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Givebutter Widgets automatically capture and store attribution data when visitors interact with your donation forms. This powerful feature helps you understand which marketing channels, campaigns, and content drive the most donations, allowing you to optimize your fundraising strategy.

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How It Works

When someone visits a page with the Widgets library installed, attribution data from the URL is automatically captured and stored. When that visitor makes a donation, all the attribution data is passed along with the transaction, giving you complete visibility into the donor’s journey.
1

Visitor Arrives

A potential donor clicks a link from your email campaign, social media post, or Google ad
2

Data Captured

The Widgets library automatically detects and stores UTM parameters and click IDs from the URL
3

Visitor Donates

The visitor makes a donation through your widget (immediately or days later)
4

Attribution Linked

The donation is linked to the original marketing source, visible in your Givebutter Dashboard

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Automatic Tracking

The following parameters are automatically tracked when someone visits a page with a widget installed:

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UTM Parameters

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are the standard way to track marketing campaign performance:
ParameterDescriptionExample
utm_sourceIdentifies the source of your trafficfacebook, google, newsletter
utm_mediumSpecifies the marketing mediumsocial, email, cpc, banner
utm_campaignNames the specific campaign or promotional effortspring-fundraiser, year-end
utm_termTracks specific keywords in paid search campaignsnonprofit-donation, charity
utm_contentDistinguishes between different content or ads in one campaignblue-button, hero-cta

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Platform Click IDs

Platform-specific identifiers for advanced tracking and conversion measurement:
ParameterPlatformDescription
gclidGoogle AdsGoogle Click ID for conversion tracking
wbraidGoogle AdsWeb to App tracking on iOS 14+ (privacy-safe)
gbraidGoogle AdsApp to Web tracking on iOS 14+ (privacy-safe)
gclsrcGoogle AdsIdentifies the Google Ads source (ads, other services)
dclidGoogle (DCM)DoubleClick Click ID for Display & Video 360
fbclidMeta/FacebookFacebook Click ID for conversion tracking and attribution

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Setting Up Campaign Tracking

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Basic Campaign URL Structure

To track a campaign, add UTM parameters to your URLs: 
https://yoursite.org/donate?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spring2026

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Using URL Builders

Free tools to create properly formatted campaign URLs:

Google Campaign URL Builder

Official Google tool for creating UTM-tagged URLs

Givebutter Dashboard

Use the built-in link builder in your campaign’s sharing settings

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Best Practices

Use lowercase and consistent naming across all campaigns:
  • ✅ utm_source=facebook (consistent)
  • ❌ utm_source=Facebook vs utm_source=facebook (inconsistent)
Use hyphens instead of spaces:
  • ✅ utm_campaign=spring-fundraiser
  • ❌ utm_campaign=spring fundraiser
Always include these three:
  • utm_source - Where the traffic comes from
  • utm_medium - How the traffic arrives
  • utm_campaign - What campaign it’s part of
Optional but useful:
  • utm_term - For paid search keywords
  • utm_content - For A/B testing different content
Maintain a spreadsheet tracking:
  • Campaign names and dates
  • UTM parameters used
  • Links created
  • Target audience
This prevents confusion and ensures consistency across your team.

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Common Tracking Scenarios

Track different email campaigns and newsletters:
utm_source=mailchimp
utm_medium=email
utm_campaign=monthly-newsletter-march
utm_content=header-button
Use utm_content to test different CTA placements (header vs footer) or button colors.

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Viewing Attribution Data

All attribution data is available in your Givebutter Dashboard:
  1. Navigate to Campaigns > Select your campaign
  2. Go to Transactions or Reports
  3. View attribution data for each donation:
    • Traffic source
    • Marketing medium
    • Campaign name
    • Keywords and content variants

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Export & Analysis

Export your transaction data with attribution for deeper analysis:
  • Identify highest-performing channels
  • Calculate ROI for paid campaigns
  • Optimize future marketing spend
  • Create custom reports for stakeholders

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Privacy & Compliance

Givebutter’s attribution tracking:
  • ✅ Does not use third-party cookies
  • ✅ Respects user privacy settings
  • ✅ Complies with GDPR and privacy regulations
  • ✅ Uses first-party data only
  • ✅ Stores data securely
Attribution data is stored on your visitors’ devices and only transmitted when a donation is made.

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Troubleshooting

Attribution data not appearing? Ensure the Widgets library is installed on the page where visitors land with UTM parameters. The library must load before the user navigates away.
Common issues:
  • Widgets library not installed on landing page
  • URL parameters stripped by redirects
  • Parameters modified or removed by intermediate pages
  • JavaScript errors preventing library load
The Widgets library stores attribution in the browser. If users:
  • Clear cookies/storage
  • Use incognito/private browsing
  • Switch devices
The attribution may not persist. Consider using dedicated donation landing pages.
If a user visits from multiple sources, the most recent attribution is used. This is standard behavior for last-touch attribution models.

Getting Started

Install the Widgets library to enable tracking

Button Widget

Create tracked donation buttons

Form Widget

Embed tracked donation forms