What Safari’s GCLID Removal Means for Your Google Ads
From September 2025 onward, Safari can remove click IDs (like GCLID) even in normal browsing. Fewer click IDs reach your site, so Google Ads gets less attribution data. That means weaker signals for Smart Bidding, less accurate reports, and potential drops in reported conversions—especially on Safari-heavy traffic.
What is GCLID?
GCLID (Google Click Identifier) is a unique ID added to your ad links. It tells Google Ads which exact click led to a visit, so conversions on your site can be matched back to the right campaign, ad group, and keyword.
PixelYourSite Fix
PixelYourSite checks for the usual Google Ads click data first. If the default cookie or the standard gclid parameter is missing, it looks for a backup parameter (configured in your Google Ads setup) that carries the same value. When found, PixelYourSite writes the expected first-party cookie, restoring attribution so conversions match the right campaigns.
Step 1: Configure a Backup Parameter in Google Ads
The first step is to add a custom parameter that will act as a backup for the original GCLID, in case Safari removes it.
- Go to your Google Ads account → Admin → Tracking tab.
- In the Final URL suffix field, add a custom backup parameter with the value set to {gclid}.
Example:
mybackupid={gclid}
You can choose any parameter name (for example, mybackupid). What matters is that its value must always be ={gclid} so it passes the same click ID.
Step 2: Configure PixelYourSite
Next, set up PixelYourSite to recognize the backup parameter.
- Go to PixelYourSite → Google Tags Settings.
- Enable the option “Enable alternative GCLID parameter for Safari.”
- Enter the same parameter name you created in Google Ads (for example,
mybackupid). - Save your settings.
PixelYourSite will now detect the backup parameter whenever the default GCLID is missing and create the proper first-party cookie Google Ads expects.
