Overview of parameter handling in clickserver URLs

Search Ads 360 generates clickserver URLs to track clicks on ads and other items in your campaigns and to attribute visits and conversions to those items. The URL parameters in the URL contain data that uniquely identifies each trackable item in a campaign.

Clickserver URLs in search accounts that support shared templates

In search engine accounts that support shared templates, Search Ads 360 combines its clickserver URLs with any URL templates you've defined and traffics the results to tracking templates in the engine. (The Search Ads 360 clickserver URL is the first URL in the tracking template, followed by any URLs you defined in your URL templates.)

The engine is responsible for applying the tracking template and maintaining the order of the URL parameters as specified in URL templates and landing page URLs.

Clickserver URLs in search accounts without shared templates

In search engine accounts without shared templates, Search Ads 360 generates clickserver URLs that are as compact as possible by adding only the dynamic URL parameters you've added to your landing page URLs and the URL parameters Search Ads 360 needs to track activity. However, if you use an additional third-party tracking service, or if your site requires URL parameters to be in a specific order, the compact form of the URL may not meet your needs. In this case, you can change the default behavior and select a different option for handling URL parameters in clickserver URLs.

Here's an example of a compact clickserver URL:
https://clickserve.dartsearch.net/link/click?
lid=43700001234567890&ds_s_kwgid=58700000012345678
&ds_e_adid={AdId}&ds_url_v=2
&dynamic={MatchType}

The URL contains the following data:

• The address that Search Ads 360 uses to listen for redirects from ad clicks: 
  https://clickserve.dartsearch.net/link/click
   
• Tracking parameters generated by Search Ads 360. Search Ads 360 uses these parameters to identlfy the click, keyword or other trackable item that's responsible for the click, and the ad that was clicked:
  lid=43700001234567890&ds_s_kwgid=58700000012345678
&ds_e_adid={AdId}&ds_url_v=2
   

• All of the dynamic parameters that have you defined for a trackable item, such as &dynamic={MatchType}. When a customer clicks an ad, the engine supplies values for the dynamic parameters and returns them to Search Ads 360. Search Ads 360 then forwards these parameters onto the landing page on your site.

Note that by default, clickserver URLs do not contain any static URL parameters you've defined for your keywords and other trackable items.

Default behavior doesn't maintain the order of all parameters

Because clickserver URLs in accounts without shared templates are missing static URL parameters by default, when Search Ads 360 forwards clicks onto your site, the order of parameters you originally specified is not retained. Instead, Search Ads 360 retains the order of dynamic query strings and static query strings separately.

If your landing pages expect URL parameters to be in a specific order, you need to change the parameter handling option to Include all parameters (not full URL).

Default behavior doesn't support third-party redirect URLs

If you use an additional third-party tracking service that requires Search Ads 360 to forward clicks to a redirection URL instead of your landing page, you need to change the default parameter handling option to Include full URL (unencoded). Note that this option also maintains the order of URL parameters you've defined.

Default behavior doesn't support Search Ads 360 URL templates

If you use Search Ads 360 URL templates, you need to change the default so that Search Ads 360 adds static parameters to the clickserver URL along with dynamic parameters (Include all parameters (not full URL).

If you switch from the default option (Include dynamic parameters) to any other parameter-handling option, you can't go back to including only dynamic parameters. The option to include dynamic parameters is going away.

Clickserver parameters in social and engine track accounts

In social and engine track accounts, Search Ads 360 URL encodes the full original landing page URL and then adds the encoded URL to its clickserver URL. When a customer clicks your social or engine track ad, the click is redirected to Search Ads 360. After recording the click, Search Ads 360 unencodes the original landing page URL and redirects the click to the unencoded URL.