Criteo retargeting UTM tracking
Criteo runs retargeting and commerce display ads across the open web. Its destination URLs can carry UTM parameters so retargeting clicks are attributed to the campaign rather than to generic display referrals. This page gives a recommended structure and the retargeting-specific caution about crediting visitors who would have returned anyway.
Recommended structure
Set the destination URL on the Criteo campaign and append UTMs. Use a retargeting-specific medium so you can separate it from prospecting display later.
- utm_source=criteo
- utm_medium=retargeting (or display, kept consistent)
- utm_campaign=<campaign-name>
- utm_content=<creative/product set>
The retargeting attribution caution
Retargeting reaches people who already visited, so last-click crediting can overstate it — some of those visitors would have returned without the ad. Tag the click so you can see it, but evaluate retargeting with incrementality in mind, not last-click volume alone.
Worked example:
https://example.com/cart?utm_source=criteo&utm_medium=retargeting&utm_campaign=cart-abandon&utm_content=dynamic-set
Distinguish from prospecting
If you also run Criteo prospecting (new-user) campaigns, give them a different utm_medium (e.g. display) so retargeting and prospecting do not merge. Mixing them hides that the two have very different value profiles.
How it appears in analytics and logs
A visit with utm_source=criteo and utm_medium=retargeting confirms a Criteo retargeting click. Without tags, these clicks scatter across publisher domains and are hard to total or to separate from prospecting.
Diagnostic use case
Attribute Criteo retargeting clicks to the retargeting campaign, and keep them distinct from prospecting display so you can judge incremental value.
What WebmasterID can help detect
WebmasterID attributes utm_source=criteo visits to your retargeting campaign server-side, so retargeting is one tidy channel rather than a spray of display referrers.
Common mistakes
- Evaluating retargeting on last-click volume without considering incrementality.
- Using the same utm_medium for retargeting and prospecting.
- Letting clicks scatter across publisher referrers instead of tagging utm_source=criteo.
- Encoding any visitor identifier into UTM values.
Privacy and accuracy notes
Criteo UTM values should hold campaign and creative labels only — never any visitor identifier, even though retargeting targets prior visitors. UTM values are public; the audience match happens in Criteo, not in the URL.
Related pages
- Display ads UTM tracking
Display and programmatic ads need their own medium so banner clicks are not confused with paid search or social. This page shows how to use utm_medium=display consistently and explains how platform click IDs differ from the utm_* parameters generic analytics tools read.
- Programmatic & DSP UTM tracking
Programmatic display bought through a demand-side platform (DSP) serves across countless publishers via real-time bidding. UTM parameters plus the DSP's dynamic macros on the landing URL are how those scattered clicks get attributed. This page gives a recommended structure and explains the macro approach common to DSPs.
- UTM limits for multi-touch attribution
UTM tags are excellent at labelling a click, but a customer journey has many touches and UTM only stamps the ones that pass through tagged links. This page is an honest account of the last-non-direct caveat and the limits of building multi-touch attribution on UTM alone.
- Attribution analytics
See retargeting clicks as one channel and weigh them against prospecting.
Sources and verification notes
- Criteo — Tracking and URL parametersDestination URL tracking for Criteo campaigns.
Last reviewed 2026-06-24. Facts are checked against primary/official sources where available; uncertain specifics are marked “Data not yet verified” rather than guessed.