---
title: 'Google Ads tracking template examples: UTMs and Final URL suffixes'
description: Copy a Google Ads tracking template or Final URL suffix, understand ValueTrack placeholders, and check redirects, overrides, and duplicate parameters.
published_at: 2026-09-12
last_updated: 2026-09-17
format: Guide
---

# Google Ads tracking template examples: UTMs and Final URL suffixes

A Google Ads tracking template combines your landing page with click-tracking parameters. A basic example starts with `{lpurl}`. If you only need to attach campaign labels to the visitor's landing page, use the Final URL suffix example below instead.

These examples explain Google Ads settings directly. Plainrouter's advertising integrations currently support Meta; this guide does not require a Plainrouter account.

## A basic Google Ads tracking template

For a Search campaign with campaign and ad IDs in your URL labels:

```text
{lpurl}?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}&utm_content={creative}
```

Put this in the **Tracking template** field, not the Final URL field. Keep the landing page in **Final URL**. Google substitutes the placeholders when processing the ad click; pasting the template into a browser does not perform that substitution. See Google's [tracking-template setup guide](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10070427).

| Placeholder | Meaning in this example |
| --- | --- |
| `{lpurl}` | Your configured final landing-page URL |
| `{campaignid}` | Google's campaign ID, not its display name |
| `{creative}` | The ad ID |

The choice to put IDs into `utm_campaign` and `utm_content` is a reporting convention. Keep a mapping to readable campaign names if your reporting needs them. Do not overwrite a click-measurement provider's template with this example; use that provider's required format.

## When should you use a Final URL suffix instead?

Use a suffix when your goal is to add parameters to the landing-page URL. Google defines it as the parameters appended to that URL. A tracking template also has a role in third-party click measurement, where parallel tracking can load the tracking URL in the background while the visitor goes to the final URL. [Final URL suffix](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9054021), [how tracking works](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6076199).

For the same campaign labels, enter this in **Final URL suffix**:

```text
utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}&utm_content={creative}
```

The suffix contains no landing-page URL, `{lpurl}`, or leading `?`. Use one place for these UTM keys; copying the same parameters into both fields makes the resulting URL harder to diagnose.

Here is an illustrative expansion with fictional campaign ID `1234567890` and ad ID `9876543210`. The final URL already has a `plan` parameter:

```text
https://shop.example/demo?plan=team
```

After attaching the expanded suffix:

```text
https://shop.example/demo?plan=team&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1234567890&utm_content=9876543210
```

The existing `plan=team` is retained. This is a URL example, not a captured ad click; real URLs may contain additional parameters from auto-tagging or your measurement provider.

## Which ValueTrack parameters should you add?

Start with fields that answer a reporting question. Add `device={device}` if you need a device category, or `utm_term={keyword}` for the matched account keyword in a keyword-based Search campaign. The keyword placeholder is not the searcher's exact query and can be empty for keywordless traffic, including Dynamic Search Ads and Performance Max. Google's [ValueTrack reference](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6305348) lists campaign-specific support.

For the basic template above, Google also documents converting the separator after `{lpurl}` when the final URL already contains a question mark. Test the actual combination, especially when a third-party tracker introduces escaping or redirects. Do not invent placeholders such as `{campaignname}` and assume Google will expand them.

## Do UTMs replace auto-tagging or conversion tracking?

No. UTM parameters label traffic. Google Ads auto-tagging supplies click information such as `gclid`; it supports Google Ads and Analytics integrations. Adding manual labels is not a reason to disable it. Google also notes that GA4 prioritizes auto-tagging over manual tagging and that redirects must preserve the click identifier. [Google auto-tagging documentation](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3095550).

For the parameter itself, use the [GCLID guide and redirect checks](/library/gclid). It shows how to preserve the original value and separate a URL test from conversion attribution.

A well-formed URL does not establish that a purchase event was recorded or attributed. Verify your conversion measurement separately. Keep customer details, email addresses and secrets out of URL parameters.

## How do you test a tracking template?

1. Record the current Final URL, suffix and template before editing. Work with one representative ad first.
2. Check the effective template. Google uses the most specific configured level, so an ad or keyword override can supersede an account-level change. The **Tracking template source** column helps identify it. [Template precedence](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10070427).
3. Use **Test** in Google Ads URL options. Inspect the assembled destination and any reported mismatch or unreachable page. Google's [landing-page test documentation](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6328603) describes these results and its limitations, including incomplete coverage of parallel-tracking errors.
4. Check a URL with fictional expanded values on your own test landing page. Confirm that the existing query parameters survive and each intended UTM key occurs once.
5. Check the reporting destination separately: the URL reaching a page does not prove the analytics system captured or interpreted its labels as intended.

If a click-measurement provider is involved, verify its redirect chain with that provider. A successful URL test is not an ad-policy approval or a conversion-tracking test.

## Choose names before copying the template

Use the [UTM builder and naming guide](/tools/utm-builder) to agree on static labels and inspect a fully expanded example. That tool builds ordinary URLs; it does not execute Google ValueTrack placeholders. Keep the dynamic template or suffix in Google Ads and use fictional expanded values for local checks.

For the distinction between browser collection and server delivery, read [server-side tracking and tagging](/definitions/server-side-tagging).

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.