Third-party tracking allows you to measure advertising performance by adding tracking to your ads.
Learn more about how third-party tracking for your ads works:
- Supported partners
- Add tracking tags (recommended)
- Examples of tracking tags for the Tracking Tags fields
- Tracking tag error messages and explanations
- Using the Destination URL field
Supported partners
We currently support the following partners:
| Partner | Function | Available ad formats |
|---|---|---|
| Google’s Campaign Manager 360 (CM360, formerly DoubleClick Campaign Manager or DCM) | Attribute the clicks and impressions for your ads | |
| DoubleVerify | Measure viewability and invalid traffic (IVT) metrics | Video ads |
| Integral Ad Science (IAS) | Measure viewability and invalid traffic (IVT) metrics | Video ads |
Here's a tip
Third-party tracking isn’t available for thought leader ads.
Before you add your tracking tags to your ads, you’ll need to obtain the tag URLs from your third-party tracking partner. You can add third-party tracking by either:
- Using tracking tags (recommended) - Use the Add tracking tags dialog in Campaign Manager to add impression, click, or video tags.
- Appending your Destination URL - Add a UTM parameter to your Destination URL when creating your ad.
Important to know
You must choose one method for tracking. If you use both the Tracking tags and Destination URL fields, it will result in double counting.
Review the following sections to learn more about third-party tracking for your ads.
Add tracking tags (recommended)
After you save your ad, you can manage your ad’s tracking using the Tracking tags field.
Here's a tip
You can access the Add tracking tags dialog from the Ads in this ad set page in Campaign Manager. Learn how to set up third-party tracking for your ads using the tracking tags field.
The following shows the different tracking tag fields in Campaign Manager:
Review the following table for considerations about using the tracking tag field.
| Consideration | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Accepted tags | We accept impression, click, and video tracking tags. You can also use image tags, but not iFrame or JavaScript. |
| Timestamp and placeholders | Third-party tracking will accept timestamps ("ord") and will ignore placeholders for the site keyname, creative/ad/placement IDs, and height/width/alternate. |
| Track all paid clicks in CM360 | When you use the tracking tag field and choose the Clicks tab, it will pass click tracking to CM360 for all paid clicks, including social actions or followers. |
| Destination URL and the Clicks tag fields for Sponsored Content ads | When you create a Sponsored Content ad, the Destination URL you enter when you create the ad determines its landing page. Even though you enter a URL when you add a tag in the Clicks tag field, we direct users to a landing page based on the Destination URL. |
| UTM codes | UTM codes are only tracked if used in the Destination URL field or if appended within a click tracker on the Destination URL. UTM codes aren't tracked when included within the Clicks tag field click-through URL. |
Examples of tracking tags for the Tracking Tags fields
Review the following examples of the types of tags Campaign Manager accepts. Before adding your tag, we recommend that you:
- Always use examples provided by your partner.
- Don’t test trackers by opening the URL in a browser.
- Check for missing privacy parameters or required IDs if your tracker doesn’t save.
Google’s Campaign Manager 360 (CM360)
For CM360, we accept both impression and click tags. Keep in mind, tracking links must include required privacy parameters to save without an error. The following are examples of the impression and click tag URLs.
-
Impression Tag - Has "trackimp" in URL
https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackimp/Nxxxx.site- keyname/Byyyyyyy.n;dc_trk_aid={ad_id};dc_trk_cid={creative_id};ord [timestamp];dc_lat=N; dc_rdid=Czzzz;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=; tfua=;gdpr=${GDPR};gdpr_consent=${GDPR_CONSENT_755}; gpp=${GPP_STRING_755};gpp_sid=${GPP_SID};ltd=;dc_tdv=1
-
Click Tag - Has "trackclk" in URL
https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/Nxxxx.site-keyname/Byyyyyyy.n;dc_trk_aid= {ad_id};dc_trk_cid {creative_id};dc_lat=N;dc_rdid=Czzzz; tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;gdpr=${GDPR}; gdpr_consent=${GDPR_CONSENT_755};gpp=${GPP_STRING_755}; gpp_sid=${GPP_SID};ltd=;dc_tdv=1|https://ad.doubleclick.net/ ddm/trackclk/Nxxxx.site-keyname/Byyyyyyy.n;dc_trk_aid= {ad_id};dc_trk_cid{creative_id};dc_lat=;dc_rdid=; tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=; gdpr=$%7BGDPR%7D;gdpr_consent= $%7BGDPR_CONSENT_755%7D;gpp= $%7BGPP_STRING_755%7D; gpp_sid=$%7BGPP_SID%7D;ltd=;dc_tdv=1
DoubleVerify
DoubleVerify requires a CTX Client ID in the tracking URL. This ID is provided by DoubleVerify and identifies your account. The following is an example of the DoubleVerify CTX URL format.
- CTX URL format - https://doubleverify.com/%5bINPUTCLIENTCODEHERE
Here's a tip
The CTX URL is used only to activate the integration and isn’t meant to load a live webpage.
Integral Ad Science (IAS)
Campaign Manager accepts IAS tags in both the image pixel (HTML) format and direct HTTPS URL format. The following are examples of the image pixel and HTTPS URL tag formats.
- Image pixel format - <IMG SRC="https://pixel.adsafeprotected.com/rfw/st/xxxxxx/xxxxxxxx/skeleton.gif" BORDER=0 WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1 ALT="">
- HTTPS URL format - https://pixel.adsafeprotected.com/rfw/st/xxxxxx/xxxxxxxx/skeleton.gif
Tracking tag error messages and explanations
Review the following potential error messages and their explanation.
| Error message | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Enter a tag from a supported vendor | Displays if your tag doesn't include 'doubleclick.net' or 'ad.atdmt.com'. |
| Ensure the tag you have entered contains 'https://' | Displays if your tag doesn't include 'https'. |
| Enter only one tag per field | Only one tag can be entered into each field. To enter an additional tag, select +Add Another Tag. |
| Enter a valid impression tracking tag | Only impression tracking tags can be added to the impression tab fields. Verify that your tag contains '/trackimp/'. |
| Enter a valid click tracking tag | Only click tracking tags can be added to the click tab. Verify that your click tracking tag contains '/trackclk/'. |
| Enter a valid video tracking tag | Only video tags can be added to the video tab. Verify that you have not entered an impression or click tag. |
Use the Destination URL
If you choose to use the Destination URL, you’ll add the URL when you’re creating your ad in Campaign Manager. After you enter the Destination URL (landing page) of the ad, you can then append UTM parameters to the URL.
Review the following table for Destination URL considerations.
| Consideration | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Timestamp and placeholders | LinkedIn third-party tracking will accept timestamps ("ord") and will ignore placeholders for the site keyname, creative/ad/placement IDs, and height/width/alternate. |
| Special characters | Avoid special characters in Destination URLs as they can break tracking. Examples include: “{”, “}”, “|”, “\”, “^”, “~”, “[”, “]”, and “`” |
| Track only landing page clicks in CM360 | To track only landing page clicks in CM360, set up click tracking using the Destination URL field when you set up your ad in Campaign Manager. This will pass click data to CM360 for users that click to the landing page through the Destination URL but won't track other paid metrics like social actions. |
| UTM codes | UTM codes are only tracked if used in the Destination URL field or if appended within a click tracker on the Destination URL. UTM codes aren't tracked when included within the Clicks tag field click-through URL. |
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