QR codes are a powerful tool for driving traffic from offline marketing materials like flyers, posters, and product packaging to your online content. To fully understand the effectiveness of your QR code campaigns, it’s essential to track them accurately in Google Analytics 4 (GA4). This guide will walk you through the process of creating a custom URL using the Campaign URL Builder, generating a QR code, and tracking its performance in GA4.

Why Track QR Codes?

Tracking QR codes allows you to:

1. Measure campaign effectiveness: Understand how many users scanned your QR code and interacted with your content.
2. Identify popular channels: Discover which offline marketing channels are driving the most traffic.
3. Optimize marketing efforts: Use data-driven insights to improve your campaigns.

Step 1: Create a Custom URL with Campaign URL Builder

To track a QR code in GA4, you first need to create a custom URL that includes UTM parameters. These parameters allow GA4 to track specific details about the traffic source.

What Are UTM Parameters?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags added to a URL, which help you track the source, medium, and campaign name of your marketing efforts. The most commonly used UTM parameters are:

• Source (utm_source): Identifies where the traffic is coming from (e.g., ‘flyer’, ‘poster’).
• Medium (utm_medium): Describes the type of marketing medium (e.g., ‘print’, ‘QR’).
• Campaign (utm_campaign): Specifies the campaign name or promotion (e.g., ‘summer_sale’).

Using the Campaign URL Builder

1. Access the Campaign URL Builder: Google’s Campaign URL Builder is a free tool that helps you create URLs with UTM parameters.
2. Enter the Website URL: Input the destination URL you want users to visit.
3. Fill in UTM Parameters:
   • Campaign Source: Describe where the link will be placed, such as ‘flyer’ or ‘poster’.
   • Campaign Medium: Use ‘QR’ to specify that the link will be accessed via a QR code.
   • Campaign Name: Enter a unique name for the campaign, like ‘summer_sale’.
4. Generate the Custom URL: The tool will create a URL with the UTM parameters appended. For example: https://www.example.com?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=QR&utm_campaign=summer_sale.

Step 2: Generate the QR Code

Once you have your custom URL, the next step is to generate a QR code.

1. Choose a QR Code Generator: There are many free QR code generators available online, such as QR Code Generator.
2. Input the Custom URL: Paste the custom URL into the generator.
3. Customize the QR Code: Some generators offer customization options like colors and logos. Ensure the code is easily scannable.
4. Download the QR Code: Save the generated QR code image for use in your offline materials.

Step 3: Track the QR Code in GA4

With your custom URL and QR code ready, you can now track the performance of your campaign in GA4.

1. Set Up GA4 Property: Ensure you have a GA4 property set up for your website.
2. Monitor UTM Parameters: GA4 automatically tracks UTM parameters. To view the data:
   • Go to your GA4 property.
   • Navigate to Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition.
   • Use the filters to view data for specific campaigns, sources, and mediums.

Best Practices

• Test the QR Code: Before distributing your materials, test the QR code to ensure it directs to the correct URL and tracks accurately in GA4.
• Use Short URLs: Long URLs can result in large QR codes, which may be less visually appealing. Consider using a URL shortener that preserves UTM parameters.
• Monitor and Optimize: Regularly check GA4 to analyze the performance of your QR code campaigns and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Tracking QR codes with GA4 is a straightforward process that provides valuable insights into the performance of your offline marketing campaigns. By using the Campaign URL Builder to create custom URLs and generating QR codes from these URLs, you can effectively measure and optimize your marketing efforts. Start tracking today and gain a deeper understanding of your audience’s offline-to-online journey!