Custom parameters are an advanced type of URL parameter that you can add to your ad’s landing page URLs. Unlike ValueTrack parameters, you can choose what values your custom parameters record once someone clicks on your ad.
This article explains the steps you’ll need to take to set up custom parameters at different levels of your account.
Number of custom parameters available
While Google Ads allows 8 custom parameters at each level, Search Ads 360 creates up to 4 custom parameters in some levels to store data such as names and IDs of campaigns and accounts. If you create campaigns and other items in Google Ads, be sure to leave enough empty custom parameters for Search Ads 360 to create its custom parameters when you sync in the new items.
Learn more about Search Ads 360 custom parameters.
Before you begin
If you’re not familiar with tracking in Google Ads or ValueTrack parameters, consider reviewing About tracking in Google Ads and Using ValueTrack parameters in your tracking template before getting started.
Instructions for setting up custom parameters
Step 1: Choose a level
You can create up to 8 custom parameters at any level of your account except for the account level. If your custom parameters use the same name, Google Ads will use the most specific custom parameter that you create. This means that if you create a custom parameter for an ad group (e.g. {_color}=red) and a custom parameter for one of the ads within that ad group (e.g. {_color}=blue), Google Ads will use the ad-level custom parameter ({_color}=blue).
Step 2: Define your custom parameters
Custom parameters consist of two parts:
- Name: Up to 16 alphanumeric characters
- Value: Up to 250 characters; can contain any characters (including | ; _ / ^ ( !), as well as ValueTrack parameters
Both the name and the value can be anything you want. For example, if you have special IDs for each of your keywords, you can create a custom parameter that looks like this: {_mykwid}=1234.
Step 3: Add your custom parameter in the “Custom parameter” field
Create or edit custom parameters at the campaign level
- Sign in to your new Search Ads 360.
- In the navigation panel, click All Campaigns.
- Click the campaign you want to edit.
- From the page menu on the left, click Settings.
- (Google Ads only) Click Additional settings.
- Click Campaign URL options to expand the section.
- Under "Custom parameters," enter the name and value of your custom parameters.
- Click Save.
To edit your custom parameters, follow steps 1-6 above, make your changes, then click Save.
Edit custom parameters at the ad level (Google Ads only)
- Sign in to your new Search Ads 360.
- Navigate to a Google Ads client account.
- From the page menu on the left, click Ads & assets.
- In the expanded menu, click Ads.
- Hover over the ad you want to edit and click the pencil icon
when it appears.
- Click Ad URL options to expand the section.
- Enter the name and value of your custom parameter in the “Custom parameter” fields.
- Click Save ad. Saving sends this new ad for review and removes your old ad.
when it appears.Create or edit custom parameters at the ad group or keyword level
First, add the “Custom parameters” column to your ad group or keyword table:
- Sign in to your new Search Ads 360.
- From the page menu on the left, click Keywords or Ad groups.
- Click the columns icon
above the table.
- Click Attributes to expand the section.
- Select the checkbox next to "Custom parameter".
- Click Apply.
- From the page menu on the left, click Ads & assets.
- In the expanded menu, click Assets.
above the table.Now, add or edit your custom parameter:
- Click the custom parameter that you’d like to update.
- Edit the existing custom parameters, or click the plus button
to add new custom parameters.
- Click Save.
Edit custom parameters at the sitelink level (Google Ads only)
- Sign in to your new Search Ads 360.
- Navigate to a Google Ads client account.
- From the page menu on the left, click Ads & assets.
- In the expanded menu, click Assets.
- Above the "Asset" column, click the Asset type button.
- Select the checkbox next to "Sitelink asset", then click Apply.
- Hover over the sitelink you want to edit and click the pencil icon
- Make your changes to the sitelink settings. Choose whether to apply the changes only to this asset, or to all associations of this asset.
- Click Sitelink URL options to expand the section.
- Enter the custom parameters.
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Note: If you chose to apply the changes to items associated with the sitelink, any changes you make will also be applied to any ad group, campaign, or account that uses this sitelink.
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Click Save.
Learn how to use sitelink assets.
Step 4: Add your custom parameter to the “Tracking template” field
Lastly, put your custom parameter’s name in the tracking template. If you’re using Google Ads, you might also include the necessary ValueTrack parameters (for example {lpurl}?color={_color}). Once your ad is clicked, the advertising platform will replace the name with the value you defined in your custom parameter.
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