URL parameters are a way to send data about a click to your landing page or a tracking service. You can use this data to determine the content that appears on your landing page, or learn which ads are driving traffic to your site.
The parameters are made of a name and a value separated by an equals sign (=) and joined by an ampersand (&). The first parameter always comes after a question mark in a URL. For example:
http://example.com?product=1234&channel=search
Static, dynamic, and custom parameters
Static parameters always send the same name and value to your landing page or tracking service. For example, if you add &channel=search to the landing page URLs in a client account, clicks from that account will always send &channel=search to the landing page.
With dynamic parameters, the parameter name remains the same but the value is provided when your ad is clicked. For example, if you add the &kw={keyword} parameter, {keyword} is replaced with the keyword that caused your ad to display. Learn about ValueTrack parameters in Google Ads and dynamic parameters in Microsoft Advertising.
Google Ads only: Custom parameters enable you to create a placeholder in a landing page URL, and then define different values for the placeholder in different campaigns, ad groups, ads, or other items. When an ad is served, the placeholder is replaced by the values you defined. Learn more about custom parameters.
In Google Ads accounts, Search Ads 360 automatically creates custom parameters that contain the name and ID of each client account, campaign, ad group, and keyword. You can include these custom parameters in your URLs to send the data your landing pages or tracking service.
In Microsoft Advertising accounts, you can create parameters that use Search Ads 360 macros to provide the name and ID of the client account, campaign, ad group, and keyword that generated a click.
Multiple places to add parameters
There are a few different ways to add URL parameters. The method you use depends on the purpose of the URL parameters and the type of account.
| Purpose | Google Ads | Microsoft Advertising |
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Final URL suffix if you use the same parameters and values for many URLs Final URL if each URL specifies unique parameters or parameter values |
Tracking template (recommended), |
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Tracking template | Tracking template |
URL parameters with anchors and AJAX fragments
Whether you are using the final URL, tracking template, or other URL parameter for tracking, it's important to note the impact anchors (#) and AJAX fragments (#!) have on your URLs. If you use an anchor or AJAX fragment in your final URL and your tracking template appends extra parameters to the end of the final URL, then you must put all the tracking parameters in your final URL.
In Google Ads accounts, it's recommended you place these parameters after an {ignore} tag in your final URL. Any time you use the {ignore} parameter in a final URL that contains a # or #! during crawls, Google Ads will consider everything between the {ignore} parameter and the # or #! as tracking information.
Reserved parameter names
The parameter names listed below are reserved for Search Ads 360 internal use only. If you add them to a landing page URL, Search Ads 360 will report an error and will not traffic the item to the engine.
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