Google Ads Safari Tracking: When to Skip UTM Parameters

Your Google Ads campaigns targeting Safari and iOS users include both manual UTM parameters and Google's automatic gbraid parameter. While this doesn't break tracking, the UTMs are redundant—Google's auto-tagging handles everything.

Here's the complete guide to understanding gbraid and simplifying your Google Ads tracking setup.

What is gbraid?

gbraid = Google Ads Browsing ID (officially: Google Browsing Advertising ID)

It's Google's privacy-safe tracking parameter designed specifically for Safari and iOS traffic where traditional cookies are restricted by Apple's privacy measures.

Example URL with gbraid

Before click (your Google Ad destination URL):

https://yoursite.com/product

After click from Safari/iOS (what user sees):

https://yoursite.com/product?gbraid=abc123xyz...

Google automatically appends this parameter—you don't configure it or build it into your URLs.

Why this happens

Apple's iOS 14+ privacy restrictions limit third-party cookie tracking through:

1. App Tracking Transparency (ATT): Requires user permission for cross-app tracking
2. Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP): Safari blocks third-party cookies by default
3. Private Relay: Hides user IP addresses in Safari

Google introduced gbraid (Google Ads Browsing ID) in 2021 to track Safari and iOS conversions using privacy-safe methods that comply with Apple's requirements.

The Technical Problem gbraid Solves

Traditional tracking (pre-iOS 14):

1. User clicks Google Ad → lands on site with gclid parameter
2. Third-party cookie stores gclid for 90 days
3. User returns days later → cookie links conversion back to original ad

iOS 14+ reality:

• Safari blocks third-party cookies → gclid can't persist
• Attribution window limited to 24 hours or less
• Conversions appear as "Direct" traffic instead of Google Ads

gbraid solution:

• Uses first-party storage methods compatible with Safari
• Aggregated attribution preserves privacy while enabling conversion tracking
• Works within Apple's 7-day attribution window limit

When you add manual UTM parameters to Google Ads, Google still appends gbraid automatically for Safari/iOS traffic. Important: GA4 does NOT create duplicate sessions—auto-tagging takes precedence over manual UTMs. The UTMs are simply ignored, making them unnecessary overhead.

How gbraid Works: Technical Flow

Step 1: User Sees Google Ad on Safari/iOS

You create a Google Ads campaign with a clean destination URL:

https://yourstore.com/sale

Step 2: User Clicks Ad from Safari or iOS Device

Google's ad server detects the device/browser and:

1. Recognizes Safari or iOS browser
2. Generates unique gbraid value containing attribution metadata
3. Appends it to your URL: yourstore.com/sale?gbraid=abc123xyz

Step 3: User Lands on Your Site

Your website has Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads conversion tracking installed. When the page loads:

1. GA4 reads the gbraid parameter from the URL
2. Associates the visit with Google Ads traffic
3. Stores attribution data using first-party methods compatible with Safari

Step 4: User Converts

When the user completes a conversion (purchase, signup, etc.):

1. GA4 sends conversion event to Google
2. Event includes the gbraid value
3. Google matches conversion back to specific campaign, ad group, and keyword
4. Attribution data flows into Google Ads

Step 5: GA4 Recognition

Google Analytics 4 recognizes gbraid and automatically assigns:

• Source: google
• Medium: cpc
• Default Channel: Paid Search
• Campaign: (from auto-tagging data)

No manual UTM parameters needed.

gbraid vs gclid: When Google Uses Each

Google automatically selects the correct parameter based on device and browser—you never manually choose.

The simplification

You can remove manual UTM parameters from Google Ads campaigns since Google handles attribution automatically:

For Safari/iOS traffic: Google appends gbraid For other traffic: Google appends gclid

Both parameters provide complete attribution without manual UTMs.

Step-by-Step: Remove Redundant UTMs

1. Enable auto-tagging (if not already enabled)

1. Open Google Ads
2. Click Settings → Account Settings
3. Find Auto-tagging section
4. Enable: "Tag the URL that people click through from my ad"
5. Save

2. Remove manual UTM parameters

If using Final URL:

• Change: https://yoursite.com/product?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring
• To: https://yoursite.com/product

If using URL template:

• Remove any {lpurl}?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc patterns
• Keep only: {lpurl}

3. Verify in Google Ads

1. Click any ad in your campaigns
2. Click Ad preview or use Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool
3. Select Safari/iOS device
4. Verify URL shows ?gbraid=... appended automatically

4. Test attribution in GA4

1. GA4 → Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition
2. Filter: Session source = google
3. Verify Safari/iOS traffic shows:
   • Source / Medium: google / cpc
   • Default Channel: Paid Search

Google Ads will continue tracking all traffic automatically with the appropriate parameter.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Issue 1: gbraid + Manual UTMs = Redundant Tracking

Problem: You added manual UTMs to Google Ads, but Google still appends gbraid for Safari/iOS traffic.

URL example:

yoursite.com/product?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=summer&gbraid=abc123

Impact: GA4 ignores the UTM parameters and uses gbraid. The UTMs are wasted effort and create URL clutter.

Fix: Remove manual UTMs. Auto-tagging handles everything.

Issue 2: Conversions Not Showing in Google Ads

Problem: GA4 shows conversions from Safari/iOS traffic, but Google Ads shows zero.

Cause: Google Ads conversion tracking not configured.

Fix:

1. Set up Google Ads conversion actions in Google Ads
2. Import GA4 conversions to Google Ads (Admin → Conversions → Google Analytics (GA4))
3. Link Google Ads and GA4 accounts

See: Google Ads Conversion Tracking Guide

Issue 3: gbraid Parameter Stripped by Redirect

Problem: Your final URL redirects (301, 302) and strips the gbraid parameter.

Symptoms:

• Safari/iOS traffic shows as "Direct" in GA4
• Google Ads shows zero conversions from Safari/iOS

Fix:

• Use direct landing pages (no redirects)
• If redirect required, ensure it preserves query parameters
• Test: Click test ad from Safari, verify gbraid in final URL

Issue 4: Attribution Window Too Short

Problem: Conversions happening 8+ days after click not attributed to Google Ads.

Cause: Apple limits attribution windows to 7 days maximum for privacy.

Reality: This is unavoidable with iOS 14+ privacy restrictions. gbraid respects Apple's limits.

Workaround: Use Google Ads data-driven attribution (aggregates conversion data across multiple touchpoints).

gbraid vs Manual UTMs: Detailed Comparison

Verdict: gbraid provides superior attribution with zero configuration for Safari/iOS traffic.

Platform Comparison: Google's Click ID Parameters

All parameters work automatically when auto-tagging is enabled.

FAQ

Do I need to enable gbraid separately from gclid?

No. Enabling auto-tagging in Google Ads activates all Google click ID parameters (gclid, gbraid, wbraid) automatically. Google selects the appropriate parameter based on device and browser.

Can I use both gbraid and manual UTMs?

Technically yes, but the manual UTMs are ignored by GA4. Auto-tagging takes precedence. Using both creates URL clutter without any benefit.

Does gbraid work for organic Google traffic?

No. gbraid only appears on Google Ads clicks from Safari/iOS. Organic search traffic from Safari appears as "google / organic" in GA4 without any click ID parameter.

How long is the gbraid parameter value?

Typically 80-150 characters. Example:

?gbraid=0AAAAADw7i1pQwFjZGE1YmU4LTRhODktNGRmZS05ZjZhLWVjZmU4NzE3YmZmZQ

This is normal and doesn't impact page load speed or SEO.

Can I decode the gbraid parameter to see attribution data?

No. gbraid is an encrypted identifier. Only Google's servers can decrypt it. However, all attribution data captured by gbraid is visible in Google Ads campaign reports.

Does gbraid affect SEO or page rankings?

No. gbraid is a query parameter and doesn't affect SEO. Google treats URLs with different query parameters as the same page for indexing purposes (assuming proper canonical tags).

What happens if a user bookmarks a page with gbraid in the URL?

If a user bookmarks yoursite.com/product?gbraid=abc123xyz and returns later via bookmark, GA4 correctly identifies it as a "Direct" session (since the referrer is the bookmark, not Google Ads).

The original Google Ads click was already tracked with gbraid, so attribution is correct. The return visit is legitimately "Direct".

Why does gbraid show as "cpc" instead of "paidsearch" in GA4?

GA4's default channel grouping assigns Google Ads traffic with gbraid to the "Paid Search" channel with medium "cpc". This is standard. If you prefer different naming, create a custom channel grouping in GA4.

Can I track specific ad creative performance without UTMs?

Yes. gbraid captures ad-level performance automatically. In Google Ads, you can see performance broken down by:

• Campaign
• Ad Group
• Keyword
• Ad (specific headline/description combinations)
• Landing page

No manual utm_content needed.

Does gbraid work if JavaScript is disabled?

Partially. The gbraid parameter still appears in the URL, but conversion tracking requires JavaScript for GA4 and Google Ads tags to fire. Attribution works for page views but not for conversion events.

Related Resources

Internal Guides

• iOS 14 Privacy & UTM Tracking - Complete guide to Apple privacy changes
• Google gclid Explained - How gclid works for non-Safari traffic
• Platform Click ID Conflicts - Auto-tagging across all platforms
• Google Ads Double Sessions Fix - Troubleshooting duplicate sessions

Google Official Documentation

• Google Ads Auto-Tagging - Official auto-tagging guide
• About iOS 14 and web conversion measurement - Official gbraid documentation
• Google Analytics Default Channel Grouping - How GA4 handles gbraid

Conclusion

Google's gbraid parameter is the automatic, privacy-safe tracking solution for Safari and iOS traffic in Google Ads.

Unlike manual UTM parameters, gbraid provides:

• ✅ Zero configuration (automatic)
• ✅ Privacy compliance with Apple's iOS 14+ requirements
• ✅ Keyword and ad-level performance tracking
• ✅ Seamless Google Ads conversion tracking
• ✅ Zero human errors

Best practice for Google Ads:

1. Enable auto-tagging in Google Ads account settings
2. Never add manual UTM parameters to Google Ads campaigns
3. Let Google append the appropriate parameter (gclid, gbraid, or wbraid) automatically
4. Use Google Ads for campaign analysis
5. Use GA4 for aggregate traffic and conversion data

Result: Clean, accurate Google Ads attribution across all devices and browsers without manual work or errors.

Related Documentation:

• Platform Click ID Conflicts
• Google Ads Auto-Tagging Validation