WBRAID and GBRAID

WBRAID and GBRAID are two privacy-safe click IDs that Google Ads adds to landing page URLs for clicks from Apple devices. Google introduced them in 2021 after Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework in iOS 14.5 limited user-level tracking. They replace the standard GCLID on iOS traffic, letting Google measure conversions without identifying individual users.

Why WBRAID and GBRAID Matter

WBRAID and GBRAID keep iOS conversion tracking working under Apple’s privacy rules. When a user declines tracking through ATT, Google cannot use a GCLID to tie that click to one person. Instead, Google appends a wbraid or gbraid that maps to a group of users, not an individual. This supports modeled conversions while staying ATT compliant.

The difference between them is the click surface. GBRAID is added when the click starts inside an iOS app, such as the Google app or YouTube. WBRAID is added when the click starts in a mobile web browser like Safari on iOS. Google decides which parameter to attach based on where the click happened, so you never set them manually.

Both feed Smart Bidding. Google’s automated bidding needs conversion signals to optimize, and on iOS those signals now flow through wbraid and gbraid rather than GCLID. Like the standard GCLID, these parameters appear only on paid Google Ads clicks, never on organic links.

WBRAID vs GBRAID

The two parameters track the same goal through different entry points. The table below shows the split.

	WBRAID	GBRAID
Stands for	Web-to-web click ID	App-to-web click ID
Click starts in	iOS web browser (Safari)	iOS app (Google app, YouTube)
Added by	Google Ads, automatically	Google Ads, automatically
Identifies	A group of users	A group of users
Replaces on iOS	GCLID	GCLID

The names hint at the surface. The “w” in wbraid points to web, and the “g” in gbraid points to an in-app (Google app) origin. Only one appears on a given URL, depending on where the user clicked.

How They Work

The process runs automatically when auto-tagging is enabled:

1. A user on iOS clicks a Google ad. Google checks the click surface and ATT status.
2. If tracking is limited, Google appends a wbraid or gbraid instead of a gclid.
3. The landing page loads. Your conversion setup stores whichever parameter is present.
4. The user converts. You report the stored wbraid or gbraid back to Google.
5. Google matches the conversion to the click group and models the result.

A tagged URL looks like one of these:

https://linkutm.com/?wbraid=Cj0KCQ...web-click
https://linkutm.com/?gbraid=Cj0KCQ...app-click

How to Use WBRAID and GBRAID in Conversion Tracking

Capture whichever parameter is present, since GCLID will be missing on affected iOS clicks. Most setups read all three values (gclid, wbraid, gbraid) from the URL and store the one that exists. For offline conversion import, the Google Ads API and the import file format accept wbraid and gbraid alongside GCLID. Upload the stored value within Google’s conversion window so the click can be matched.

One constraint applies. WBRAID supports both online and offline conversion import, but GBRAID supports a narrower set of import paths. Check current Google Ads documentation before building app-click offline imports. WBRAID and GBRAID are iOS-specific forms of the GCLID, which is itself one type of click ID.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do WBRAID and GBRAID stand for?

There is no official long form, but the prefixes signal the click surface. WBRAID marks a web-to-web click on iOS, and GBRAID marks a click that started inside an iOS app. Google added both in 2021 to track iOS conversions under Apple’s ATT rules.

What is the difference between wbraid and gbraid?

The difference is where the click began. WBRAID is appended when a user clicks from an iOS web browser like Safari. GBRAID is appended when the click starts inside an iOS app such as the Google app or YouTube. Only one appears on any single URL.

Do wbraid and gbraid identify individual users?

No. Both map to a group of users rather than one person, which is what makes them ATT compliant. This aggregation is why Google reports modeled conversions for iOS traffic instead of exact one-to-one matches.

Are wbraid and gbraid the same as GCLID?

No. They serve the same purpose as the GCLID but apply only to iOS clicks where user-level tracking is restricted. On those clicks, Google replaces the GCLID with a wbraid or gbraid.

To understand how these iOS parameters relate to Google’s standard click parameter, see the GCLID glossary entry.