GoHighLevel Attribution Source Ad Reporting Guide

If you are migrating from tools like ClickUp to manage marketing operations, understanding how GoHighLevel tracks leads and sales is essential. This guide explains, step by step, how attribution source ad reporting works so you can accurately measure which funnels, pages, and campaigns deliver results.

The information below is based on the official documentation for Understanding Attribution Source Ad Reporting, rewritten as a practical how-to tutorial.

What Is Attribution Source Reporting in GoHighLevel?

Attribution source reporting in GoHighLevel tells you where a lead or sale originally came from. It connects:

• Traffic source (ads, organic, direct, etc.)
• Landing page or funnel
• Form, survey, calendar, or checkout actions
• Contact record, opportunities, and revenue

This allows you to see which entry point and which campaign have actually generated a lead or customer.

How GoHighLevel Identifies New Contacts

Before attribution can work, GoHighLevel must know when someone becomes a contact. A new contact is created when a visitor completes one of these key actions:

• Submits a form
• Submits a survey
• Books an appointment
• Completes a purchase through your funnel or website checkout

As soon as a visitor performs any of these actions, GoHighLevel captures their data and links it to the traffic source that brought them in.

How GoHighLevel Tracks the First Visit

Attribution is based on the first session when the visitor lands on a tracked page or funnel. GoHighLevel stores details of this first visit, including:

• The URL they landed on
• The UTM parameters present in the URL
• Device and browser information
• Date and time of that first session

From that point, any qualifying action (form, calendar, survey, or order) will be tied back to this first session for reporting.

Understanding Attribution Source Values in GoHighLevel

When a new contact is created, an attribution source is assigned. GoHighLevel uses several categories to classify where the contact came from:

• Ads – Paid traffic using UTMs (for example, Facebook Ads, Google Ads)
• Organic – Search traffic without paid parameters
• Direct – Someone who typed the URL directly or used a bookmark
• Referral – Traffic from another website
• Other – When the system cannot clearly identify the source

These values appear in contact records and in the attribution and ad reporting sections of GoHighLevel.

How GoHighLevel Uses UTM Parameters

To get detailed ad reporting, GoHighLevel reads UTM parameters from the URL of the first visit. Common UTMs include:

• utm_source
• utm_medium
• utm_campaign
• utm_term
• utm_content

When properly tagged, these parameters feed into your GoHighLevel reports so you can see performance by:

• Campaign
• Ad set or ad group
• Keyword or search term
• Creative variation

Best Practices for UTM Setup in GoHighLevel

Follow these practices to keep attribution clean and accurate:

1. Use consistent utm_source names (e.g., facebook, google).
2. Define clear utm_medium values such as cpc for paid clicks.
3. Match utm_campaign names with your ad platform campaigns.
4. Use utm_term for keywords, where applicable.
5. Use utm_content to distinguish between different ad creatives.

Once traffic hits a page in GoHighLevel with these tags, the platform records them for attribution and reporting.

Where Attribution Data Appears in GoHighLevel

Attribution information shows up in multiple areas inside your GoHighLevel account:

• Contact record – Shows the attribution source and UTM details.
• Funnels and websites analytics – Displays visits, leads, and sales by source.
• Reporting > Attribution – Aggregates performance by campaigns and sources.
• Opportunities and pipelines – Lets you see revenue attributed to specific sources.

Key Fields You Will See

In the contact and reporting views, GoHighLevel typically shows:

• First attribution source (e.g., Ads, Organic, Direct)
• First attribution medium, campaign, term, and content (from UTMs)
• First page seen
• Date of first attribution

This information is crucial for deciding which marketing efforts are actually driving results.

Step-by-Step: Checking Attribution for a Contact in GoHighLevel

Use the steps below to review how an individual lead was attributed:

1. Open your GoHighLevel account and go to Contacts.
2. Search for and select the contact you want to review.
3. In the contact details, locate the attribution or source section.
4. Review the listed source, medium, campaign, and first page.
5. Compare this with your ad or traffic setup to confirm accuracy.

Repeating this process for a sample of contacts can help validate that your tracking and UTMs are correctly configured.

Common Attribution Scenarios in GoHighLevel

Ad Click to Funnel Opt-In

Scenario:

• User clicks a tagged ad and lands on a funnel step.
• They fill out a form to become a lead.

Result:

• GoHighLevel records the first visit with UTMs from the ad.
• When the form is submitted, a contact is created with attribution pointing to the ad campaign.

Multiple Visits Before Conversion

Scenario:

• User first visits from a paid ad but does not convert.
• Later, they return via organic search and then submit a form.

Result:

• GoHighLevel credits the conversion to the first source (the paid ad), because attribution is based on the first session.

Direct Traffic Without UTMs

Scenario:

• User types the URL directly or clicks an untagged link.
• They complete a survey or book a call.

Result:

• Attribution in GoHighLevel is likely marked as Direct or Other, depending on the data available.

Improving Reporting Accuracy in GoHighLevel

To get the most from attribution source ad reporting in GoHighLevel, follow these optimization tips:

• Ensure all paid ads use properly structured UTM parameters.
• Standardize naming conventions across platforms.
• Avoid mixing inconsistent source or medium labels.
• Test your funnel links to confirm UTMs are passing correctly.
• Regularly audit contact records to verify source data.

Next Steps and Additional Resources

Now that you understand how attribution source ad reporting works in GoHighLevel, you can better evaluate which campaigns and funnels deserve more investment.

For broader strategy, implementation help, and CRM optimization beyond GoHighLevel, you can explore resources and consulting services at Consultevo.

For the original technical reference, see the official GoHighLevel attribution documentation which this how-to guide is based on.

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