# utm_medium

> The UTM parameter that names the kind of channel: social, cpc, email, sms, qr.

Source: https://datacenter.so/glossary/utm-medium

`utm_medium` answers "what kind of channel?": `social`, `paid-social`, `cpc`, `email`, `sms`, `qr`, `referral`. GA4 uses it, with the source, to sort visits into channels such as Email, Paid Social and Organic Social ([Google](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9756891)).

The value has to match GA4's rules to land in the right channel. `email` lands in Email; `newsletter` does not. `cpc` or anything starting with `paid` with a social source lands in Paid Social. See the [UTM parameters guide](https://datacenter.so/guides/utm-parameters).

## Related terms

- https://datacenter.so/glossary/utm-source
- https://datacenter.so/glossary/utm-campaign
- https://datacenter.so/glossary/utm-parameters