The GBRAID URL parameter (&gbraid=xyz) is a privacy-preserving identifier used to measure ad performance. GBRAID measures conversions in a non-unique fashion (like campaign ID) without linking them to individual users or events. GBRAID is case-sensitive and shouldn't be converted to upper or lower case.
GBRAID benefits include:
- Comprehensive measurement: Get better insight into the effectiveness of your Google campaigns.
- Better campaign performance: Measure and capture unaccounted click-based conversions with GBRAID, which powers bidding models to deliver ads more efficiently.
This article will go over how to set up your Google Ads account and website for measuring offline conversions from imports using the GBRAID parameter. If you haven't already set up offline conversions, refer to offline conversion imports.
On this page
- Get started
- Update your website and lead tracking system
- Import conversions using Data Manager
- Bidding implications
- Best practices
Get started
GBRAID is a useful signal to add data strength to your offline conversions that happen in two scenarios:
- Your website contains deep links to measure in-app conversions resulting from web campaigns.
- Your website is measuring conversions from web campaigns, but the Google click ID is at risk of being dropped.
If you haven't already set up an offline conversion action, you may refer to this setup guide. The following steps outline how to append GBRAIDs to your existing uploads whenever available. GBRAIDs are useful even when Google click ID or other fields are present.
- Ensure that the website allows arbitrary URLs.
- If you're using a tracking template, update it to accept GBRAID.
- You can make code changes to all of your web pages or capture from your app. This lets you capture the GBRAID, which is appended to the URL that people click through from one of your ads, similar to the Google click ID.
- You can store each GBRAID with the corresponding conversion, or lead prospect's information that's gathered on your website. You'd want to be able to do this, for example, in your lead tracking system. The GCLID is case-sensitive, so make sure that you're uploading it correctly.
Update your website and lead tracking system
- Update every lead submission form page or transactional page so that the GBRAID will be passed to your backend system (including when the GCLID isn't available). You may follow this example for storing GBRAIDs into a lead management system:
- You'll need to modify each form submission page to add a hidden form field for the GBRAID, alongside the GCLID. This is how the GBRAID is passed to your backend system.
- Follow the GCLID example as implemented in this example form for GBRAIDs.
- Update the code on each of your web pages (via cookie or local storage) or deeplinked app screens to capture and store the GBRAID. If you already capture the GCLID, this should be a similar process, but make sure that you include the GBRAID for cases when the GCLID isn't available.
- Store the GBRAID along with other signals such as the GCLID mapped to your conversions or qualified leads in your lead management system.
Import conversions using Data Manager
You'll need to update your existing upload method with the new GBRAID signal. While GBRAID is available on legacy upload methods, we recommend using Data Manager to benefit from a resilient and feature-rich method to upload your data. Take the next steps in Data Manager directly in Google Ads or using the Data Manager API.
To get the most accurate measurement for your campaigns using offline conversions, you may also consider uploading customer data, such as hashed email addresses, to enable view-based reporting, cross-device measurement and advanced modelling for more accurate measurement. Learn more about how to configure the Google tag for enhanced conversions for leads.
Bidding implications
Once your conversion actions have been successfully updated, continue to monitor spend/performance and adjust targets and budgets as needed over a few conversion cycles to manage spend. Learn more about how to make target adjustments with Search Smart Bidding.
Best practices
Apply these best practices to ensure that you're making the most out of GBRAID for reporting accuracy and optimal campaign performance:
- Import all conversion data from your app conversion tracking, whether it's with a third party or with Google, into Google Ads. This ensures that reporting is accurate and campaigns are performing at their best.
- Set your app conversion windows at parity with your web conversions. If not, the conversions from the app may take longer to appear in performance metrics.
- Check to make sure that the conversion events are imported into the correct accounts (MCC CIDs/CID) with respect to your account structure.
