Tracking Google Ads campaigns without cookies

Google Ads tags every click with a gclid parameter, which only Google's own tools read. A cookieless analytics tool needs campaign tags it understands: UTM tags. You can add them once, for the whole account, and let Google fill in the values.

Add a Final URL suffix

In Google Ads, open the account settings (or a campaign's settings) and set the Final URL suffix:

utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}&utm_term={keyword}&utm_content={creative}

The values in braces are ValueTrack parameters: Google replaces them with the campaign id, the keyword that triggered the ad and the ad id on every click. Your ads keep their landing pages; the suffix is added to the address.

If you prefer campaign names to ids, write the name directly in each campaign's own suffix, for example utm_campaign=spring-sale.

What you see

• The Paid search channel for all ad clicks, separate from organic search.
• UTM campaign, UTM term (the keyword) and UTM content (the ad) in the Sources panel.
• With purchase events sent with their amount, revenue for each campaign and keyword.

What you do not get

Google Ads conversion import and remarketing audiences rely on Google's own tags and cookies. A cookieless tool reports on campaigns; it does not feed Google's bidding. If you depend on automated bidding, keep Google's conversion tag (with consent) for that, and use your analytics for the reporting.

The same idea elsewhere

Microsoft Ads, Meta and LinkedIn have their own URL parameters or suffix settings. The pattern is the same: utm_source for the platform, utm_medium=cpc or paid_social, and the campaign in utm_campaign. See the UTM tags guide.