Guide
Google Ads tracking template and final URL suffix: what goes where
Put your UTM tags in the final URL suffix. It is added to the page people land on. The tracking template is for click-measurement tools: with parallel tracking it loads in the background while the visitor goes straight to your site. If no tracking tool gave you a template, leave it empty.
A final URL suffix you can copy
utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=acme_google_sales_us_brand_202611&utm_term={keyword}&utm_content={creative}&utm_id={campaignid}Set it on each campaign and change utm_campaign to that campaign's name. Google fills in the parts in braces when someone clicks: the keyword, the ad ID and the campaign ID.
The four link fields, side by side
| Field | What it does | Put here |
|---|---|---|
| Final URL | The page people land on. | https://example.com/sale/ |
| Final URL suffix | Added to the end of the final URL when someone clicks, so it reaches the landing page. | UTM tags and ValueTrack parameters |
| Tracking template | Loaded in the background for click measurement. Must contain {lpurl}. | Only what a click-tracking tool gives you |
| Custom parameters | Your own values, like {_season}=winter, used inside the tracking template or final URL. | Up to 8 per level, not at account level |
Why UTM tags moved to the final URL suffix
Google Ads used to send each click through the tracking template first and then on to your page. With parallel tracking, the visitor goes straight to the final URL plus the final URL suffix, and the tracking template loads separately in the background. Google says parallel tracking is mandatory for Search, Shopping, Display, Video and Performance Max campaigns.
So the suffix is the field that reliably reaches your landing page, and with it Google Analytics. Google's own example: with the final URL https://example.com/ and the suffix x=y, people land on https://example.com/?x=y while tracking happens in the background.
If you do need a tracking template
A click-tracking tool usually gives you one. It must include {lpurl}, which Google replaces with your final URL; without it, Google says the landing page link breaks. A typical template looks like this:
https://tracker.example/click?id=123&url={lpurl}Variants like {lpurl+2}, {lpurl+3} and {unescapedlpurl} exist for chains of redirects. Tracking templates must use https.
Which level wins
You can set a tracking template on the account, a campaign, an ad group, an ad, a keyword or a sitelink. Google uses the most specific one: keyword first, then ad, ad group, campaign and account. Custom parameters work the same way: the most specific one with the same name wins. The final URL suffix can be set on the account, campaign, ad group, ad and keyword too.
Changes at the account, campaign or ad group level don't send ads back to review. Changes on an ad, keyword or sitelink do. Google says tracking template changes take 24 to 48 hours to show in serving ads.
ValueTrack parameters worth using
| Parameter | Fills in |
|---|---|
{campaignid} | Campaign ID |
{adgroupid} | Ad group ID |
{creative} | Ad ID |
{keyword} | The keyword that matched (blank for Performance Max and dynamic search ads) |
{matchtype} | e exact, p phrase, b broad |
{network} | g Google search, s search partners, d Display |
{device} | m mobile, t tablet, c computer |
There is no ValueTrack parameter for the campaign name, only the ID. That is why the suffix above types the name into utm_campaign on each campaign. A naming convention keeps those names the same in Google Ads and in your reports.
Five mistakes that break Google Ads tracking
- UTM tags only in the tracking template. Move them to the final URL suffix, which is what visitors land on.
- A tracking template without
{lpurl}. Google says the landing page link breaks. - Spaces. Google says spaces break URLs and the tracking stops working. Use underscores or hyphens.
- Capital letters in tag values. Google Analytics counts
Googleandgoogleas two sources, so one campaign splits across two rows. - Single and double braces mixed up. Google takes
{campaignid}. Double braces like{{campaign.id}}are Meta's and stay as plain text in a Google link.
Before you save, press Test next to the tracking template in Google Ads. Google combines your final URL with your tracking settings to check the ad still leads to a working page.
Build and check the suffix without typing it
The free campaign naming and UTM builder builds a link for every campaign, with Google's ValueTrack parameters ready to pick. Paste a suffix or a whole link into the UTM link checker to catch capital letters, spaces, missing tags and misspelt parameters before launch. Both run in your browser, so nothing you type is sent to us.