCS rich card and button links, whether to use utm_medium sms or rcs, how SMS fallback affects GA4 data, and how to build an SMS & RCS channel group.
10 SMS Tracking Mistakes That Break Your Holiday Campaign Data
Fix the SMS tracking mistakes that send BFCM 2026 texts to Direct or Unassigned in GA4: wrong mediums, untested short links, legacy defaults and RCS tags.
SMS vs Email Attribution in GA4: How to Compare Channels Fairly
Compare SMS and email fairly in GA4: last click vs data-driven, attribution settings, conversion paths, platform vs GA4 revenue and a repeatable method.