---
title: "Understanding the \"(not set)\" Value in Sealmetrics Reports"
description: "Learn why Sealmetrics shows \"(not set)\" in your reports, what causes missing UTM parameters, and how to avoid attribution gaps."
canonical_url: "https://docs.sealmetrics.com/reports/insights/understanding-not-set"
lang: "en"
date_generated: "2026-08-12T08:28:08.079Z"
source_hash: "4fe54527ea64e8bc34e1d49732a913e58aefa8b894791835172b03d985ee8d63"
content_type: "documentation"
owner: "docs"
llm_priority: "useful"
source_file: "reports/insights/understanding-not-set.mdx"
publisher: "Sealmetrics"
---

# Understanding the "(not set)" Value in Sealmetrics Reports

Canonical page: https://docs.sealmetrics.com/reports/insights/understanding-not-set

The value **“(not set)”** appears in Sealmetrics whenever a UTM parameter expected for attribution is **missing** from the URL. This happens when **one or more UTM parameters are present**, but another required one is not.

Sealmetrics does **not infer or guess missing UTMs** — if a parameter doesn’t exist in the URL, its value is recorded as **(not set)**.

---

## Why “(not set)” Appears

When Sealmetrics processes UTM parameters, it reads exactly what is present.
If the URL contains some UTMs but not all, the missing ones become **(not set)**.

### Example URL

```
domain.com?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=no-cookies&utm_term=kw1
```

Parameters found:

- `utm_source = google`
- `utm_campaign = sincookies`
- `utm_term = kw1`

Parameter **missing**:

- `utm_medium = (none)`

Because `utm_medium` does not exist in the URL, Sealmetrics assigns **(none)** (aligned with GA4, which uses `(none)` for a missing medium rather than `(not set)`).

---

## Common Scenarios Where “(not set)” Appears

### 1. Missing UTM Medium
If `utm_source` exists, but `utm_medium` is missing:

```
utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=winter_sale
```

Result:

- **Source:** facebook
- **Medium:** (none)

---

### 2. Missing UTM Source
If `utm_medium` exists but `utm_source` is missing:

```
utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=promo
```

Result:

- **Medium:** cpc
- **Source:** (not set)

---

### 3. Incorrectly Formatted URLs
Examples of issues that cause missing values:

- Incorrect separators (`;&` instead of `&`)
- Using uppercase UTMs (`UTM_Source`…)
- Missing `utm_` prefix (`source=google`)
- Double `?` in the URL
- Spaces or unencoded characters

If a parameter is malformed, Sealmetrics treats it as **not included**, resulting in **(not set)**.

---

## Why Sealmetrics Never "Fills in the Blanks"

Unlike some analytics tools:

- No guessing missing UTMs
- No automatic inference
- No cross-hit reconstruction

Sealmetrics maintains:

- Privacy-first measurement
- Strict attribution rules
- Complete transparency

If a UTM is missing → its value is **(not set)**.
This ensures your data is always accurate and compliant.

---

## How to Avoid “(not set)” Values

### 1. Always Use Full UTM Sets

Minimum recommended:

```
utm_source=
utm_medium=
utm_campaign=
```

### 2. Use UTM Templates or Builders

This reduces human errors and helps ensure consistency.

### 3. Keep Naming Conventions Consistent

- Use lowercase
- Replace spaces with `_` or `-`
- Keep naming short but descriptive
- Document your team’s UTM rules

### 4. Check Final URLs After Redirects

Some redirect chains strip UTMs → leading to missing values.

---

## Summary

“**(not set)**” in Sealmetrics means a required UTM parameter is **missing from the URL**.
Because Sealmetrics follows a privacy-first, no-assumptions approach:

- It only uses explicitly provided data
- It never reconstructs or guesses missing parameters
- It ensures full transparency and compliance

If you see many “(not set)” values, review your UTM structure and ensure campaign URLs contain all parameters needed for accurate attribution.

## Related documentation

- [How to Change UTM Parameters in Sealmetrics](/reports/insights/how-to-change-utm-parameters) — Map custom parameter names to UTM fields
- [How to Track Google Ads Campaigns](/reports/insights/how-to-track-google-ads-campaigns) — Complete UTM templates for paid search
- [How to Track Social Ads Campaigns](/reports/insights/how-to-track-social-ads-campaigns) — Correct UTM tagging for Meta Ads
- [Sources Report](/reports/sources) — Where UTM values are reported