How To Add Parameters To Facebook Ad

How To Add Facebook Ad URL Parameters [The Correct Way]

What are URL Parameters in Facebook Ads?

Facebook Ad URL Parameters are added to the end of your website URL to track where your visitors are coming from.

Why is it important to add Facebook Advert URL Parameters?

Well to better explain, let's look at it this fashion:

I wake up belatedly. Equally I rush to get set up I am convincing myself it was worth it. Afterward all, I had a peachy time connecting with friends. Plus I piece of work difficult so it's important for my wellness to let loose. Ya know? Y'all virtually likely are familiar with this late morning dialogue. Equally I am about to head out the door I desire to grab my keys…look! what? I tin't find the dam keys! Where did I put them?

Ever been on a deadline to go campaigns live? Oh wait, the artistic squad is handing off final creative only 16 hours before launch! Bully. 🤯 But with some ninja media buying skills, I get these ads live simply on fourth dimension. 😌 Now you want to check Facebook Ad Operation in Google Analytics and yous take a await. Where the F**k are my Facebook campaigns???

This volition happen if you forget to add Facebook Ad URL Parameters. However, with a consequent naming and tagging process in identify, you tin avoid the headache.

Back to my late simply well worth it morning. If I had a consistent identify to put my keys every fourth dimension I walked in the door I would not be scrambling to find them. Maybe one 24-hour interval I'll get my sh*t together.

Outset things First – Facebook URL Parameters

Creating Facebook Advert URL Parameters can go a deadening chore. This is why it is ofttimes a missed step past media buyers. However, setting up URL Parameters the right style is crucial for legible reporting.

This postal service volition cover:

Defining a consistent naming convention leveraging UTM Parameter fields
Facebook Dynamic UTM Parameters (Facebook URL Builder)
Automated Facebook Ad tagging (EasyAutoTagging)
Manual Facebook Ad tagging (Bulk Export and Import)

But, I can't talk about adding Facebook URL Parameters without going into the why.

And then let'southward dig a fiddling deeper than a lost primal analogy.

This is specially true because anybody has a different approach on how to build a URL Parameter in Facebook. Below I will explain the process I take used tracking Facebook ads in Google Analytics.

Note: If you already know how to employ URL Parameters and are looking to get to the how-to you can skip the adjacent section.

Why Track Ads Across Facebook & Google Analytics?

If Facebook conversion tracking is in place why carp with tracking Facebook ads in Google Analytics?

There are a number of reasons. The master two existence the departure in conversion attribution and reporting in silos.

Google Analytics tracks conversions on a concluding-click model. Facebook tracks conversion on a 28 post-click 1-solar day post-view attribution model.
Google Analytics is a channel-agnostic reporting platform. Even though they are part of the Google production stack. Facebook's focus is on, well, Facebook.

Information technology is important to understand how your ads are performing in the short and long term. To understand these trends yous accept to clarify performance beyond Google Analytics and Facebook.

Too, since Google Analytics is channel-agnostic. Yous are able to analyze information across channels in 1 place. If you have enough data volume you tin likewise leverage Google Attribution.

Multi-Channel Funnels in Google Analytics can evidence you ad performance in a non-linear ecosystem. This is important for building funnels. Besides every bit understanding a client's path to purchase.

Information technology is every bit of import to expect at platform performance metrics in the Ads Manager. Since Facebook tracks people, non cookies. It can tell you if people purchase further down the road. But Facebook cannot tell yous how and if they have come up to your site through other channels prior to making a purchase. Although y'all tin become some insights into this using Facebook Attribution.

Then to reiterate. To exist an effective marketer tracking Facebook Ad Parameters in Google Analytics is important. Otherwise, you will take no manner to discover your Facebook campaigns.

Permit'southward take a expect at what URL Parameters are.

How do URL Parameters Work?

URL Parameters are a string of characters you can append to any URL preceding a ? that contains custom campaign information you would similar to runway.

The five standard URL Parameters that Google Analytics uses are called UTM Parameters. They consist of v values that translate equally Dimensions in Google Analytics.

The 5 UTM Parameters are:

Source

Medium

Entrada

Term

Content

Simply put, URL parameters consist of 'tags'. You can suspend these 'tags' that contain campaign information to any URL.

Y'all tin can use URL Builders to generate these or create them manually. Nosotros will take a look at iii ways to process UTMs. Transmission tagging, automated tagging, and dynamic Facebook URL parameters.

First, allow's have a await at how you lot can ascertain Facebook Ad URL Parameters specifically.

How To Define Facebook Ads URL Parameters

Bucketed information does not help us sympathise Facebook Campaign performance. So at least we volition want to segment data to these 5 dimensions:

Channel

Medium

Campaign

Audience

Creative

The default UTM Parameter fields we can leverage for this are:

utm_source – Source is used to rail the main name of the referer of traffic. Typically the name of the platform is used i.east. Facebook, Instagram

utm_medium – technically this is reserved for the marketing medium. For example 'cpc' or 'referral'. Simply yous can leverage this tag to track audiences.

utm_content – I use this field for ad level tracking i.due east. Lifestyle Image 01. This will allow me to segment performance on the artistic level.

utm_campaign – The entrada proper name

Note: Make sure the creative name is consistent across ad sets. Doing this will ensure that you tin pull aggregated creative. Which is valuable to sympathise performance across multiple campaigns/channels/audiences. The aforementioned applies to audiences (Read: Advertisement Sets) used across multiple campaigns.

As an illustration here is an instance of the Facebook Ad URL Parameter:

utm_source – facebook

utm_medium – Moms of Toddlers

utm_content – Lifestyle Epitome 01

utm_campaign – Kids Products

www.example.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=Moms+of+Toddlers&utm_content=Lifestyle+Epitome+01&utm_campaign=Kids+Products

A Few Things to Keep In Mind

UTMs are case sensitive – You can employ capitals and spaces. However, upper and lower case letters are tracked in dissever rows in Google Analytics. This can mess with data assemblage beyond a dimension. Having said that, using upper or lower case values is ok which for some makes reporting easier to read. Although in that location is no difficult and fast rule, others adopt to keep all lower case and avoid using spaces.

Y'all can set lowercase filters to maintain consistency. If you want to brand sure that all URL Parameters translate every bit lower case in GA.

Consequent Naming Convention – This is super important. It is one thing to track ads using Facebook URL Parameters. Information technology is some other to organize your information and make information technology legible. Having a clear and consistent naming convention or UTM Profile cannot exist stressed plenty.

Default Channel Group – Using the medium field to track audiences goes against its conventional use. Its ok to do but keep in this volition mess with your default channel grouping in GA. However, you can modify or create custom channel groupings to suit for this.

Custom URL Parameters – Custom Facebook Advertizement URL Parameters come up in handy if you don't want to modify default channels in Google Analytics. You tin too utilise custom parameters to track boosted data. This tin exist done mapping custom parameters to custom dimensions . A perfect solution for tracking non-standard campaign details such as Audience or Placement.

Don't forget to tag new ads – Make sure you are e'er adding URL Parameters to new ads. If you forget, Facebook traffic volition exist bucketed into referral traffic. Y'all cannot retroactively update traffic in Google Analytics. Therefore, make sure that you accept UTMs in place advertizing the onset of a campaign.

Building out unique URLs across campaigns tin can become a tedious and time-consuming task.

Although Google provides a bones URL Architect. Which works well for i-off links. However, the Google URL Architect not well suited for calculation Facebook Ads UTM Parameters to campaigns with 100'south or 1000's of Facebook Ads.

Only there are 3 alternatives to generate Facebook Ad UTM Parameters at scale:

Facebook Dynamic URL Parameters
Automated – EasyAutoTagging
Manual – Bulk Consign and Import

Facebook released its ain Facebook URL Builder. Then pulled it. So re-released information technology. (Don't worry this was back on 2018)

Their URL Architect allows you to use both static and dynamic values. What is the difference between static and dynamic?

Static values is any text yous enter manually. For example 'facebook' or 'cpc'
Dynamic values use Facebook campaign values. For example, the proper name-based value {{campaign.proper noun}} will always populate that UTM field with its corresponding Facebook campaign name.

The Facebook URL Builder makes it piece of cake to create these. Once you select a field it will show a drop-down with bachelor dynamic values.

Using the case above here is what the fields filled out would look like.

If you practise non want to skew Google Analytics default channels you can use custom parameters that would look something like this.

Notice how I employ Custom Parameters? This Facebook Add URL Parameter will accept the typical medium value of cpc. And so I added a custom parameter utm_audience which dynamically pulls the advertising gear up name.

This method works well for medium-sized accounts. Since Facebook Dynamic URL Parameters make it possible to update many campaigns at once. Even so, this does not salvage time if y'all have custom campaign parameters, that aren't Facebook values.

Continue in mind: For name-based values, Facebook only uses the proper name at the time the campaign was published. If you change a entrada, advertizement set or advertising name information technology will non exist reflected in your UTM.

name based dynamic parameter values facebook

There are a few reasons this is non the best method:

Not pulling name-based values. There is too much mistake-prone dependence. Considering the individual setting upwards Facebook campaigns has to get the right naming structure set up prior to publishing. Even if publishing campaigns in draft mode.
Limitations of dynamic parameters. In that location is no scaleability if you need to add custom internal values to your UTM Parameters. In thas case, you are dorsum to resorting to a transmission procedure.

Let'southward look at ii other methods that are less human being fault-prone, tin be scaled and are customizable.

Given that the above procedure is however somewhat involved there is an easier way.

EasyAutoTagging is a elementary and quick URL Builder. Information technology auto tags Facebook ads using custom or dynamic values based on your UTM Profile.

Allow's accept a wait at how information technology works.

Yous can create a UTM Profile in the Profiles Section. A UTM Profile makes certain that your Facebook Advertizement URL Parameters stay consequent.

You can assign the UTM Profile to i or multiple data connectors.

Data connectors are containers where you specify tagging details. Yous tin select the Facebook business relationship and Facebook campaigns using filters.

Continuous tagging – With continuous tagging selected EasyAutoTagging volition auto-detect any new ads or proper name changes. So process parameters using your defined UTM profile.

You can create i or multiple information connectors for each advertisement business relationship. This allows you to assign corresponding UTM Profiles matching your naming convention and campaign type.

Using EasyAutoTagging:

Ensures URL Parameter Consistency across campaigns
Uses current values for dynamic name-based values
Automates the tagging procedure. This way you can't forget to add Facebook Advertising URL Parameters for new ads.
Imports Facebook cost data into Google Analytics using the aforementioned UTM Contour. This way you can report and analyze Facebook operation in Google Analytics.
New – View Google Analytics conversions for Facebook dynamic {{site_source_name}} and {{placement}} breakdowns.

You can find footstep past step instructions on how to do this here .

Go to the campaign view in Power Editor
Select the campaigns with the ads y'all would like to tag
Click consign selected and salve the generated CSV file

Next, open up the spreadsheet and navigate to the URL Tags column

Paste the following code into the first blank cell.

="utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign="&B2&"&utm_medium="&M2&"&utm_content="&DL2

Brand certain that each UTM value is referencing the right cell respectively:

B2 – Campaign Name

M2 – Ad Set Name

DL2 – Advert Name

Select all empty cells in that cavalcade and hit ctrl D. Verify that the values expect right.

Copy the entire column and paste values only

ASCII Formatting

Now all characters outside the ASCII set will have to exist converted into a valid ASCII format.

Therefore we need to encode any characters, such every bit space or dash, into a format that tin be transmitted over the Internet. (W3schools has an ASCII Encoding Reference hither.)

In this case, we only have spaces so we demand to replace these with %20 or a +.

To practice this perform a simple find and replace for all in this cavalcade and replace space with a +

Your final results should look something like this:

Salve the spreadsheet.

Get dorsum to Power Editor and import selected spreadsheet.

You lot should see this bulletin. If there are no errors or warnings click close. If you lot exercise have errors or warnings discard changes and start with a clean export.

Notation:Considering you are re-importing the entire spreadsheet information technology can happen that Power Editor volition show that more changes have occurred than just adding URL tracking parameters.

It's a Facebook bug simply I have not seen this as an consequence since it is updating settings exactly matching the export.

Spot cheque your tags at this step to ensure that the import was successful.

If everything looks practiced you can apply changes.

Note:This is forFacebook URL parameter placement in the Ads Manager only. Make sure you Practice Not include a ? at the outset of the URL Parameters or none of your ad tracking volition piece of work.