How to capture the GCLID in Close CRM
Use Attributer to capture the GCLID with each new lead in Close CRM and send it back to Google Ads as an Offline Conversion
Use Attributer to capture the GCLID in Close CRM. Simply add hidden fields to your forms, Attributer writes the GCLID into them, and they are captured by your form builder and sent to Close CRM. It even captures other lead source information (like UTM parameters, leads from organic channels, etc)
When you're investing in Google Ads, you need to know which campaigns are actually turning into paying customers. Without that visibility, it's all too easy to keep pouring money into ads that drive clicks but never generate real revenue.
The good news? There's a simple way to fix this.
In this article, we'll show you how to use a tool called Attributer to capture the GCLID in Close CRM, and then send it back to Google Ads so you can track offline conversions.
4 steps for capturing the GCLID in Close CRM
Getting the GCLID into Close CRM is easy with Attributer. Here's a quick look at how it all works:
1. Install Attributer on your website and add a hidden field
First up, sign up for a 14-day free trial of Attributer. You'll receive a small snippet of code to place on your website.
How you install it depends on your website platform (WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace, etc), but it's usually as simple as adding it through your site's settings. Google Tag Manager is another option if that's what you prefer.
Once the code is live, the next thing to do is add a 'GCLID' hidden field to the forms on your website. This gives Attributer somewhere to write the GCLID value each time a visitor fills out a form.
Detailed setup instructions are available on our help site.
2. Attributer captures the GCLID and writes it into the hidden field
When someone clicks one of your Google Ads and arrives on your website, Attributer picks up the GCLID from the URL and stores it in the visitor's browser. This means the GCLID stays with them even if they browse around your site, visit multiple pages, or leave and come back another day.
Then, when they eventually complete a form on your site, Attributer writes the stored GCLID into the hidden field you set up earlier.
3. GCLID is captured with each form submission
When the visitor hits submit, the GCLID that Attributer wrote in the hidden field gets captured by your form tool alongside all the other details the lead entered (like their name, email, phone number, etc.)
3. GCLID is passed to Close CRM with each new lead
Finally, the GCLID can be sent to Close CRM alongside all the other information the lead provided in the form, like their name, email, phone number, and more.
You can do this using your form tool's built-in integrations (if it has a Close integration) 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 create a new conversion action inside your account.
To do this, log in to Google Ads, click on Goals in the sidebar, and head over to Conversions. From there, click the button to create a new Conversion and select 'Offline Conversion'.
Then, on the last screen where it asks you to add a data source, select the option to 'Add data source later'.
With the conversion action created in Google Ads, the next step is to actually send the GCLID back. But before you do, you'll need to decide which stage of your sales process should count as a conversion.
You might be tempted to wait until a deal is fully closed before sending the conversion. That makes sense on the surface, but it can actually hurt your results. Google's smart bidding strategies (like Maximise Conversions, Maximise Conversion Value, or Target CPA) need around 50 conversions per month to work effectively. If your business doesn't close 50 deals a month, it's better to track an earlier pipeline stage (like when an Opportunity is created in Close) so Google has enough data to optimise.
Once you've decided on the right conversion point, go to your Zapier account and create a new Zap. Set the trigger to match the conversion event you selected. For example, if you chose to send the offline conversion when an Opportunity is created in Close, configure that as the trigger.
Next, choose Google Ads as the Action and select 'Send Offline Conversion' as the event.
The final step is to map the GCLID from Close CRM to the matching field in Google Ads.
That's it! You've now set up offline conversions in Google Ads. It's a good idea to test everything before scaling up your ad spend, and you can read more about how to do that here.
Why Attributer is the best way to capture the GCLID in Close CRM
There are a handful of ways to get the GCLID into Close CRM. So why choose Attributer?
Here's what sets it apart:
1. Remembers the GCLID as visitors browse your site
Many form tools have built-in URL parameter capture, but they only grab whatever is in the URL at the exact moment the form gets submitted.
That means if someone clicks your Google Ad, lands on your homepage, and then clicks through to your Contact Us page to fill out a form, the GCLID is no longer in the URL and won't be captured.
Attributer works differently. It stores the GCLID in the visitor's browser as soon as they arrive on your site. So regardless of how many pages they visit, or even if they leave and come back days later, the GCLID is always passed through when they submit a form.
2. Captures UTM parameters as well
Attributer goes beyond just capturing the GCLID. It also grabs any UTM parameters you've attached to your ads.
For instance, imagine you're handling the marketing for an accounting firm and a potential client clicks one of your Google Ads before completing a form on your site. Based on the UTM parameters behind the ad, Attributer could pass through details like these:
- Channel = Paid Search
- Channel Drilldown 1 = Google
- Channel Drilldown 2 = Tax Preparation Campaign (or whatever you named the campaign)
- Channel Drilldown 3 = Small Business Tax Help (or whatever keyword triggered the ad)
- Channel Drilldown 4 = Free Consultation Ad (or whatever ad they clicked on)
3. Captures information on users from organic channels
Beyond paid traffic, Attributer also captures data on leads who find your site through organic channels like Organic Search, Organic Social, Referral, Direct Traffic, and more.
Sticking with the accounting firm example, if a lead found your website through a standard Google search, Attributer would pass along something like this:
- Channel = Organic Search
- Channel Drilldown 1 = Google
- Channel Drilldown 2 = www.google.com (or whichever search engine domain they came from)
- Channel Drilldown 3 = Small Business Accountant Near Me (or whatever search term they used, when available)
Wrap Up
If you want to capture the GCLID in Close CRM (so you can send it back to Google Ads as an offline conversion), Attributer makes the whole process simple.
It stores the GCLID as visitors browse your site (or even if they leave and return later) and passes it through each time a lead submits a form. On top of that, you'll also get detailed attribution data on every lead (UTM parameters, organic search details, and more), so you have complete visibility into where your leads and customers are actually coming from.
Best of all, it's free to get started and typically 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.