Tracking Parameter Audit: UTM, Click IDs, and Source IDs Explained

Short answer: If your affiliate link survives the redirect chain but loses its tracking parameters, you don't get paid. This guide explains every parameter that matters and how to audit them.

The four parameter families

• UTM parameters (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign) — for your own analytics, not affiliate networks. Optional but useful.
• Affiliate IDs (tag, ref, aff, affid, linkCode) — the parameter your network uses to attribute the sale to you. Mandatory.
• Click IDs (gclid, fbclid, msclkid, network-specific click IDs) — set by ad platforms; usually harmless but can collide with affiliate IDs.
• Sub-IDs (subid, sid, s1, SID) — let you track which page or campaign generated the click. Optional but powerful.

What strips them — common causes

1. SEO plugin URL clean-up (Yoast, RankMath)
2. Cookie consent platforms that re-route outbound links
3. Long redirect chains (3+ hops)
4. AMP transformations
5. iOS Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention
6. Mobile-app webviews (Instagram, TikTok, X)

How to audit

1. Test from each major channel. Open one of your links from desktop Chrome, mobile Safari, the Instagram webview, and an AMP cache. Compare destinations.
2. Inspect the final URL. Once redirects settle, check the URL bar. Is the affiliate ID still there?
3. Use a parameter-aware checker. A status-code-only checker will say "healthy" even if every tracking parameter has been stripped. PRG validates parameter integrity at the destination.
4. Set required parameters per asset. In PRG, configure required_params on each asset (e.g. tag for Amazon links). Missing params trigger an alert.

Run a free scan — we'll surface every link missing its tracking tag.

Related: Missing UTM Parameters · Affiliate Link Expiration