Safari Tracking Best Practices with gbraid (2025)

Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) aggressively blocks third-party cookies and limits first-party cookie lifetimes. Without proper setup, your Google Ads campaigns targeting Safari users lose attribution within 24 hours.

Here's how to track Safari correctly in 2025 using Google's gbraid parameter.

Safari's ITP Restrictions

Safari ITP impacts Google Ads tracking in three critical ways:

1. Cookie deletion: Third-party cookies blocked immediately upon page load

2. Cookie expiration: First-party cookies capped at 7 days maximum (24 hours for client-side JavaScript cookies)

3. Cross-site tracking prevention: URL-based tracking parameters stripped in some redirect scenarios

Real-World Impact on Attribution

Without gbraid (using traditional gclid only):

User clicks Google Ad on Safari → Lands on site → Cookie set (24h expiry)
User returns 3 days later → Converts → Attribution lost (cookie expired)
Result: Conversion shows as "Direct" instead of "Google Ads"

With gbraid (Safari-optimized):

User clicks Google Ad on Safari → Lands with gbraid parameter
User returns 7 days later → Converts → Attribution preserved
Result: Conversion correctly attributed to original Google Ads campaign

Impact: Traditional UTM parameters and standard gclid become unreliable. Conversions occurring more than 24 hours after the ad click lose attribution without gbraid.

Best Practices for Safari Tracking

1. Use gbraid Exclusively (No Manual UTMs)

Google automatically appends gbraid (Google Browsing Advertising ID) for Safari and iOS traffic. This parameter uses ITP-compatible attribution methods.

Never add manual UTM parameters to Google Ads. They conflict with gbraid and create unnecessary complexity.

Automatic gbraid appending:

Your Google Ads destination: yoursite.com/product

User clicks from Safari: yoursite.com/product?gbraid=0AAAAADw7i1p...

Google detects Safari browser and appends gbraid automatically—zero configuration required.

2. Enable Auto-Tagging in Google Ads

Setup steps:

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

This single setting enables:

• gbraid for Safari/iOS traffic
• wbraid for iOS app campaigns
• gclid for all other browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)

3. Implement Server-Side Conversion Tracking

For conversions occurring >24 hours after click, browser cookies may expire. Server-side tracking bypasses cookie limitations.

Why server-side tracking?

• Cookies can't be deleted (server-controlled)
• Works beyond 7-day ITP limit
• Bypasses ad blockers
• 15-25% more conversions attributed correctly

Implementation options:

Option A: Google Ads Conversion Tracking Tag (Server-Side)

<!-- Fire conversion from server after purchase -->
POST https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion/{CONVERSION_ID}
{
  "conversion_action": "purchase",
  "conversion_value": 99.99,
  "currency": "USD",
  "gbraid": "USER_GBRAID_FROM_COOKIE"
}

Option B: Google Tag Manager Server-Side

1. Set up GTM Server Container
2. Forward conversion events from server
3. Include gbraid in payload

Option C: GA4 Measurement Protocol

// Server-side event tracking
fetch('https://www.google-analytics.com/mp/collect', {
  method: 'POST',
  body: JSON.stringify({
    client_id: 'USER_CLIENT_ID',
    events: [{
      name: 'purchase',
      params: {
        value: 99.99,
        currency: 'USD',
        transaction_id: 'ORDER-12345',
        gbraid: 'STORED_GBRAID'
      }
    }]
  })
});

4. Monitor Safari Attribution Separately

Create Safari-specific reports to identify attribution gaps.

GA4 Safari Report Setup:

1. GA4 → Explore → Create new exploration
2. Add filter: Browser exactly matches "Safari"
3. Add dimensions: Source/Medium, Campaign
4. Add metrics: Sessions, Conversions, Revenue
5. Compare Safari conversion rate to Chrome/Firefox

Warning signs of attribution issues:

• Safari conversion rate significantly lower than other browsers
• High "Direct" traffic on Safari compared to other browsers
• Conversion lag time >7 days (check GA4 Time to Conversion report)

5. Use Google Analytics 4 (Not Universal Analytics)

GA4 handles ITP better than Universal Analytics through:

Privacy Sandbox APIs:

• Attribution Reporting API
• Private Click Measurement (PCM)
• Conversion modeling when data gaps exist

Google Signals:

• Cross-device tracking for signed-in Google users
• Bypasses some ITP restrictions

Data-Driven Attribution:

• Machine learning fills attribution gaps
• Reduces impact of cookie deletion

6. Optimize Attribution Windows for Safari

Adjust attribution windows to match Safari's cookie limitations.

Default Google Ads attribution windows:

• Click-through conversions: 30 days
• View-through conversions: 1 day

Recommended for Safari-heavy traffic:

• Click-through conversions: 7 days (matches Safari cookie expiry)
• View-through conversions: 1 day (unchanged)

How to adjust:

1. Google Ads → Tools & Settings → Conversions
2. Select conversion action
3. Click Edit settings
4. Change Click-through conversion window to 7 days
5. Save

7. Test gbraid Implementation

Verify gbraid works correctly before scaling campaigns.

Testing checklist:

Step 1: Create test campaign

• Budget: $10/day
• Target: Safari users (device targeting)
• Single ad group

Step 2: Click test ad from Safari

• Use Safari browser (desktop or iOS)
• Click your ad
• Inspect URL in address bar
• Verify ?gbraid= parameter present

Step 3: Check GA4 real-time report

• GA4 → Reports → Real-time
• Filter by Browser = Safari
• Verify traffic shows as "google / cpc" (not referral)

Step 4: Test conversion attribution

• Complete test purchase/conversion
• Wait 24-48h
• Check Google Ads conversions report
• Verify conversion attributed to Safari campaign

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: Safari Traffic Shows as "Referral" Instead of "Paid"

Problem: Safari clicks from Google Ads appear as "google / referral" in GA4.

Cause: gbraid parameter missing or not recognized.

Fix:

1. Verify auto-tagging enabled in Google Ads
2. Check for URL redirects stripping gbraid:
   • Landing page 301/302 redirects
   • JavaScript-based redirects
   • Server-side redirects (PHP, Node.js, etc.)
3. Ensure redirects preserve query parameters:

   PhpCopy

   // ❌ Wrong (loses parameters)
   header("Location: /new-page");
    
   // ✅ Correct (preserves gbraid)
   $params = $_SERVER['QUERY_STRING'];
   header("Location: /new-page?" . $params);

Issue 2: Conversions Lost After 24 Hours

Problem: Safari users who convert >24h after ad click show as Direct traffic.

Cause: Client-side cookies expired (Safari's 24h limit).

Fix:

1. Implement server-side conversion tracking (see Option A/B/C above)
2. Store gbraid in server-side session or database
3. Send gbraid with conversion event from server

Issue 3: gbraid Parameter Missing

Problem: Safari clicks don't include gbraid in URL.

Cause: Browser detection failed or auto-tagging disabled.

Fix:

1. Verify auto-tagging enabled: Google Ads → Settings → Auto-tagging
2. Clear Safari cache and cookies, test again
3. Try from different Safari device (desktop vs iOS)
4. Check Google Ads account-level auto-tagging (not campaign-level)

FAQ

What's the difference between gbraid and gclid?

gclid is Google's standard click identifier for Chrome, Firefox, Edge. gbraid is the Safari/iOS-specific version designed to work within Apple's Intelligent Tracking Prevention framework.

Does gbraid work on iOS Chrome and Firefox?

Yes. On iOS, all browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) use Safari's WebKit engine and are subject to ITP. Google appends gbraid for all iOS traffic regardless of browser.

How long does gbraid attribution last?

7 days for Safari desktop, 7 days for iOS. This matches Safari's maximum first-party cookie lifetime under ITP.

Can I use manual UTMs with gbraid?

Technically yes, but it's redundant. GA4 prioritizes gbraid over UTMs. Manual UTMs are ignored when gbraid is present.

Will gbraid work if user has ad blockers?

Client-side tracking may be blocked. Server-side conversion tracking bypasses ad blockers by sending events from your server (not the user's browser).

Does gbraid affect iOS app campaigns?

No. iOS app campaigns use wbraid (Web-to-App Browsing ID), not gbraid. gbraid is for web-based Safari traffic only.

How do I track Safari users who delete cookies immediately?

Server-side tracking is the only reliable method. Store gbraid server-side immediately on landing page load, then use it for conversion attribution later.

Can I see which conversions came from Safari specifically?

Yes. In GA4, add "Browser" as a secondary dimension in your conversion reports. Filter by Browser = "Safari" to see Safari-specific conversion data.

Should I create separate campaigns for Safari users?

Not necessary. Google Ads automatically handles device/browser detection and applies the correct tracking parameter (gbraid for Safari, gclid for others).

What happens if I disable auto-tagging?

Safari attribution breaks. Without gbraid, Safari traffic appears as referral or direct traffic. Always keep auto-tagging enabled for Google Ads.

Related Resources

Internal Guides

• Fix gbraid UTM Conflicts - Remove redundant UTM parameters
• Google Ads Double Sessions Fix - Troubleshooting duplicate data
• iOS 14 Privacy & Tracking - Complete iOS privacy guide
• Platform Click ID Conflicts - Auto-tagging across all platforms

Google Official Documentation

• About gbraid - Official Google gbraid documentation
• Auto-tagging for iOS 14+ - iOS tracking guide

Apple Resources

• Intelligent Tracking Prevention - Official ITP documentation
• Privacy Preserving Ad Click Attribution - Apple's PCM framework

Conclusion

Safari tracking in 2025 requires gbraid parameter and server-side conversion tracking for attribution beyond 24 hours.

Best practices checklist:

• ✅ Enable auto-tagging in Google Ads (gbraid appends automatically)
• ✅ Never add manual UTM parameters to Google Ads campaigns
• ✅ Implement server-side conversion tracking for >24h attribution
• ✅ Use GA4 (not Universal Analytics)
• ✅ Adjust attribution windows to 7 days for Safari-heavy traffic
• ✅ Monitor Safari attribution separately in GA4 reports
• ✅ Test gbraid implementation before scaling campaigns
• ✅ Preserve gbraid in URL redirects (server-side and client-side)

Result: Accurate Safari attribution for Google Ads with ITP-compliant tracking.

Related Documentation:

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