Google Ads Tracking Template
Linkly can act as a certified Google Ads click tracker, recording every ad click against a specific link in your account — without slowing down the user's journey to your landing page.
How it works
Google Ads uses parallel tracking: when someone clicks your ad, Google sends the user directly to your landing page and simultaneously fires a background beacon to your tracking template URL. Linkly receives that beacon, records the click (including the Google Click ID), and returns immediately. There is no extra redirect in the user's path.
This is different from older redirect-based tracking. Because the tracker runs in the background, it has no effect on page-load speed or ad quality scores.
How to set up a Google Ads tracking template with Linkly
Open a link's edit page.
Go to Links, find the link you want to track in Google Ads, and click Edit.
Scroll to the Tracking section and expand Google Ads tracking template.
The section is collapsed by default. Click it to reveal your personalised tracking template URL.
Click the copy button to copy the tracking template URL.
The URL looks like: https://linklytrack.com/track/your-domain.com/your-slug?redirect_url={lpurl}. The {lpurl} part is a Google ValueTrack parameter — leave it exactly as-is. Google fills it in with your landing page URL at click time.
Open Google Ads and go to Settings → Account settings → Tracking.
You can also set the tracking template at campaign or ad-group level if you only want to track specific campaigns.
Paste the tracking template URL into the Tracking template field and save.
Click the Test button in Google Ads to verify the template resolves correctly.
Google will check that the URL responds and that {lpurl} is present. Once the test passes, your ad clicks will start appearing in your Linkly link analytics.
What gets recorded
For each ad click Linkly records:
- Click count — appears in your link's analytics alongside organic clicks.
- Google Click ID (gclid) — stored with the click for future use, such as offline conversion import back to Google Ads.
- Destination URL — the landing page Google substituted for
{lpurl}.
Ad clicks are tagged with source: gads in the click data, so they can be distinguished from organic clicks in analytics queries.
About linklytrack.com
All tracking templates use the domain linklytrack.com, which is Linkly's dedicated Google Ads tracking domain. Google's certified click tracker programme requires a single approved domain per tracker provider. Using your own custom Linkly domain in the tracking template would not be approved by Google, so all ad traffic routes through linklytrack.com regardless of which custom domain your short link normally uses.
Frequently asked questions
Does using a tracking template slow down my ads?
No. Google's parallel tracking sends users directly to your landing page. The tracking template is fired as a background request and has no effect on how fast your landing page loads or on your ad quality score.
Do ad clicks count towards my Linkly click allowance?
Yes. Each ad click recorded through the tracking template counts as one click in your Linkly account, the same as an organic click on the same link.
What is {lpurl} and should I change it?
{lpurl} is a Google ValueTrack parameter. When your ad is served, Google automatically replaces it with your landing page URL. You should leave it exactly as-is in the tracking template — do not substitute a real URL.
Can I use the tracking template with any Linkly link?
Yes. Every saved link in Linkly has its own tracking template URL, generated from that link's domain and slug. Open the link's edit page, expand the Google Ads tracking template section, and copy the URL.
Can I set the tracking template at account level to cover all my ads?
You can set one tracking template at account level, but each template URL is specific to one Linkly link. If you want to track multiple ads against different Linkly links, set the tracking template at campaign or ad-group level, using the appropriate link's template for each.
My ads are showing a policy violation for an unapproved click tracker. What should I do?
Linkly's tracking domain (linklytrack.com) is built to meet Google's transparency requirements for certified click trackers and is pending Google's formal certification. If you see a policy violation, contact Linkly support and we can advise on next steps.
Where can I see which clicks came from Google Ads?
Ad clicks are mixed into your standard link analytics. They are tagged internally with source=gads, which means they can be filtered in a BigQuery export if you have the analytics integration set up. A dedicated Google Ads view in the dashboard is planned.
Plan availability
Available on Free, Pro, Business, Enterprise and above
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