What is a tracking link?
The short answer, how it works under the hood, what it can and can't tell you, and five real examples.
Quick answer
A tracking link is a URL that records a click before sending the visitor to the real destination. It usually works through a short redirect, like gtlk.link/spring-sale, often with campaign tags such as ?utm_source=instagram. Every click logs when it happened, the country and device, the referring site and the campaign, so you can see which link, post or ad actually brought people in.
How a tracking link works
1. Someone clicks the link
The click goes to the tracking server first, not straight to the destination.
2. The click is recorded
The time, country and city (estimated from the IP address), device, browser, referring site and any campaign tags are saved.
3. The visitor is forwarded
A redirect sends them on to the real page. It takes a blink, so to the visitor it behaves like any other link.
Anatomy of a tracking URL
One link, read left to right.
https://gtlk.link/spring-sale?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=bio&utm_campaign=spring
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
gtlk.link | The tracking domain. It can also be your own, like go.yourbrand.com. |
/spring-sale | The slug — which link this is. Each slug points to one destination page. |
utm_source=instagram | Where the click came from. |
utm_medium=bio | The kind of placement: bio, email, cpc, qr… |
utm_campaign=spring | Which campaign the click belongs to. |
New to the tags after the question mark? See UTM tracking.
Tracking link vs UTM tags vs tracking pixel
They get mixed up constantly. They measure different things.
| How it works | What it counts | What it needs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracking link | A redirect that records the click on its own server | Every click, wherever the link is shared — email, SMS, PDF, QR code, social bio | Nothing on the destination page |
| UTM parameters | Labels added to the URL, read by the destination site's analytics | Nothing on their own — only the visits your analytics tool records | Analytics on the page, and a visitor who doesn't block it |
| Tracking pixel | A tiny invisible image that loads when an email or page opens | Opens and views, not clicks | Images allowed by the email app or browser |
Most campaigns use a tracking link with UTM tags: the link counts the click, the tags label it. Counting email opens is a job for a tracking pixel.
Tracking link examples
Instagram bio
gtlk.link/bio?utm_source=instagramHow many profile visitors tap through, and from which countries.
Newsletter button
gtlk.link/sep-issue?utm_medium=emailWhich issue and which button get clicked.
QR code on a flyer
gtlk.link/flyer-berlinScans per flyer batch, per city, per day.
YouTube description
go.yourbrand.com/gearClicks from each video — and, with a postback, the sales they lead to.
SMS campaign
gtlk.link/vip-smsClicks per message, with device and time of day.
What a tracking link can and can't tell you
It can tell you
- How many clicks, and how many unique visitors
- When each click happened
- Country and city, estimated from the IP address
- Device, operating system and browser
- The referring site or app, when it passes one
- UTM source, medium and campaign
- Sales and sign-ups, when conversion tracking is set up
It can't tell you
- Names, emails or who someone is
- A street address — IP location is roughly city-level
- What the visitor did on the page afterwards, unless that page runs analytics or a conversion tag
How to create a tracking link
- 1
Paste your destination
Sign in to Track Link and paste the page you want people to land on.
- 2
Name it and add tags
Pick a short slug and, if you like, UTM tags for the source and campaign.
- 3
Share it and watch the clicks
Put the link in your post, email, ad or QR code. Clicks show up in your dashboard as they happen.
Prefer a step-by-step tool? Use the tracking link generator. For the bigger picture, read what is link tracking.
Tracking link FAQ
What is a tracking link?
A tracking link is a URL that records a click before forwarding the visitor to the page they wanted. Each click logs when it happened, the approximate location, the device and the source, so you can see which post, email, ad or QR code brought people in.
What is a tracking URL?
The same thing under a different name. "Tracking URL" often means the full address, including any tags after the question mark, such as ?utm_source=newsletter.
What are tracking links used for?
To find out what actually drives visits. Marketers compare campaigns, creators see which platform sends traffic, affiliates prove which placement made a sale, and shops measure print and offline campaigns through QR codes.
Can a tracking link see who I am?
No. It sees roughly what any website sees: an approximate location from your IP address, your device and browser, and where the click came from. It doesn't learn your name or contacts. On Track Link, link owners don't see raw IP addresses, and an exact GPS location is only shared if the visitor agrees to a clear permission prompt.
Do tracking links slow things down?
They add one redirect before the page loads. On a well-run tracker that takes a fraction of a second, which visitors rarely notice.
How do I see where a tracking link goes?
Paste it into a link tracer. It follows every redirect and shows the final page without opening it on your device.
How do I create a tracking link for free?
Sign in to Track Link with Google, paste the page you want to send people to, and copy your short link. The Free plan includes click analytics, and no credit card is needed.
More link tracking guides
UTM tracking
Clicks per source, medium and campaign on every link.
Outbound link tracking
GA4 outbound clicks, Adobe exit links, or tracked links.
Link tracer
See every redirect a link takes, without opening it.
TinyURL stats
Where TinyURL clicks live and how to get free stats.
How to track clicks on a link
A free click counter for any URL.
Make your first tracking link
Free forever · no credit card · sign in with Google in seconds.
Create a tracking link