A tracking template is a field in Google Ads — and similar ad platforms — where you define the URL appended to every ad click’s landing page. It combines UTM parameters with the platform’s dynamic macros (Google’s ValueTrack macros like {campaignid} and {keyword}), which the platform fills in at click time. It is the mechanism that gets campaign context onto the URL so AnyTrack can attribute the conversion that follows.
Tracking template vs UTM Parameter vs AutoTag
Section titled “Tracking template vs UTM Parameter vs AutoTag”- UTM Parameter — the individual tags (
utm_source,utm_id, …); the tracking template is the field that assembles and writes them. - Ad-Platform Auto-Tagging — the platform appending its own click ID (
gclid); your tracking template appends your UTMs. They run together. - AutoTag — AnyTrack’s client-side feature that tags outbound links on your site; a tracking template tags the inbound ad-click URL at the ad platform. Different ends of the journey.
How AnyTrack uses the tracking template
Section titled “How AnyTrack uses the tracking template”AnyTrack publishes a recommended Google Ads tracking template you paste at the account level so it applies to every campaign automatically. When a visitor arrives, AnyTrack reads the UTM values the template produced and stores them alongside the Click ID (atclid); on conversion it joins them for the Campaign Report and forwards them as event attributes to your ad platforms. Always use {campaignid} (a stable numeric ID), not hardcoded campaign names, and test the template in Google Ads before going live.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ was last reviewed on 2026-06-25
