Use Linktree without hurting Google Analytics

written by Marie

Last updated on: May 11, 2021

Published on July 10, 2017

 

There is a new trend on Instagram: using the website Linktree to have multiple links instead of one on your profile. I have very quickly joined the trend since I have many things to promote to my subscribers! My Facebook page, my newsletter, etc… Unfortunately, I soon realized that my Google Analytics acquisition data wasn’t accurate anymore.

Visitors now came from the referral category and then from link.tree. For me, these visitors come from Instagram. I wanted them to appear under “Acquisition > Social > Instagram” as they do by default! Statistics are crucial to know where to put our promotion efforts. I started looking for a way to allow my traffic from Linktree to merge and back into the Social> Instagram category.

The problem

linktree google analytics

As mentioned in the introduction to the article, the problem is on Google Analytics. If you do not do anything, your visitors coming through Linktree will be in the Acquisition > Referral > Linktree.com category.

These visitors come from Instagram! They should be in Acquisition > Social > Instagram.

Update 2021: It seems that Linktree now offers a fix directly from their website. 

The solution

linktree google analytics

To fix this, we’ll create a filter on a Google Analytics view! The screenshot above was taken in Acquisition > Social.

 

Good Practices

A good practice when you have an analytics account is to have multiple views in order to do tests:

  1. Your main view
  2. One for tests
  3. Raw data

Before applying my advice, I suggest you make sure that you have these three views in place. You should create the filter in the “Test” view and when you see that it works for you, put it in your main view!

Steps to create the filter

  1. Login to Google Analytics
  2. Select the view where you want to make the change. For me, it’s Master – because I tested the filter before and it works well!linktree google analytics
  3. Click on “Admin”, then “All filters”, under “Account”
    linktree google analytics
  4. Click on the red button “add a filter”
  5. Make the required changes as shown in the screenshot below:
    1. Enter the name of the filter. I wrote « link tree ».
    2. Type of filter : custom. Choose “search and replace”.
    3. Filter field: campaign source
    4. Search string: linktr.ee
    5. Replace string: Instagram
      I used Instagram with a uppercase I because that is what I have at the moment in Acquisition > Social > Instagram. Use a lowercase i if that’s what YOU use.
      linktree google analytics
    6. Select your view. Mine is “Master” .
      linktree google analytics
    7. Click on save, and you’re done!

 

Conclusion

I hope this guide will help you to keep your data intact and truthful! If you have any problems during the steps on Google Analytics, feel free to leave a comment. It will be my pleasure to help you.

 

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30 comments

Noel July 12, 2017 - 10:55 am

Oh..let me try

Reply
Marie July 12, 2017 - 9:15 pm

Let me know how it goes 🙂

Reply
Helena July 23, 2017 - 4:48 pm

Hi! I just stumbled upon your blog and I found many useful articles, so I just want to thank you for sharing!

Reply
Marie July 27, 2017 - 11:13 pm

Hi Helena!
Thank you so much for your kind words omg you made my day!!!! Seriously.
I hope to see you come back here!
Xxxx
Marie

Reply
Fajar Siagian July 23, 2017 - 8:40 pm

thats help me to configure multiple blog on my instagram profile. i will try this solution for my instagram to allow analytic..

thank you so much

Reply
Marie July 27, 2017 - 11:13 pm

Hi Fajar!
Let me know how this goes for you 😀
Marie

Reply
Lillian Pierson August 1, 2017 - 12:37 am

It’s nice to hear that LinkTree is working for you. I tried a competitor product before and it only confused my audience – so I have been hesitating trying to LinkTree. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Reply
Marie August 17, 2017 - 10:17 pm

No problem Lillian! 😀
I have switched back to just the address of my blog, but I don’t know… still experiencing 🙂
Marie

Reply
Sung September 17, 2017 - 4:49 pm

I’ve noticed that you did go back to your girlknowstech.com link.
Are there any problems with LinkTree?
Do you have a plan to write about an experience? I’ve love to read.

Reply
Marie September 23, 2017 - 2:03 pm

Hi,
I just had a problem 1 time where Linktree was down so that’s unfortunate because no one can access our links during that time.
But I changed because I wanted to have the girlknowstech.com link visible from my bio, that’s all 🙂
I don’t know what else I’d say 😀
Marie

Reply
Tricia November 5, 2017 - 3:55 pm

Thanks for this tutorial! I just started using Linktr.ee and was like “oh crap” how is that going to affect my google analytics. Just the right answer to my question!

Reply
Marie November 18, 2017 - 9:42 pm

Hi Tricia!
It’s awesome that you had a thought for your analytics!! 😛
Glad to help,
Marie

Reply
Kerry Rego March 3, 2018 - 6:10 pm

I tested it today and immediately took a look at my analytics. I didn’t find it at all, other than a visitor in real time, and looked up “is linktree trackable in Google Analytics” and got your blog. Thanks for the help.
One thought, with that Search and Replace, that means you could only use LinkTree in one place otherwise your analytics would always attribute to Instagram (in this case). Have I got that right?

Reply
Marie April 8, 2018 - 9:54 pm

Hi, Kerry!

Yes, it means you can only use linktree in one place. But I thought LinkTree is best on Instagram only anyway? I wouldn’t put it on Twitter for example, who someone can click on it from a desktop and see this page optimized for mobiles? I don’t know! I don’t find any useful reason to use it elsewhere, do you?

Marie

Reply
Yann April 10, 2018 - 12:11 pm

Hi Marie! (Friend from Montreal)

Thank you for this neat blog post! It has been a great help when I was playing with Linktree

Since, I decided to build my own similar tool to actually serve the purpose where I can use my link everywhere for my professional profile and my social networks as well: https://profilr.io/@renaudin_yann. I think this can be useful to focus your audience on one place to find your stuff, but I would love to have your input on it! (https://profilr.io) .

Feel free to reach me out on any network on my card ✌

Yann

Reply
Marie April 27, 2018 - 3:26 pm

Hi Yann!
Nice to meet someone that’s also from Montreal!
Seems like a great product, good luck with what’s next!
Marie

Reply
Andrew July 15, 2018 - 6:30 pm

Thank you for great read 🙂 Have you tried ContactInBio?

Reply
Marie August 9, 2018 - 8:11 pm

Hello Andrew!
No, I have not, but it seems interesting!
Marie

Reply
Ola October 22, 2018 - 11:30 am

Hello Marie,

I’m in the process of implementing this filter but noticed that the “Search and replace” option is no longer there. Can you recommend another Filter Field to use?

Reply
Marie November 10, 2018 - 9:15 pm

Hello, Ola! Just saw your other comment that you found the option! 🙂
Glad I could help you with your Google Analytics!
Marie

Reply
Ola October 22, 2018 - 11:35 am

My apologies… found it!

Reply
Marie November 10, 2018 - 9:15 pm

Awesome! 🙂
Marie

Reply
Kathy May 19, 2019 - 10:50 pm

I’m looking for an answer to my question as to why anyone with a website would want to use linktr.ee in the first place. I can create a page on my website with buttons or links to anywhere I want on a very simple page that I design just for that purpose. And if it’s on my site, then I can control the brand experience. You don’t have that at all in linktr.ee. It seems to me linktr.ee is just for people who don’t have a website, but you do and you love it, so thought you’d be a good one to ask. Why not just create a page like this on your site? Thanks!

Reply
Marie November 16, 2019 - 9:57 am

Hello Kathy!
You are right. I don’t use Linktree. Another reason for us not to use it if we already have a blog is that if Linktree is down (which I saw it happens) then people can’t even visit our links. I think creating a landing page on our own blog is definitely a great idea and one I would do if I had a bit more time! 🙂

Did you create a landing page for your Instagram account?

Best,
Marie

Reply
Esther Gibbons November 23, 2020 - 8:08 pm

Ooh, thanks! I had exactly this problem and didn’t know enough about it. Thanks for the walkthrough! 🙂

Reply
Marie November 25, 2020 - 10:56 pm

Hello Esther! Amazing, that’s exactly why I wrote this blog post! 🙂
Marie

Reply
Tony April 27, 2021 - 10:52 am Reply
Marie May 11, 2021 - 8:47 pm

Yes, it seems like it does!

Reply
Bella March 3, 2022 - 6:35 pm

Does this make the changes immediate? Or does this impact all future navigations from linktree?

Reply
Marie August 3, 2022 - 6:08 pm

The changes are not immediate, it impacts all future navigations. But since I posted this article, Linktree actually fixes this issue itself. So in 2022, you shouldn’t have to do this anymore!

Reply

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