Tracking user interactions through redirect links is a powerful way to measure engagement, especially when directing users to dynamic or random content. Whether you’re using Matomo or Google Analytics, incorporating campaign tracking parameters into your redirect URLs allows you to capture meaningful insights about where traffic comes from and how it behaves. The image above provides two examples of how to implement tracking using either analytics platform.

Tracking with Matomo

For Matomo, the tracking parameter is pk_campaign. If you want to redirect users to a random post while also capturing the visit in your analytics, your URL should look like this:

arduinoCopyEditwww.example.com/?redirect_to=random&pk_campaign=random_link

In this example, pk_campaign=random_link tags the visit with a campaign name, which can later be filtered and analyzed within Matomo. This allows you to determine how effective the random redirect is at driving user activity, engagement, or conversions.

Tracking with Google Analytics

Google Analytics uses the utm_campaign parameter to track campaign-specific data. To track the same redirect with Google, use:

arduinoCopyEditwww.example.com/?redirect_to=random&utm_campaign=random_link

The utm_campaign=random_link portion sends campaign metadata to Google Analytics, making it easy to segment traffic, attribute behavior to specific campaigns, and assess the performance of randomly served content.

Why Tracking Redirects Matters

Redirect tracking provides context. Without it, analytics platforms can’t distinguish between regular visits and those generated through promotional links, email campaigns, or experimental redirects. By adding campaign parameters, you unlock deeper visibility into how users arrive at your content, which campaigns are working, and where to focus your efforts.

In Summary

Using tracking parameters with redirect URLs is a smart, effective way to measure the impact of dynamic content delivery. Whether you use Matomo or Google Analytics, the process is straightforward and highly beneficial for data-driven decisions. Just remember to choose the right parameter—pk_campaign for Matomo and utm_campaign for Google—and structure your URLs accordingly.