How to Add Google Click ID (GCLID) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

4.1 Step 1: Enable Auto-tagging in Google Ads

The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure auto-tagging is enabled in your Google Ads account. This is what lets Google automatically add the GCLID to your URLs.

1. Log in to Google Ads: Head over to your Google Ads account. You know the drill.
2. Go to Settings: Click the little wrench icon in the sidebar (Google likes to call it the Admin icon).
3. Enable Auto-Tagging: In the Auto-tagging section, there’s a box that says “Tag the URL that people click through from my ad.” Go ahead and check that.

Now every time someone clicks your ad, the GCLID gets tacked onto the URL automatically. Simple, right?

4.2 Step 2: Link Google Ads to Google Analytics 4

Now that auto-tagging is on, the next thing we need to do is link your Google Ads account to GA4. This is crucial for tracking all that GCLID goodness.

1. Log in to Google Analytics: Go to Google Analytics and select the GA4 property you want to work with.
2. Link Google Ads: In the Admin panel (bottom-left corner), you’ll see “Product Links.” Click that, then hit “Google Ads Links,” and start the linking process.
3. Follow the Prompts: Google’s going to ask you a few questions to complete the linking. Just follow along, and you’re good to go!

Now GA4 and Google Ads are best buds, and you’ll be able to track GCLID along with other Google Ads data.

4.3 Step 3: Set up GCLID Tracking in Google Tag Manager

Alright, now we’re getting to the fun part: setting up GCLID tracking using Google Tag Manager (GTM). This is how we capture that GCLID and send it over to GA4.

1. Create a GA4 Configuration Tag: In GTM, go to Tags > New, and select Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration.
   • Enter your GA4 Measurement ID (you’ll find this in GA4 under Admin > Data Streams).
   • Under “Fields to Set,” add a new field:
     • Field Name: gclid
     • Value: {{URL Variable GCLID}}

This tells GA4 to capture the GCLID from the URL and send it to GA4.

1. Create a URL Variable: Now, head over to Variables > New, and select “URL Variable.” Set the Query Key to gclid. This will grab the GCLID from the URL whenever someone clicks your ad.
2. Publish Your Changes: Once you’ve set up the tag and variable, click “Submit” in GTM to publish everything.

And that’s it! Now you’re officially tracking GCLID in GA4.

4.4 Step 4: Test and Verify GCLID Tracking

Before we finish, let’s make sure everything is working properly. You don’t want to go through all this just to find out nothing is tracking.

1. Preview in GTM: In Google Tag Manager, click “Preview” and test your setup on your site. Make sure the GCLID parameter is getting captured when someone clicks an ad.
2. Check GA4 DebugView: Over in GA4, go to DebugView and keep an eye on user sessions. You should see the GCLID parameter coming through along with the rest of your data.

If everything checks out, you’re all set!

4.5 Step 5: Analyse GCLID Data in GA4

Now comes the good part—actually using the data! In GA4, head over to the Acquisition reports to see how your Google Ads traffic is performing.

1. View Acquisition Reports: Go to Reports > Acquisition and take a look at your Google Ads data. You can see how different campaigns are driving traffic and conversions.
2. Create Custom Reports: Want even more detail? You can set up custom reports under the Explore tab to dive deeper into how GCLID is impacting your ad performance.