GCLID
Also known as: Google Click Identifier
The GCLID (Google Click Identifier) is a unique tag Google Ads attaches to a click so the resulting conversion (including a phone call) can be matched back to the exact ad and keyword.
The GCLID is the tracking parameter Google Ads adds to a destination URL when someone clicks an ad. It uniquely identifies that click, which is how Google ties later actions back to the specific ad, campaign, and keyword that earned it.
Capturing the GCLID alongside a website visit is the key to crediting phone calls in Google Ads: the call can be matched to the click and pushed back via offline conversion import, enabling true keyword-level tracking. See Google Ads call tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the GCLID for a call from a Google Ads call extension?
For calls placed through call extensions and call-only ads, Google reports the call as a conversion tied to the click, though the raw GCLID is not always exposed. For website calls, capturing the GCLID at the visit lets you import the call as an offline conversion against that click.
What is a GCLID used for?
The GCLID lets Google Ads match a later action back to the exact click that drove it. In call tracking, capturing it at the website visit is what allows a phone call to be imported as a conversion against the precise ad, campaign, and keyword.
How do you find the GCLID in Google Ads?
Enable auto-tagging in Google Ads and the GCLID is appended to your destination URLs automatically; you can read it from the landing page URL's query string or from analytics. Call tracking captures it on the visit so it can be tied to a resulting call.
Related terms
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