Parallel tracking is mandatory for Search, Shopping, Display, and Video campaigns. For Hotel campaigns, parallel tracking is optional. Some accounts may still find the parallel tracking toggle in their account settings, but this option is applicable only for Hotel campaigns.
Parallel tracking helps load your landing page more quickly which can reduce lost visits. That can lead to increased conversions, and improved ad performance. Parallel tracking sends customers directly from your ad to your final URL while click measurement happens in the background (without sending them to the tracking URLs first).
Check with your click measurement provider to make sure their system is compatible with parallel tracking. Compatibility may vary based on the particular features you have enabled. If there is an incompatibility, your click measurement could stop working. If you're a click measurement solutions provider, you can find more information in our partners guide.
How it works
With parallel tracking, customers are delivered directly to your landing page while click measurement happens in the background.
Here’s what parallel tracking looks like:
- Customer clicks your ad.
- Customer sees your landing page.
At the same time, in the background:
- Google Ads click tracker loads.
- Tracking URL loads.
- If you use more than one click tracker, additional redirects may load.
Without parallel tracking, customers go through one or more redirects after clicking your ad before they reach your landing page. This means it takes longer for customers to reach your landing page.
Here’s what tracking looks like without parallel tracking:
- Customer clicks your ad.
- Google Ads click tracker loads.
- Tracking URL loads.
- Possible additional tracking URL loads.
- Customer sees your landing page.
