Bye Bye GCLID?

As of now, GCLID (Google Click Identifier) is still widely used for tracking clicks from Google Ads and attributing conversions. However, there are ongoing discussions about the future of tracking technologies due to increased privacy regulations and browser restrictions (such as third-party cookie blocking and data privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA).

Where to see GCLID

Seeing a Google Click ID (GCLID) is pretty straightforward, though you might not notice it unless you know where to look. The GCLID is a tracking code Google uses to help advertisers track the success of their campaigns. It’s a long string of letters and numbers added to the end of the URL when someone clicks on a Google ad. You’ll often spot it in the address bar when you're directed to a website from a Google ad.

For instance, say you click on a Google ad for a shop selling fancy teapots. When the shop’s website loads, you might notice the URL has grown longer with something like gclid=abcd1234xyz tagged onto the end of it. That’s the GCLID, quietly doing its job, tracking the click and letting Google Analytics know that this visit came from that specific ad.

If you don’t see it, it could be because some websites or tracking setups hide it or process the information differently. But if you’re interested in seeing it, you can often just glance at the URL in your browser’s address bar right after you click on a Google ad.

Now, if you’re trying to track these in your own campaigns, Google Ads and Google Analytics will automatically handle most of the heavy lifting for you. You don’t need to dig into each individual URL to see them—your reporting tools in Google Ads will give you all the insights. So, in short, the GCLID is that bit tagged onto URLs from Google ads, quietly doing its thing to help with tracking.

Why does it matter?

GCLID is in focus at the moment due to several initiatives in the world of tracking which are:

Shift Toward Privacy-First Solutions

Now, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that Google’s been shifting gears a bit. They’re moving towards what they call “privacy-first” solutions. Take Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for example – it’s not just a fresh lick of paint on the old Universal Analytics, it’s a whole new kettle of fish when it comes to how they collect data. They’re thinking more about privacy from the get-go. And that’s not all – server-side tracking is starting to become a bigger deal. What that means is instead of everything happening right there in your browser, a lot of the data processing is shifting over to servers. This way, you might not need things like GCLID (that Google Click Identifier that used to track every little click) being passed through URLs all the time.

First-Party Data

Now, there’s also this big move towards what we call “first-party data.” In simple terms, it’s about businesses focusing on gathering their own data directly from customers. You’ve probably seen it yourself – more websites asking you to opt-in or sign up to newsletters. They’re relying on that data they get straight from you, rather than borrowing bits from third-party sources like that GCLID again. Systems like ActiveCampaign are helping with that, making it easier to keep track of what customers want and need without all the extra baggage from third parties.

Google’s Enhanced Conversions and Privacy Sandbox

Google’s not just stopping there, mind. They’ve got their Enhanced Conversions and something called the Privacy Sandbox. They’re both part of Google’s efforts to still give advertisers the tools to track conversions (i.e., when someone actually does what the ad wants them to, like buy something) but with a bit more respect for user privacy. They’re trying to find ways to keep things accurate without handing over too much data about each individual user.

Future of GCLID

For now, GCLID isn’t going anywhere. But that doesn’t mean we should sit back and ignore the changes happening around it.

Google Ads has been making moves towards more privacy-focused solutions, and tools like Server-Side Tagging and First-Party Cookies are becoming more important. These new methods help advertisers track user activity while keeping in line with stricter privacy laws. So while GCLID will still be doing its job for the time being, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on how Google’s advertising tools evolve, especially as data privacy continues to take center stage.

In a nutshell: GCLID is still here, but staying informed about new tracking methods and privacy regulations is key to keeping your ad campaigns running smoothly.

Recommendations

While GCLID is still functional, businesses should prepare for a more privacy-centric advertising landscape by adopting new tracking methods like Google Analytics 4, Server-Side Tracking, and Enhanced Conversions tracking.

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