Steam UTM-Analytics

Introduction of UTM Tracking on the Steam Platform

Based on developer requests, Valve announced the introduction of UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) support in 2023 on the Steam platform. Due to reported discrepancies regarding data protection the transition occurred on 01.07.2023, to replace the use of Google Analytics (GA4).

How UTM Analytics Works

UTM parameters in URLs allow developers to precisely track and understand the ROI of their marketing campaigns on Steam, and to identify which measures generate the most traffic. This enables more accurate budgeting and targeting of audiences.

Steamworks records UTM parameters when customers visit your game page, purchase a product, or take actions such as adding to wishlist.

A dashboard in Steamworks displays this information, which is divided into three areas: overall traffic and conversions, history of traffic and conversions over time, and a detailed table of the performance of each UTM parameter combination.

1. Data Points:
   1. Source of Traffic (utm_source):
      Identifies where the traffic originates from (e.g., Twitter, email campaigns, etc.).
   2. Campaign Name (utm_campaign):
      Tracks various marketing campaigns (e.g., a specific advertising campaign or a social media hashtag)
   3. Medium of Traffic (utm_medium):
      Differentiates the medium through which the traffic is directed (e.g., social media, email, etc.)
   4. User Actions (utm_content):
      Tracks specific actions such as visiting a game page, adding games to wishlist, or making a purchase

1. Examples:
   1. Twitter: https://store.steampowered.com/app/12345/?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=my_game_campaign
   2. SteamDB: https://store.steampowered.com/app/730/?curator_clanid=4777282&utm_source=SteamDB

The additionally used "curator_clanid" is specifically for groups acting as curators on Steam. The curator_clanid serves to assign these activities to a specific group. The resulting traffic statistics are made accessible for both the shop operator (i.e., the developer or publisher of the game) and the curator themselves.

Negotiations with Influencers

UTM links can also be used to make agreements with influencers, e.g., for revenue sharing based on sales generated through their links.

Creative Use of UTM Links

Interestingly, UTM links can also be used for unconventional purposes, such as sending secret messages to developers by creating personalized UTM tags.


Whether these messages are read and/or understood, however, is another matter.

Privacy and Accessibility

To protect customer privacy, it is stated that no personal data will be provided. Access to UTM analysis reports is restricted to Steamworks accounts with the appropriate rights.

Valve emphasized that customer privacy is taken very seriously and no personal data is shared in UTM Analytics reports. This was a focus in the development of the UTM Analytics feature, including decisions about what data is required, how long it is retained, and who has access to this data.

Some developers have had mixed experiences with Steam's UTM analysis. While some appreciate the simplicity of implementation, others criticize the limited functionality and lack of more detailed tracking options. A common issue is that Steam only counts visits if a user is logged into their account in the browser version of Steam... which can lead to incomplete data.

Sources

Steamworks-Dokumentation  
Steamworks Development 1  , 2  
How To Market A Game