You probably promote your event in lots of places: Facebook, Instagram, email newsletters, WhatsApp groups, posters and partner websites. Tracking links show you which of those actually bring in entries, so you can spend your time and money on what works.
What is a tracking link?
A tracking link is your normal event link with a small label added to the end. To your participants, it looks and works exactly like any other link. To you, it tells a story: where someone came from before they entered.
Here's a simple example. You share your event on Facebook and in your email newsletter.
Without tracking links, every entry looks the same. You can't tell which one worked.
With tracking links, you can see "this entry came from Facebook" and "this entry came from the newsletter".
Think of it like putting a different coloured label on each link. When an entry comes in, the label tells you where it came from.
Why use tracking links?
Tracking links answer the most important marketing question of all: what's actually working? Instead of guessing, you see real results.
Stop wasting time on promotion that doesn't work
If Facebook brings in 50 entries and Instagram brings in three, you know where to focus your energy next time. No more posting everywhere equally and hoping for the best.
Spend your budget wisely
If you pay for adverts, tracking links show you exactly how many entries each one produced. You can put more money into the ads that work and stop the ones that don't.
Measure your posters and flyers too
Turn a tracking link into a QR code and print it on posters, flyers or race packs. When people scan it and enter, you'll know your printed promotion paid off.
See which partners and promoters deliver
Give each partner, club, sponsor or influencer their own tracking link. You'll see exactly how many entries each one sent your way, so you can thank the ones who help most and agree rewards fairly. For a scheme that rewards people automatically, see Ambassador Schemes.
Grow your event year on year
After your event, you can look back and answer questions like:
How did most people find my event?
Which promotion was worth the effort?
What should I do again next year?
Each year you'll learn a little more, and your marketing will get better and easier.
How to create a tracking link
If you can copy and paste, you can use tracking links. Creating one takes less than a minute.
Go to your event, then Promote > Tracking Links.
Click Build a new tracking link.
Give it a Campaign Name that tells you where you'll use it, such as "Facebook – March post" or "Running club newsletter". This is the name you'll see in your reports.
Click Build tracking link.
Copy the link and use it wherever you're promoting your event.
That's all you need. You'll also see some optional fields (Source, Medium, Term and Content). You can safely leave these blank. They're only useful if you also use Google Analytics. See Tracking Links: Measure marketing effectiveness for more detail.
Tip: create a separate link for each place you promote. One link shared everywhere can't tell you which place worked.
Using tracking links on your own website
Your tracking link takes people to your Eventrac event page. If participants enter through the Eventrac widget on your own website instead, the link needs a small change to point to your site. Our support team is happy to help with this.
How to see your results
You can see who entered through each tracking link in three ways:
The Tracking Links dashboard shows how many entries each link has brought in, all in one place.
A participant export includes a "Referencing Campaign" column, so you can sort and count entries by link. See Participant Reports.
Each participant's details show the Referencing Campaign they came through, under the acquisition source section.
Tips for getting the most from tracking links
Where to use them
Create a link for each of these you use:
Each social media platform (Facebook, Instagram, X, Strava)
Each email newsletter or campaign
WhatsApp and Facebook groups
Paid adverts
Partner, club and sponsor websites
Influencers and promoters
Posters, flyers and race packs (as a QR code)
Give your links clear names
Use names you'll understand months later, such as "Instagram – early bird post" rather than "Link 1". It makes your results much easier to read.
Turn links into QR codes for print
A free QR code generator, such as QR Code Generator, turns any tracking link into a code people can scan with their phone camera. Use a different one for each poster location or flyer drop to see which areas respond best.
Check your results regularly
Don't wait until after the event. A quick look every week or two shows you what's working while there's still time to do more of it.
Remember they show the minimum
Tracking links only count people who click that exact link. If someone sees your Instagram post and later searches for your event on Google, that entry won't be labelled Instagram. Entries made through race listing partners that take bookings on their own sites aren't tracked either.
Common questions about tracking links
Will participants notice anything different?
No. The link works exactly the same, and entering feels exactly the same. There are no extra steps for them. Tracking happens quietly in the background.
Do I need any technical skills?
No. If you can copy and paste a link, you can use tracking links.
How many tracking links can I create?
As many as you like. There's no limit, so create one for every place you promote your event. The more specific your links, the clearer your results.
Do I need Google Analytics to use tracking links?
No. Tracking links work on their own, and you'll see your results in Eventrac. If you do use Google Analytics, you can fill in the optional fields to see the same information there too. See Getting Started with Google Tracking.
In summary
Tracking links don't change how you promote your event. They change how well you understand what's working. In a few minutes, you can stop guessing and start knowing exactly where your entries come from, so every bit of time and money you spend on promotion works harder.
Ready to try it? Go to your event and click Promote > Tracking Links.