Search - (Google, Bing)

To enable proper tracking of your Search campaigns via direct and non-direct management of Google AdWords and Bing Ads accounts, there is a simple URL append that must be applied to the end of each final destination URL. For Google, it will be placed in the final URL suffix and for Bing, it will be placed in the tracking template or final URL suffix. This article will walk you through the steps of how to do it and what the final product should look like.

In this article

SEARCH : c3api=XXXX,{adgroupid},{targetid}

XXXX represents the last 4-digits in your Google AdWords ID

Placing this in the correct location is as important as having the correct code. It is also the step that has the highest probability of something going amiss. There are multiple places that the tag can be placed and that is holy on the desire of the client. 

Account level - Most Desired 

1. Sign in to Adwords account and select the desired account
2. Select "Settings" and then select "Account setting"
3. There will be a drop-down tab for "Tracking" that you will click
4. Apply URL append in the Final URL suffix box and hit the save button

REMEMBER to replace the XXXX with the last for digits in the AdWords account. Clients can have more than one Adwords account and each one should be using the digits in their account.

This will apply the URL suffix to the end of every ad run by this account. So if the account runs other types of ads other steps will have to be taken but we will go over that in future articles. 

IMPORTANT - Lower level tagging will override any tags placed at the upper level. So if you have any tagging placed at a level make sure there is a reason to place it there. i.e. - Display and Video tagged at account so search campaigns will be tagged at the campaign level. The Order is Account, Campaign, Adgroup, Ad, Keyword.

Campaign Level - Second options 

1. Sign in to Adwords account and select the desired account
2. Select "Settings" and scroll to the right as far as possible
3. You may need to add the Final URL suffix column is so that button is in the top right
4. Once you see the Final URL Suffix column click the pencil to edit
5. Apply URL append and hit save
6. This must be done for every Campaign that you wish to add this tracking on 

Campaign level will be the second option for placing the URL append. This will be used if the client is using the URL append for Video and Display at an account level or wants all of their tagging to be done at the same level. (This is the lowest level that anything should be tagged)

2)  Google URL Append - NonDirect

If a third party is being used the only change will be in the URL append that is given to the client. The steps after that will be done by the 3rd party but are the same as the steps above.

Below will be the Three major vendors for search and the unique appends use by each

Kenshoo: c3apiks=[ENTER KENSHOO_KEYWORD_ID AND REMOVE BRACKETS]
DART/Ads 360: c3apidt={_dskeywordid} or c3apidt=[*KeywordID*]
Marin: c3apimn=[uniq_id]

If you have noticed Search Ad 360 has two appends this is because you need to use different macros depending if the account has parallel tracking activated or not. c3apidt={_dskeywordid} will be used if there is, and c3apidt=[*KeywordID*] if it isn't

3) Bing URL append - Direct 

Applying Bing URL appends is done very similar, the XXXX will be replaced with the word "bing" and the macros will change but besides that its the same idea.

Search: c3api=bing,{adgroupId},{OrderItemId}

Like Stated above this URL append is implemented very similarly to the Google append and will be placed in the Final URL suffix.

Account level - Most Desired 

1. Sign in to your Bing ads account
2. Select campaigns up top and then on the side section selector click Shared Library and then Account level option  
3. Apply c3api=bing,{adgroupId},{OrderItemId} into Final URL suffix and save changes

NOTE: If most of your tracking is done through tracking template you can use that as well just remember to put a & in front of the tag. (DON'T USE BOTH)

IMPORTANT - Lower level tagging will override any tags placed at the upper level. So if you have any tagging placed at a level make sure there is a reason to place it there. i.e. - Display and Video tagged at account so search campaigns will be tagged at the campaign level. The Order is Account, Campaign, Adgroup, Ad, Keyword.

Campaign Level - Second options 

1. Sign in to your Bing ads account
2. Select campaigns up top and then hit settings  
3. Apply c3api=bing,{adgroupId},{OrderItemId} into Final URL suffix and save changes