ads_redirect: Definition

 

 

Use the ads_redirect attribute to specify additional landing page parameters on your product page that you want to use for your Shopping ads. Keep in mind that when you submit a tracking URL for ads_redirect, users will be sent to that URL, rather than the value that you submit for link or mobile_link. After parameter expansion, the domain of the ads_redirect attribute needs to match the domain of the link attribute (as well as the mobile_link attribute, if present) exactly. This allows for parallel tracking, which sends people directly from your ad to your website and helps your landing page to load more quickly.

If you want to use a third-party click measurement system, you can set the tracking template in Google Ads to specify a tracking server URL.

 

IMPORTANT

With the launch of parallel tracking, the domains of the link, mobile_link (if present), and ads_redirect are required to match. If the domains for these attributes are found to be different, you may lose tracking. Learn more about parallel tracking

An illustration showing how adwords_redirect URLs are used

When to use

Optional for each product

If you need to track campaign metrics, you can do that by specifying additional landing page parameters on your product page. Learn more about how link, mobile_link, and the ads_redirect attributes work together

If you're advertising your products through a display campaign, use the display_ads_link attribute instead.

Through Google Ads, you can use a tracking template to add tracking parameters (to the URL that you submit) at the campaign, ad group, and product group levels. Learn more about how to add tracking templates.

Format

Follow these formatting guidelines to make sure we understand the data you're submitting. 

Type URL (including http or https), ASCII characters only, and RFC 3986 compliant
Limits 1–2000 characters
Repeated field No
 
File format Example value
Text feeds https://tracking.example.com?product=ballpoint-pens
XML feeds <g:ads_redirect>https://tracking.example.com?product=ballpoint-pens</g:ads_redirect>

For format API information, see the Content API for Shopping.

Guidelines

Follow these guidelines to make sure you submit high-quality data for your products and get the best performance from your ads.

Minimum requirements

These are the requirements you'll need to meet to show ads for your product. If you don't follow these requirements, we'll disapprove your product and let you know in the Diagnostics page of your Merchant Center account. 

  • Redirect to a landing page that meets the landing page requirements. Learn about requirements for Shopping ads landing pages.
  • Redirect to the same landing page content submitted for link or mobile_link. After users visit your tracking page, redirect them to the same landing page content that you submitted for the link or mobile_link attribute.
  • Use the accepted ValueTrack parameters if your tracking URL contains parameters. Learn more about ValueTrack parameters.
  • Use a value that will resolve into a valid URL after any parameters or tracking templates are replaced with their final values. For example, the following value would not display as a valid URL for desktops: {ifmobile:ht}tp://example.com

Best practices

These are best practices that can help you go beyond the basic requirements to optimize your product data for performance. 

  • Avoid using redirects. Redirects increase the time between a user clicking your ad and loading your landing page. Lengthy loading times cause a negative user experience. To track ad clicks, use the Google Ads tracking template.
  • Point ads_redirect for mobile users to the page submitted through the mobile_link attribute. Use the {ifmobile} ValueTrack parameter (in the value that you submit for ads_redirect) to redirect only mobile users. For example:
    https://tracking.example.com?p=ballpoint-pens&m={ifmobile:true}{ifnotmobile:false}

Examples

Note: All examples that feature the link attribute also apply for the mobile_link attribute.

Using Google Ads tracking templates

If you submit ads_redirect, that value will be used in the Google Ads tracking template instead of the values that you submitted for link or mobile_link. If you don’t submit ads_redirect, then the tracking template will use the value that you submit for link or mobile_link.
link ads_redirect Google Ads tracking template
https://www.example.com/123 https://www.example.com/product?id=123&param=abc https://tracking.com?url={lpurl}&src=google

 

If a tracking template and ads_redirect are both used, the ads_redirect value is used in the tracking template in place of the {lpurl} ValueTrack parameter.
Without parallel tracking:
  • Users are sent to: https://tracking.com?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.example.com%2Fproduct%3Fid%3D123%26param%3Dabc%0A&src=google 

With parallel tracking:

  • Users are sent to: https://www.example.com/product?id=123&param=abc
  • Tracking request is sent to: https://tracking.com?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgoogle.com%2Fasnc%2FdGVzdA&src=google 

Notes: 

  • When parallel tracking is applied, the {lpurl} parameter in the tracker call is replaced with a substitute URL that looks like https://google.com/asnc/dGVzdA. Substituting {lpurl} with a Google substitute URL ensures that your webpage doesn't get pinged twice (once from the user click, and again from the parallel tracking redirect). Learn more

Once the finalUrlSuffix field in Google Ads is launched, the substitute URL will include all parameters sent to the landing page so that the tracking server can process it as needed. Learn more

link ads_redirect Google Ads tracking template
https://www.example.com/product?id=123 – https://tracking.com?url={lpurl}&src=google

 

If no value is provided for ads_redirect, then link and mobile_link are used in tracking template.

Without parallel tracking:

  • Users are sent to: https://tracking.com?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.example.com%2Fproduct%3Fid%3D123&src=google

With parallel tracking:

  • Users are sent to: https://www.example.com/product?id=123
  • Tracking request is sent to: https://tracking.com?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgoogle.com%2Fasnc%2FdGVzdA%26
    id%3D123%26param%3Dabc&src=google

Note:

  • When parallel tracking is applied, the {lpurl} parameter in the tracker call is replaced with a substitute URL that looks like https://google.com/asnc/dGVzdA. Substituting {lpurl} with a Google substitute URL ensures that your webpage doesn't get pinged twice (once from the user click, and again from the parallel tracking redirect). Learn more

Once the finalUrlSuffix field in Google Ads is launched, the substitute URL will include all parameters sent to the landing page so that the tracking server can process it as needed. Learn more

 

Not using Google Ads tracking templates

If you submit ads_redirect, users will be sent to that URL, and not to the URL that you submit for link or mobile_link.

link ads_redirect Google Ads tracking template
https://www.example.com/product?id=123 – –

 

With and without parallel tracking:

  • Users are sent to: https://www.example.com/product?id=123


Note: No parallel tracking request is sent if Google Ads tracking template is not set.
 

link mobile_link ads_redirect Google Ads tracking template
https://www.example.com/product?id=123 https://m.example.com/product?id=123 https://{ifmobile:m}{ifnotmobile:www}.example.com/product?id=123?param=abc –

 

If you use ads_redirect, the value you provide overrides link and mobile_link

  • Desktop users are sent to:  https://www.example.com/product?id=123param=abc
  • Mobile users are sent to:  https://m.example.com/product?id=123&param=abc

Note: No parallel tracking request is sent if Google Ads tracking template is not set.

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