Glossary Term

ValueTrack Parameters

glossary valuetrack parameters featured

ValueTrack parameters are Google Ads URL placeholders, written in curly braces, that Google replaces with real click data when someone clicks an ad. A tag like {campaignid} becomes the campaign’s numeric ID, and {device} becomes the type of device used. Advertisers use them to pass campaign, keyword, and device details to their landing pages and analytics without editing every ad URL by hand.

How ValueTrack Parameters Work

Google Ads swaps each placeholder for a value at the moment of the click. You write the parameter once, and every ad that inherits it sends its own data.

Final URL suffix: utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_id={campaignid}&utm_term={keyword}&device={device}
Final URL:        https://example.com/shoes
Click resolves to: https://example.com/shoes?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_id=1234567890&utm_term=running+shoes&device=m

Join parameters with &, the same as any other query string. Avoid spaces. Google’s ValueTrack documentation warns that spaces break URLs and can show up as %20 in your reports.

Common ValueTrack Parameters

Google lists more than 50 ValueTrack parameters. These are the ones most advertisers use:

Parameter Returns
{campaignid} The campaign ID
{adgroupid} The ad group ID
{creative} A unique ID for the ad
{keyword} The keyword that matched the search
{matchtype} e (exact), p (phrase), b (broad), or a (AI Max keywordless)
{network} g (Google search), s (search partners), d (Display), ytv (YouTube), x (Performance Max)
{device} m (mobile), t (tablet), or c (computer)
{placement} The site where a Display or Video ad was clicked
{loc_physical_ms} The ID of the click’s physical location
{gclid} The Google click identifier

Shopping, Hotel, and Video campaigns have their own sets. Shopping adds {product_id} and {merchant_id}, for example. Hotel campaigns add check-in dates and displayed prices.

Conditional ValueTrack Parameters

Conditional parameters return a value you define, but only when a condition is true. They take the form {ifmobile:[value]}.

  • {ifmobile:mobile} returns “mobile” for clicks from a phone.
  • {ifnotmobile:desktop} returns “desktop” for computer and tablet clicks.
  • {ifsearch:search} returns “search” for Search Network clicks.
  • {ifcontent:display} returns “display” for Display Network clicks.

Pairing two of them gives you a readable label in one field: utm_content={ifmobile:mobile}{ifnotmobile:desktop}. Each click fills in only one of the two values.

Where You Can Use ValueTrack Parameters

ValueTrack parameters work in three Google Ads URL fields: the final URL suffix, the tracking template, and custom parameters. A few are restricted:

  • Tracking template only. {lpurl} and its escaped variants insert the final URL, so they belong only in a tracking template.
  • Final URL only. {ignore} marks the rest of a final URL as tracking data so Google can reduce crawl load.

Support also varies by campaign type. Performance Max fully supports only 11 parameters, including {campaignid}, {assetgroupid}, {device}, and {lpurl}. Demand Gen campaigns don’t support {keyword}, {network}, {placement}, or the {ifsearch} and {ifcontent} conditionals.

For UTM tagging, the final URL suffix is the usual home. The Google Ads UTM builder builds the static UTM values, and you add ValueTrack placeholders for the fields that should change per click.

Common ValueTrack Mistakes

  • Expecting names instead of IDs. There is no campaign-name ValueTrack parameter. {campaignid} returns a 64-bit number such as 1234567890, which reads poorly in a GA4 campaign report. Put readable text in utm_campaign and send the ID in utm_id.
  • Blank keyword values. {keyword} returns nothing for keywordless matches from Dynamic Search Ads, AI Max for Search, and Performance Max.
  • Misspelled tags. Copy each parameter exactly as Google documents it, in lowercase. A typo such as {campaign_id} is not a ValueTrack parameter, so Google has nothing to replace.
  • Copying parameters between campaign types. A Search suffix full of {keyword} and {matchtype} tags sends empty values when reused on a Demand Gen campaign.

The bulk Google Ads UTM guide shows how to apply one ValueTrack suffix across every campaign at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are ValueTrack parameters in Google Ads?

ValueTrack parameters are dynamic placeholders that Google Ads fills in with click data. They cover details like campaign ID, ad group ID, keyword, match type, network, and device. You add them to the final URL suffix, tracking template, or custom parameters, and Google inserts the values on every click.

Is there a ValueTrack parameter for campaign name?

No. Google’s ValueTrack list includes {campaignid} but no campaign-name parameter. To report readable names, type the name into utm_campaign at the campaign level, or define a custom parameter such as {_campaign} and set its value per campaign.

Can you use ValueTrack parameters in UTM tags?

Yes. Put ValueTrack placeholders inside UTM values in the final URL suffix, such as utm_term={keyword} or utm_content={creative}. Google replaces them before the visitor reaches the page, so GA4 records the real values. Keep utm_source and utm_medium as fixed text.

What is the difference between ValueTrack and auto-tagging?

ValueTrack parameters send readable click details that you choose to the landing page URL. Auto-tagging appends a single GCLID that Google Analytics and Google Ads decode on their side. Most accounts run both: auto-tagging for Google’s own reporting, ValueTrack for any tool that reads URL parameters.

Are ValueTrack and custom parameters the same?

No. ValueTrack parameters are predefined by Google and filled in automatically. Custom parameters start with an underscore, such as {_promo}, and hold values that you set yourself on a campaign, ad group, or ad.

Before launching, open a resolved click URL in the UTM link tester to confirm every ValueTrack value arrives intact.

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