How to capture the GCLID in Zoho CRM
Use Attributer to capture the GCLID with each new lead in Zoho CRM and send it back to Google Ads as an Offline Conversion
Use Attributer to capture the GCLID in Zoho 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 Zoho CRM. It even captures other lead source information (like UTM parameters, leads from organic channels, etc)
Google Ads is one of the most effective channels for generating new leads. But without a way to track which of those leads go on to become paying customers, you could easily end up wasting budget on campaigns that aren't actually producing results.
The good news? There's a straightforward fix.
In this article, we'll walk you through how to use a tool called Attributer to capture the GCLID in Zoho CRM and then send it back to Google Ads to track offline conversions.
4 steps for capturing the GCLID in Zoho CRM
Capturing the GCLID is simple when you use Attributer. Here's how the process 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 be given a small piece of code to add to your website.
The installation process varies slightly depending on your website builder (WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace, etc), but in most cases you can add it through your site's settings area. You can also install it via Google Tag Manager if you prefer.
Once the code is in place, the final step is to add a 'GCLID' hidden field to your website forms. This is where Attributer will write the GCLID so that it gets included each time a lead fills out a form on your site.
Full instructions for setting it up can be found on our help site.
2. Attributer captures the GCLID and writes it into the hidden field
Whenever 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 completing a form (or leave entirely and return another day), the GCLID from their initial visit is always retained.
When they eventually fill out a form, Attributer automatically populates the hidden field you created with the stored GCLID.
3. GCLID is captured with each form submission
Once the visitor submits the form, the GCLID is picked up by your form tool along with everything else the lead provided (their name, email, phone number, etc.)
3. GCLID is passed to Zoho CRM with each new lead
Finally, the GCLID can be sent to Zoho CRM alongside all the other details the lead provided in the form, such as their name, email, phone number, and more.
You can do this using your form tool's native integration with Zoho CRM (if it has one), or through third-party tools like Zapier, Make, or Zoho Flow.
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 in your account.
To do this, log in to your Google Ads account, click on the Goals option in the sidebar, and then navigate to Conversions. From the Conversions page, click the button to create a new Conversion and choose 'Offline Conversion'.
Then, on the final screen where it asks you to add a data source, choose the option to 'Add data source later'.
With the conversion set up in Google Ads, the next step is sending the GCLID back. But first, you need to determine which stage of your sales process should count as a conversion.
Your first thought might be to wait until a deal is closed before sending the conversion to Google Ads. That sounds logical, but it can actually work against you. Google's smart bidding strategies (like Maximise Conversions, Maximise Conversion Value, or Target CPA) need roughly 50 conversions per month to optimise effectively. So if your business closes fewer than 50 deals a month, it's worth tracking an earlier pipeline stage (like when a Deal is created in Zoho CRM) so that Google has enough data to work with.
Once you've settled on the right conversion point, head to your Zapier account and set up a new Zap. Configure the trigger to match the conversion event you chose. For instance, if you decided to send the offline conversion when a Deal is created in Zoho CRM, set that as the trigger.
Then, choose Google Ads as the Action and select 'Send Offline Conversion' as the event.
The last step is to map the GCLID from Zoho CRM (or wherever you're storing it) to the corresponding field in Zapier.
That's it! You've now configured offline conversions in Google Ads. It's worth testing that everything is working correctly before ramping 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 Zoho CRM
There are a few different ways to get the GCLID into Zoho CRM, so why go with Attributer?
Here's what makes it the best option:
1. Remembers the GCLID as visitors browse your site
A lot of form tools offer built-in URL parameter capture, but they only pull whatever happens to be in the URL at the moment the form is submitted.
So if someone clicks your Google Ad, arrives on your homepage, and then navigates over to your Contact Us page to submit a form, the GCLID is no longer in the URL and won't get captured.
Attributer takes a different approach. It saves the GCLID in the visitor's browser the moment they arrive, so no matter how many pages they visit before completing a form (or even if they leave your site and come back days later), the GCLID always comes 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 a potential client clicks one of your Google Ads before filling out a form on your site. Depending on the UTM parameters behind your ads, Attributer could pass through the following details:
- Channel = Paid Search
- Channel Drilldown 1 = Google
- Channel Drilldown 2 = Personal Injury Campaign (or whatever you named the campaign)
- Channel Drilldown 3 = Slip and Fall Lawyer (or whatever keyword triggered the ad)
- Channel Drilldown 4 = Free Case Review Ad (or whatever ad they clicked on)
3. Captures information on users from organic channels
On top of paid traffic, Attributer also tracks leads who arrive through organic channels like Organic Search, Organic Social, Referral, Direct Traffic, and others.
Sticking with the law firm example, if a lead discovered your site through a regular Google search, Attributer would pass along the following:
- Channel = Organic Search
- Channel Drilldown 1 = Google
- Channel Drilldown 2 = www.google.com (or whichever search engine domain they came from)
- Channel Drilldown 3 = Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me (or whatever search term they used, when available)
Wrap Up
If you're looking to capture the GCLID in Zoho CRM (so you can ultimately send it back to Google Ads as an offline conversion), Attributer is a great way to make it happen.
It holds on to the GCLID as visitors move around your site (or even leave and return later) and passes it through every time a lead submits a form. Beyond that, you'll also get rich attribution data on all your leads (UTM parameters, organic search details, and more), giving you full 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.