Platform Click ID Conflicts: Complete Technical Guide

Every advertising platform appends its own click ID parameter to track conversions. But GA4 can only read Google's click IDs automatically. Understanding which platforms require manual UTMs prevents broken attribution.

Understanding Platform Click IDs and GA4

Two Types of Click IDs

Type 1: Google Click IDs (GA4 can read these natively)

• gclid - Google Ads standard (all browsers except Safari/iOS)
• wbraid - Google Ads iOS app campaigns
• gbraid - Google Ads Safari/iOS web campaigns

Type 2: Non-Google Click IDs (GA4 CANNOT read these)

• fbclid - Facebook/Instagram Ads
• msclkid - Microsoft Ads (Bing)
• li_fat_id - LinkedIn Ads
• ttclid - TikTok Ads
• twclid - Twitter/X Ads
• epik - Pinterest Ads
• ScCid - Snapchat Ads

The Critical Difference

Google Platforms (gclid, wbraid, gbraid)

How GA4 handles them:

• ✅ GA4 reads these natively and automatically classifies traffic
• ✅ No manual UTM parameters needed
• ✅ Campaign, source, medium all automatically populated in GA4
• ✅ Full attribution without any configuration

Manual UTMs with Google click IDs:

• ⚠️ Technically allowed but redundant
• ⚠️ GA4 ignores UTMs when Google click ID present
• ✅ Recommendation: Use click ID only for cleaner URLs

Example URL (Google Ads):

yoursite.com/product?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI...

GA4 attribution (automatic):
Source: google
Medium: cpc
Campaign: [from Google Ads]

Non-Google Platforms (All Others)

How GA4 handles them:

• ❌ GA4 CANNOT read these click IDs for attribution
• ❌ Without UTMs, traffic shows as referral with no campaign data
• ✅ UTM parameters are REQUIRED for GA4 attribution
• ✅ Platform click ID still used by platform (Facebook Pixel, TikTok Pixel, etc.)

Both needed simultaneously:

• ✅ Platform click ID → Platform's conversion tracking
• ✅ Manual UTMs → GA4 attribution
• ✅ Both can coexist without conflicts

Example URL (Facebook Ads with correct UTMs):

yoursite.com/product?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=spring&fbclid=IwAR...

GA4 attribution (from UTMs):
Source: facebook
Medium: paid-social
Campaign: spring

Facebook Pixel attribution (from fbclid):
Full conversion tracking in Facebook Ads Manager

Platform-by-Platform Breakdown

*Microsoft's msclkid is recognized by GA4 in some cases, but best practice is to add UTMs for consistency.

The Solution by Platform Type

For Google Ads: Never Add Manual UTMs

❌ Wrong (redundant UTMs):

yoursite.com/product?gclid=abc123&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc

✅ Correct (gclid only):

yoursite.com/product?gclid=abc123

Why: GA4 ignores the UTMs when gclid is present. They're unnecessary clutter.

For Non-Google Platforms: Always Add UTMs

❌ Wrong (click ID alone - broken GA4 attribution):

yoursite.com/product?fbclid=IwAR123

GA4 shows: facebook.com / referral (no campaign data!)

✅ Correct (both click ID and UTMs):

yoursite.com/product?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=spring&fbclid=IwAR123

GA4 shows: facebook / paid-social with campaign = "spring"

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Relying on Non-Google Click IDs for GA4

Problem:

TikTok Ad URL: yoursite.com/sale
Clicked URL: yoursite.com/sale?ttclid=abc123

GA4 attribution:
Source/Medium: tiktok.com / referral
Campaign: (not set)

Why it's bad: No campaign-level attribution. Can't measure ROAS.

Fix: Add UTMs to TikTok Ads Manager:

yoursite.com/sale?utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=spring

Mistake 2: Adding UTMs to Google Ads "Just in Case"

Problem:

yoursite.com/product?gclid=xyz&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand

Why it's wasteful:

• UTMs completely ignored by GA4 (gclid takes precedence)
• Longer URLs (bad for user experience)
• Maintenance overhead for zero benefit

Fix: Remove UTMs. Trust gclid.

Mistake 3: Mixing Click IDs from Multiple Platforms

Problem:

yoursite.com/product?gclid=abc&fbclid=xyz

Why it's broken:

• Only happens if URL shared between platforms (don't do this!)
• GA4 reads gclid, ignores fbclid
• Facebook reads fbclid, ignores gclid
• Attribution splits incorrectly

Fix: Use platform-specific URLs. Never share URLs between ad platforms.

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Facebook/TikTok/LinkedIn Traffic Shows as Referral

Problem: Running ads on non-Google platforms, but GA4 shows all traffic as referral.

Cause: No UTM parameters added to ad URLs.

Fix:

1. Open platform's ads manager (Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.)
2. Edit campaign destination URLs
3. Add UTMs:

   CodeCopy

   ?utm_source=[platform]&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=[campaign]
   

4. Platform automatically appends its click ID when user clicks ad
5. Both parameters coexist without conflicts

Issue 2: Google Ads Showing Wrong Campaign Names

Problem: Google Ads campaigns show different names in GA4.

Cause: Manual UTMs overriding Google's automatic campaign naming.

Fix:

1. Remove manual UTM parameters from Google Ads
2. Enable auto-tagging in Google Ads
3. Let gclid/gbraid/wbraid handle everything automatically

Issue 3: Multiple Click IDs on Same URL

Problem: URL contains both gclid and fbclid (or other combinations).

Cause: URL shared across platforms or retargeting misconfigured.

Fix:

1. Never share URLs between advertising platforms
2. Use platform-specific UTMs for each channel
3. If retargeting from Google Ads to Facebook: Create new URL with Facebook UTMs

FAQ

Does Facebook's fbclid work with GA4?

No. GA4 cannot read fbclid for attribution. You must add manual UTM parameters to Facebook Ads for GA4 tracking. Facebook Pixel still uses fbclid for its own conversion tracking.

Can I use gclid and UTMs together?

Technically yes, but pointless. GA4 ignores UTMs when gclid is present. The gclid provides all attribution data automatically.

What about Microsoft Ads (Bing)?

Microsoft's msclkid is recognized by GA4 in most cases, but adding UTMs is still recommended for consistency and complete control over attribution.

Do UTMs interfere with platform click IDs?

No. UTMs and platform click IDs coexist without conflicts. GA4 reads UTMs for attribution, while platform pixels (Facebook Pixel, TikTok Pixel) read their respective click IDs for conversion tracking.

Should I add UTMs to organic social posts?

Optional but recommended for differentiation:

• Paid social: Platform click ID + UTMs
• Organic social: UTMs only (e.g., utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social)

This helps distinguish paid vs organic traffic in GA4.

What happens if I forget to add UTMs to non-Google ads?

Traffic shows as referral in GA4 with no campaign attribution. You lose all campaign-level insights, can't calculate ROAS, and can't optimize based on GA4 data.

Can I decode click IDs to see campaign data?

No. All click IDs (gclid, fbclid, ttclid, etc.) are encrypted. Only the platform's servers can decrypt them. However, all attribution data appears in platform dashboards and (for Google) in GA4 reports.

How do I know which click ID my platform uses?

Click one of your ads and inspect the landing page URL. The parameter appended automatically is your platform's click ID.

Do all platforms append click IDs automatically?

Yes. All major advertising platforms (Google, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Microsoft, Snapchat) automatically append their click ID when users click ads. No configuration required.

What's the difference between click IDs and UTM parameters?

• Click IDs: Auto-appended by ad platforms, encrypted, used for platform-specific conversion tracking
• UTM parameters: Manually added, human-readable, used for GA4 attribution and cross-platform analysis

Both serve different purposes and should be used together for non-Google platforms.

Related Resources

Internal Guides

• Multiple Platform IDs Detected - Troubleshooting mixed click IDs
• URL Manipulation Tracking Errors - Common URL issues
• Complete UTM Tracking Guide - UTM fundamentals
• Auto-Tagging vs Manual UTM - When to use each

Platform-Specific Guides

• Google Ads gclid - Google Ads setup
• Facebook Ads fbclid - Facebook Ads setup
• TikTok Ads ttclid - TikTok Ads setup
• LinkedIn Ads li_fat_id - LinkedIn Ads setup
• Twitter Ads twclid - Twitter Ads setup

Conclusion

GA4 only reads Google's click IDs automatically. All other platforms require manual UTM parameters for proper attribution.

Quick reference:

• Google Ads → gclid/gbraid/wbraid only (no UTMs needed)
• Facebook/Instagram → UTMs + fbclid (both required)
• TikTok → UTMs + ttclid (both required)
• LinkedIn → UTMs + li_fat_id (both required)
• Twitter/X → UTMs + twclid (both required)
• Pinterest → UTMs + epik (both required)
• Microsoft Ads → msclkid (optionally add UTMs)

Result: Complete attribution across all platforms in GA4 + platform-specific conversion tracking.

Related Documentation:

• Platform Click ID Conflicts
• Auto-Tagging Validation