GCLID (Google Click Identifier)

Carry the ad interaction into measurement

With Google Ads auto-tagging, a supported ad click can add a gclid parameter to the destination URL. Measurement systems use this value to connect the visit with advertising information.

GCLID also supports offline conversion imports. A business captures the identifier when the visitor arrives, associates it with a relevant business record and later supplies it in the supported import workflow.

The identifier does not contain a readable campaign brief. Treat it as an opaque value supplied by Google. Creating your own string or substituting a campaign ID will not recreate the original click reference.

Illustrative workflow

Imagine a fictional customer clicking an ad, submitting a request and buying after a sales conversation. The business stores the captured GCLID with that request. When the qualifying sale is recorded, the import includes the required conversion details and original identifier.

This example describes the relationship between records. The actual upload must follow Google’s current format, timing and eligibility requirements.

Check every handoff

A redirect or URL-cleaning rule can remove the parameter before it is captured. A form integration can lose it between the website and CRM. Test the full path rather than checking only the first landing page. A missing GCLID does not prove that a visit was organic or that a transaction never happened.