Glossary Term

Tracking Template

glossary tracking template featured

A tracking template is a Google Ads URL option that defines how tracking information is added to an ad’s final URL when someone clicks. It wraps the landing page address, written as the {lpurl} placeholder, with ValueTrack parameters, custom parameters, or a third-party click tracker. Advertisers use it to measure clicks without editing the final URL of every ad.

How a Tracking Template Works

Google Ads builds the tracking URL at click time by swapping each placeholder for a real value. {lpurl} becomes the final URL, {campaignid} becomes the campaign’s numeric ID, and {keyword} becomes the keyword that triggered the ad.

Tracking template: {lpurl}?campaignid={campaignid}&keyword={keyword}&device={device}
Final URL:         https://example.com/shoes
Click resolves to: https://example.com/shoes?campaignid=1234567890&keyword=running+shoes&device=m

Google’s help documentation uses this same pattern: {lpurl}, a question mark, then ValueTrack parameters joined with &.

Since parallel tracking became mandatory for Search, Shopping, Display, Video, and Performance Max campaigns, the visitor goes straight to the final URL. The tracking template loads separately in the background to record the click. That is why every server in the template has to use HTTPS and server-side redirects, as Google requires.

Types of Tracking Templates

Tracking templates fall into two patterns.

  • {lpurl} first. The template starts with the final URL and appends parameters, as in the example above. Used for ValueTrack data such as {matchtype} or {network}.
  • Third-party tracker. The template starts with a click tracker’s domain and passes the final URL as a parameter:
https://tracker.example.com/click?cid={campaignid}&url={lpurl}

Google escapes {lpurl} automatically when it is not at the start of the template, so the URL survives as a parameter value. Use {unescapedlpurl} or {escapedlpurl} only when a tracker documents that it needs one of them. See URL encoding for why escaping matters.

Where to Set a Tracking Template

You can set a tracking template at the account, campaign, ad group, ad, and keyword levels, plus on sitelinks. Google applies the most specific one: keyword, then ad, then ad group, then campaign, then account.

Edits at the account, campaign, or ad group level update tracking without sending ads back for approval. Edits at the ad, keyword, or sitelink level go through review again. A common setup is one account-level template, with campaign-level overrides only where a campaign needs different tracking.

Google Ads includes a Test button next to the field. It loads the template with sample values so you can see the resolved URL before saving.

Tracking Template vs Final URL Suffix

The final URL suffix adds parameters directly to the landing page URL. The tracking template routes click measurement. Put UTM parameters in the final URL suffix and keep the tracking template for ValueTrack data or a third-party tracker:

Final URL suffix: utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={_campaign}

The Google Ads UTM builder generates consistent UTM values. Paste everything after the ? into the suffix field.

Neither field replaces auto-tagging. Google still appends the GCLID separately, so any redirect in the template must keep it intact through parameter passthrough.

Common Tracking Template Issues

  • Missing {lpurl}. Without a final URL placeholder, the template has no way to send the visitor to the landing page. Start or end every template with {lpurl}.
  • Two question marks. If the final URL already has a query string, {lpurl}? can produce a URL with two ? characters. Check the resolved URL with the Test button, or move parameters to the final URL suffix.
  • Forgotten overrides. An old keyword-level template silently beats a new account-level one.
  • HTTP trackers. Any non-HTTPS hop breaks the template under Google’s requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a tracking template in Google Ads?

A tracking template is the Google Ads field that holds tracking information for ad clicks. It combines the {lpurl} placeholder with ValueTrack parameters, custom parameters, or a third-party tracking domain. Google fills in the placeholders on each click.

Is a tracking template required in Google Ads?

No. A tracking template is optional. Advertisers who only use Google Analytics usually need auto-tagging and a final URL suffix, not a template. It becomes necessary when a third-party click tracker or bid management tool has to record each click.

What does {lpurl} mean in a tracking template?

{lpurl} stands for landing page URL. Google replaces it with the ad’s final URL at click time. It is escaped automatically when it appears later in the template, such as after url=.

What are tracking parameters in Google Ads?

Google Ads tracking parameters are placeholders that Google fills in on each click. ValueTrack parameters such as {campaignid}, {keyword}, and {device} are predefined by Google. Custom parameters, written like {_campaign}, are defined by the advertiser, with up to 8 per campaign, ad group, or ad.

Should UTM parameters go in the tracking template?

No. UTM parameters belong in the final URL suffix, which attaches them directly to the landing page URL. Placing them in a redirect-based tracking template risks stripped parameters or redirect loops. Keep the tracking template for ValueTrack data and third-party click trackers.

After saving the template, run a live click URL through the UTM link tester to confirm every parameter reaches the landing page.

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