Google Ads
ValueTrack parameters cheat sheet
ValueTrack parameters are placeholders in curly brackets that Google Ads fills in at the moment someone clicks your ad. Put {device} in a tracking template and the landing page receives m, t or c. This cheat sheet covers the ones small advertisers actually use, what each returns, and how to combine them with UTM tags.
How ValueTrack works
You add a parameter such as {campaignid} to your Final URL suffix, tracking template or a custom parameter. When an ad is clicked, Google replaces the placeholder with the real value for that click and sends the visitor on. Your website, analytics or CRM then sees the filled-in value in the address.
A simple example. Your Final URL suffix is:
utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}&utm_content={creative}
A click on one of your ads might then land on:
https://example.org/appeal?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1234567890&utm_content=98765432100
The numbers are IDs from your account. They are exact and never misspelt, but you will need to look them up in Google Ads to know which campaign or ad they mean.
Where you can put them
Google Ads gives you three places to use ValueTrack, and they behave differently:
- Final URL suffix. Parameters added to the end of your landing page address after a click. This is the simplest place for UTMs plus ValueTrack, and the one most small advertisers need.
- Tracking template. A full address pattern that wraps your final URL, used when clicks pass through a third-party tracking service first. It must include
{lpurl}, which stands for your final URL. If you do not use an outside tracking service, you probably do not need one. - Custom parameters. Your own named values, such as
{_campaignname}, set on a campaign, ad group or ad and then used in the suffix or template. Useful when you want a readable label instead of an ID.
All three can be set at different levels of the account. A value set at a more specific level, such as the ad group, takes the place of one set higher up, such as the account. Setting the suffix once at account level and only overriding it where you really need to keeps things manageable.
Google also notes two special cases: the {lpurl} family is for tracking templates only, and {ignore} can only be used in the final URL itself.
The cheat sheet
These descriptions follow Google's own help page on setting up tracking with ValueTrack parameters.
Account structure
| Parameter | Returns |
|---|---|
{campaignid} | The ID of the campaign that served the ad |
{adgroupid} | The ID of the ad group that served the ad |
{creative} | A unique ID for the ad |
{targetid} | The ID of the keyword, audience or other target that triggered the ad |
Keyword and match
| Parameter | Returns |
|---|---|
{keyword} | The keyword that matched the search or content. Blank for matches without keywords |
{matchtype} | e exact, p phrase, b broad, or a for AI Max keywordless matching |
Device, network and place
| Parameter | Returns |
|---|---|
{device} | m mobile, t tablet, c computer |
{network} | Where the click came from, for example g for Google Search or d for the Display Network |
{placement} | The content site where the ad was clicked (display placements) |
{loc_physical_ms} | An ID for the geographic location of the click |
{loc_interest_ms} | An ID for the location of interest that helped trigger the ad |
Conditional and utility
| Parameter | Returns |
|---|---|
{ifmobile:value} | Your value, only when the click was on a mobile phone |
{ifnotmobile:value} | Your value, only for computers and tablets |
{ifsearch:value} | Your value, only for Search Network clicks |
{ifcontent:value} | Your value, only for Display Network clicks |
{lpurl} | Your final URL, for use in tracking templates only |
{gclid} | The Google click identifier for the click |
Google's page lists more, including parameters for Shopping, Hotel and Video campaigns. If you run those, check the full list there.
Not every campaign type supports every parameter
Support varies by campaign type, and this catches people out. According to Google's help page:
- Demand Gen campaigns do not support
{placement},{target},{keyword},{ifsearch},{ifcontent},{network}or{targetid}. - Performance Max fully supports a shorter list, including
{campaignid},{device}, the location parameters,{lpurl}and the mobile conditionals. Some others only apply to certain channels within the campaign. {devicemodel}works on the Display Network only.
An unsupported parameter usually just comes through empty, which can leave you with a blank utm_term or content value. Test each campaign type you use.
Ready-to-copy suffixes
Simple: campaign and ad
utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}&utm_content={creative}
Search: add keyword and match type
utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}&utm_content={creative}&utm_term={keyword}&matchtype={matchtype}
Device split for landing page testing
utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}&device={device}
Extra parameters such as matchtype and device are not UTMs, so GA4 does not put them into its standard dimensions. They are still useful for your own tools, forms or a CRM that records the landing page address.
Things to remember
- With auto-tagging on, GA4 takes source, medium and campaign from the click identifier, not from your UTMs. See auto-tagging versus manual UTMs.
- Campaign IDs are numbers, not names. If you want readable names in other tools, a custom parameter set at campaign level can hold a name you choose.
- Test a real click. Use Google Ads' URL testing or click a live ad, and check the landing page address shows filled-in values, not curly brackets.
- Keep it short. Every parameter you add is something to maintain. Add the ones you will actually report on.
The Google Ads Tools page builds a Final URL suffix with these parameters for you, and the Google Ads Tracking Guide walks through where to paste it.