Ad-platform auto-tagging is an ad platform’s own feature that automatically appends its click identifier to your ad’s destination URL — gclid for Google Ads, msclkid for Microsoft Ads. It is owned and applied by the ad platform, not by AnyTrack, and it lets that platform attribute conversions to its own clicks. AnyTrack reads the resulting gclid/msclkid off the landing-page URL as first-party data.
Ad-Platform Auto-Tagging vs AutoTag vs Tracking template
Section titled “Ad-Platform Auto-Tagging vs AutoTag vs Tracking template”- AutoTag — AnyTrack’s feature that appends the AnyTrack Click ID to outbound links and forms on your site. Ad-platform auto-tagging appends the platform’s click ID to the inbound ad URL. Same idea, opposite owners and opposite ends of the journey — this is the pairing most often confused.
- Tracking template — adds the UTM parameters you define; auto-tagging adds the platform’s
gclidautomatically. Both run on the same click.
How AnyTrack works with ad-platform auto-tagging
Section titled “How AnyTrack works with ad-platform auto-tagging”Leave auto-tagging enabled on your ad accounts: AnyTrack collects the gclid/msclkid and stores it on the session as first-party data, then sends it back to the platform with the conversion (for example, Google Ads offline conversion import) for accurate optimization. Auto-tagging only covers a platform’s own clicks, so AnyTrack still relies on UTM parameters for cross-channel attribution. Never duplicate gclid as a manual UTM — it conflicts with the platform’s auto-tagged value.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ was last reviewed on 2026-06-25
