Apple recently updated its iOS 14.5 interface to include a change to its App Tracking Transparency policy. This change impacts how Google reports and measures conversion information, meaning businesses like WildJar will no longer be able to send the Google click identifier (known as GCLID) for traffic coming from some Google apps when used on iOS 14.5 devices.
What does this mean for your business and how can you make sure you’re continuing to collect valuable marketing insights from your iOS 14.5 customers? Read on to see how Google and WildJar are responding.
GBRAID is a URL parameter that Google Ads uses to attribute app conversions back to your web ad campaigns. It is a replacement for the GCLID, which is no longer used on iOS 14.5+ devices without user consent.
GBRAID is added to landing page URLs when auto-tagging is enabled for all iOS 14.5+ clicks. It then tracks the performance of these campaigns (Search, Shopping, Display, and Performance Max deep-link ads on iOS), providing advertisers with valuable data on conversions, clicks, and impressions.
To put it simply: GBRAID is designed to measure web-to-app conversions.
Here is an example of how a GBRAID parameter might look:
Code snippet
https://www.example.com/?gBraid=12345678901234567890
The GBRAID parameter is 12345678901234567890 in this example.
If you are using Google Ads to run campaigns that target iOS users, you should be using GBRAID to track your conversions. This will help you to ensure that you are getting the most out of your campaigns and that you are able to make informed decisions about your marketing strategy.
To accommodate for this change in Apple data sharing, Google has implemented two new parameters: GBRAID and WBRAID. The new parameters will be added to the landing page URL for traffic from Google apps on iOS 14.5 devices, in place of the previous GCLID parameter.
Instead of a unique GCLID being assigned to a click, the new parameters will be created and assigned to a group of users using aggregate techniques, meaning multiple users will have the same ID assigned.
As a WildJar call tracking customer, this could impact the accuracy of conversion data received from Google as well as conversions being sent from WildJar to your Google account. Our team has been busy behind the scenes preparing! If you are currently using DNI to switch out numbers for Google Paid channels, then no need to worry, as we have automatically updated the script to dynamically swap the new GBRAID and WBRAID parameters.
The digital industry at large continues to grapple with how to address data usage and privacy concerns for consumers while still gathering valuable marketing insights for businesses. In response to the ever changing market environment, our team is committed to continuing to adapt and provide value for our customers. For everything you need to know regarding this update, please review our detailed support article.
