How to capture the GCLID in ActiveCampaign
Learn how to capture the GCLID with each new contact in ActiveCampaign and send it back to Google Ads as an Offline Conversion
Use Attributer to capture the GCLID in ActiveCampaign. Simply add hidden fields to your forms, Attributer writes the GCLID into them, and they are sent to ActiveCampaign. It even captures other lead source data (like UTM parameters, leads from organic channels, etc)
Google Ads is one of the best ways to generate leads for your business.
But without knowing which of those leads go on to become paying customers, you could easily be wasting budget on campaigns that look great on the surface but aren't actually delivering results.
The good news? There's a solution.
In this article, we'll walk you through how to use a tool called Attributer to capture the GCLID in ActiveCampaign, so you can send it back to Google Ads and track offline conversions.
4 steps for capturing the GCLID in ActiveCampaign
Capturing the GCLID is straightforward when you use Attributer. Here's how it works:
1. Install Attributer on your website and add a hidden field
To get started, sign up for a 14-day free trial of Attributer and you'll get a small snippet of code to add to your website.
The exact process will vary depending on your website builder (WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace, etc), but in most cases you can add the code through the settings area of your site. You can also add it through Google Tag Manager if that's what you prefer.
Once the code is installed, the last step is to add a 'GCLID' hidden field to the forms on your website. This is where Attributer will write the GCLID so that it gets captured every time a lead submits a form.
2. Attributer captures the GCLID and writes it into the hidden field
When a visitor lands on your website after clicking one of your Google Ads, Attributer grabs the GCLID from the URL and saves it in the visitor's browser. That way, even if they navigate to other pages on your site before filling out a form (or leave and come back on a different day), the GCLID from their original click is always preserved.
Then, when they go ahead and fill out a form, Attributer automatically writes the stored GCLID into the hidden field you added.
3. GCLID is captured with each form submission
When the lead submits the form, the GCLID is picked up by your form tool alongside all the other details the lead provided (like their name, email, phone number, etc.)
4. GCLID is sent to ActiveCampaign with each new contact
Finally, the GCLID can be sent to ActiveCampaign along with all the other information the lead entered into the form, like their name, email, phone, etc.
If you use ActiveCampaign forms then this happens automatically and you'll be able to see all the data (name, email, GCLID, etc) on the Contact record in ActiveCampaign.
If you're using a third-party form builder (Gravity Forms, Tally Forms, etc), then you can do this using your form tool's built-in integration with ActiveCampaign (if it has one), or through third-party tools like Zapier or Make.
How to send the GCLID back to Google Ads and mark it as an offline conversion
Before you can send the GCLID back to Google Ads, you'll need to set up a new conversion action.
To do this, log in to your Google Ads account, click on Goals in the sidebar, and then select Conversions. From the Conversions page, click the button to create a new Conversion and choose 'Offline Conversion'.
On the final screen where it prompts you to add a data source, go ahead and select 'Add data source later'.
Once the conversion is set up in Google Ads, the next step is to start sending the GCLID back. But before you do that, you'll want to decide which point in your sales process should count as a conversion.
Your first thought might be to wait until a deal is closed before sending the conversion. That makes sense in theory, but it can actually hold back your campaign performance. Google's smart bidding strategies (like Maximise Conversions, Maximise Conversion Value, or Target CPA) need around 50 conversions per month to perform well. So if you're closing fewer than 50 deals a month, it's worth tracking an earlier stage in your pipeline (like when a deal is created in ActiveCampaign) to give Google enough data to optimise.
Once you've settled on your conversion point, head into your Zapier account and create a new Zap. Set the trigger to match the conversion point you chose. For example, if you want to send the offline conversion when a Deal is created in ActiveCampaign, you would set that as your trigger.
Next, choose Google Ads as the Action and select 'Send Offline Conversion' as the event.
Finally, map the GCLID from ActiveCampaign (or wherever you're storing it) to the correct field in Zapier.
That's it! You've now set up offline conversions in Google Ads. It's a good idea to test that everything is working before putting serious budget behind your ads, and you can read more about how to do that here.
Why Attributer is the best way to capture the GCLID in ActiveCampaign
There are a few different ways to capture the GCLID in ActiveCampaign, so why go with Attributer?
Here are some reasons it's the best option:
1. Remembers the GCLID as visitors browse your site
A lot of form tools have built-in options for capturing URL parameters, but they just grab whatever is in the URL at the time the form is submitted.
The problem with that? If someone clicks one of your Google Ads, arrives on your homepage, and then navigates over to your Contact Us page to fill out a form, the GCLID is no longer in the URL and won't be captured.
Attributer takes a different approach. It saves the GCLID in the user's browser, so whether they visit multiple pages on your site before completing a form (or even leave and come back another day), the GCLID is always passed through.
2. Captures UTM parameters as well
Attributer does more than just capture the GCLID. It also picks up any UTM parameters you've added to your ads.
For example, imagine you're running marketing for a law firm and someone clicks one of your Google Ads and fills out a form on your site. Depending on the UTM parameters you've set up, Attributer could pass through the following information:
- Channel = Paid Search
- Channel Drilldown 1 = Google
- Channel Drilldown 2 = Personal Injury Campaign (or whatever the name of the campaign is)
- Channel Drilldown 3 = Car Accident Lawyer (or whatever keyword you are bidding on)
- Channel Drilldown 4 = Free Case Review Ad (or whatever ad they clicked)
3. Captures information on users from organic channels
On top of that, Attributer also captures data on leads who arrive at your site through organic channels, such as Organic Search, Organic Social, Referral, Direct Traffic, and more.
Sticking with the law firm example, if someone found your website through a Google search, Attributer would pass through the following data:
- Channel = Organic Search
- Channel Drilldown 1 = Google
- Channel Drilldown 2 = www.google.com (or whatever search engine domain they came from)
- Channel Drilldown 3 = Car Accident Lawyer (or whatever keyword they searched for, when available)
Wrap Up
If you're looking to capture the GCLID in ActiveCampaign (so you can send it back to Google Ads as an offline conversion), Attributer is a great way to make it happen.
It holds onto the GCLID as visitors browse your site (or even if they leave and return later) and passes it through every time a lead submits a form. Plus, you'll also get a bunch of extra data on your leads (UTM parameters, organic search information, and more), giving you the ability to see where ALL your leads and customers are coming from.
Best of all, it's free to get started and usually takes less than 10 minutes to set up. Start your 14-day free trial today!
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About the Author
Aaron Beashel is the founder of Attributer and has over 15 years of experience in marketing & analytics. He is a recognized expert in the subject and has written articles for leading websites such as Hubspot, Zapier, Search Engine Journal, Buffer, Unbounce & more. Learn more about Aaron here.