Safari strips GCLID from URLs, breaking Google Ads tracking. Conversion Exporter has a full solution.
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With Apple’s privacy updates rolling out in September 2025, Safari now removes click identifiers like GCLID not only in private browsing but also in normal sessions.
This change means many visitors coming from Google Ads won’t bring the GCLID with them when they land on your site. Without it:
Conversions can’t be tied back to the exact ad click.
Smart Bidding loses critical signals, making optimization less effective.
Reports undercount results, especially if a large part of your audience uses Safari.
For sites that depend on Google Ads, this creates serious tracking gaps.
Conversion Exporter by PixelYourSite exports first-party data directly to Google Ads Conversions. It’s more reliable than tag-based tracking because it uses your own WooCommerce orders or WordPress form leads.
Normally, the plugin detects the GCLID, stores it with each order or lead, and includes it in the export file. This ensures Google Ads can connect your conversions to the correct clicks.
But if Safari strips the GCLID from URLs, tracking breaks — conversions arrive without a click ID.
To prevent this, Conversion Exporter can use a backup parameter as a replacement.
If the default gclid parameter is missing, the plugin looks for your configured backup parameter.
When found, Conversion Exporter stores its value in its own first-party cookie (not Google’s default).
This is safer long-term, in case Safari expands restrictions to block Google’s own cookie names.
With this system, conversions still get matched to the right ad clicks, keeping your data accurate for reporting and Smart Bidding.
Go to your Google Ads account → Admin → Tracking tab.
In the Final URL suffix field, add a backup parameter with the value set to {gclid}.
Example:
Choose any parameter name you prefer (like mybackupid). The key is that its value must equal {gclid}.
Now connect your backup parameter inside the plugin.
Go to Conversion Exporter → Settings.
Check the option for GCLID backup parameters.
Enter the exact parameter name you created in Google Ads (for example, mybackupid).
Save your settings.
From now on, if the GCLID is missing, Conversion Exporter will use this backup parameter and store its value in its own first-party cookie. This ensures all exports to Google Ads remain complete and accurate, even with Safari’s restrictions.
Conversion Exporter doesn’t rely on fragile tag tracking. Instead, it works with first-party data — your actual WooCommerce orders and WordPress form leads. This makes the data far more reliable and less affected by browser restrictions or ad blockers.
On top of that, the GCLID value is stored in Conversion Exporter’s own first-party cookie, not in Google’s default cookie names. This adds an extra layer of safety: even if Safari or other browsers decide to block Google’s cookies directly, your tracking will continue to work.
The result: more accurate exports, more complete attribution, and stronger signals for Google Ads optimization.
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