Set Up Auto-Tagging for Search Ads 360

Search Ads 360 automatically appends a GCLID (Google Click ID) parameter to landing page URLs, which attributes all clicks to Google paid traffic. If you're managing Bing, Yahoo, or other non-Google campaigns through Search Ads 360, you need to override this default behavior to ensure WhatConverts attributes leads to the correct advertising platform.

Why Override GCLID Attribution?

By default, each click generated from Search Ads 360 includes a unique GCLID parameter, which causes WhatConverts to attribute the traffic to Google paid campaigns, even if the click came from Bing, Yahoo, or another search engine.

To attribute traffic correctly, you need to append UTM parameters (utm_source, utm_medium) along with force_utm=true to override the GCLID and attribute the click to the correct platform.

Example: If you're using Search Ads 360 to manage Bing campaigns, a properly tagged URL should look like:

https://www.example.com/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&force_utm=true

This ensures WhatConverts attributes the lead to Bing instead of Google.

Set Up URL Templates in Search Ads 360 (Recommended)

URL templates are the cleanest and most scalable method for adding UTM parameters to all clicks automatically. Search Ads 360 supports dynamic URL templates that append parameters to every click without requiring manual tagging.

Follow these steps to set up URL templates:

1. Log in to your Search Ads 360 account.
2. Navigate to Advertiser from the top menu.
3. Click “Settings” on the left sidebar.
4. Select URL Options or URL Templates (depending on your interface version).
5. In the Template Field, add your custom URL template using the following format:
    {lpurl}?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&force_utm=true
   • Replace bing with the appropriate source name for your campaign (e.g., yahoo, google, etc.)
   • {lpurl} is a dynamic macro that represents the landing page URL
   • Search Ads 360 automatically handles adding & instead of ? if parameters already exist in the URL
6. Optionally, use dynamic macros for multi-engine campaigns:
   {lpurl}?utm_source={engine}&utm_medium=cpc&force_utm=true
   • {engine} automatically resolves to the engine name (e.g., "bing", "google", "yahoo") depending on the engine account inside Search Ads 360
   • This keeps one template working for multiple search engines
7. Click “Save” to apply the template.

Once configured, all clicks from Search Ads 360 will include the correct UTM parameters, and WhatConverts will attribute leads to the correct advertising platform.

Verify Attribution in WhatConverts

After setting up URL templates, test your attribution:

1. Click on an ad managed through Search Ads 360.
2. Submit a test lead (form, call, chat, etc.).
3. Log in to WhatConverts and access the Lead Manager.
4. Find your test lead and click View Lead.
5. Verify the attribution data:
   • Source: Should show the correct platform (e.g., "bing", "yahoo")
   • Medium: Should show "cpc"

If the attribution is correct, your URL templates are working properly.

Related Topics

• What is the Search Ads 360 Integration?
• Connect WhatConverts to Search Ads 360
• Send Conversions to Ad Platforms Automatically with Lead Intelligence