What This Rule Detects

Detects when Snapchat's click ID parameter (ScCid or sccid) appears without matching UTM parameters. Unlike Google's gclid, GA4 does NOT natively recognize Snapchat's click ID, so this traffic will be misattributed.

Why It Matters

Business Impact:

• Paid traffic misattributed - Shows as referral or direct traffic instead of paid campaigns
• Campaign invisibility - Cannot track Snapchat ad performance in GA4
• Budget waste - Spending money on ads with no attribution
• ROI calculation impossible - Can't measure campaign effectiveness

Technical Reality: GA4 only natively supports Google's click IDs (gclid, dclid, wbraid, gbraid). For all other platforms including Snapchat, you MUST add UTM parameters alongside the platform's click ID.

Required Setup:

❌ WRONG: yoursite.com?sccid=abc123
   Result: Traffic shows as "snapchat.com / referral"

✅ CORRECT: yoursite.com?sccid=abc123&utm_source=snapchat&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=story-ads
   Result: Properly attributed as paid Snapchat campaign

How to Fix

Step 1: Add UTM Parameters to Snapchat Ads

1. Open Snapchat Ads Manager
2. Go to your ad set or ad settings
3. Add URL parameters:
   • utm_source=snapchat
   • utm_medium=paid-social (or cpc)
   • utm_campaign={{campaign.name}} (use Snapchat's dynamic parameter)
4. Keep ScCid enabled (don't disable Snapchat's auto-tagging)
5. Result: URL will have BOTH sccid AND UTM parameters

Step 2: Verify in GA4

• Check Acquisition reports for "snapchat / paid-social"
• Confirm sessions are no longer showing as referral
• Campaign attribution now visible

Why Both Are Needed:

• sccid = For Snapchat's internal tracking and Pixel attribution
• UTM parameters = For GA4 to properly attribute the traffic
• Both together = Complete tracking across platforms

FAQ

Does Snapchat + UTMs create duplicate sessions?

No. GA4 does NOT create duplicate sessions. Having both sccid and UTM parameters is the CORRECT setup for Snapchat ads in GA4.

Why doesn't GA4 read sccid like it reads gclid?

GA4 only natively supports Google's own click IDs. For all other platforms, manual UTM parameters are required for proper attribution.

Will this work for organic Snapchat links?

This rule only applies to paid Snapchat ads (which include sccid). Organic Snapchat links don't have click IDs and will naturally show as "snapchat.com / referral".

What happens if I remove UTMs and only use sccid?

Your traffic will show as "snapchat.com / referral" in GA4. You'll lose all campaign-level attribution and cannot track ad performance.

External Resources

• Snapchat for Business - URL Parameters
• GA4 Traffic Source Dimensions