Hupspot Guide to Tracking GCLID

Using Hubspot to capture and analyze your Google Ads GCLID (Google Click Identifier) helps you accurately track conversions, attribute revenue, and improve paid campaign performance.

This step-by-step guide explains what the GCLID is, how it works with Google Ads, and how to set up tracking so your marketing and sales teams can use the data directly inside Hubspot.

What Is GCLID and How It Relates to Hubspot

The GCLID is a unique tracking parameter that Google Ads automatically appends to destination URLs when auto-tagging is enabled. It allows Google to connect ad clicks with actions taken on your website, such as form submissions or purchases.

When you integrate Google Ads with your CRM and analytics stack, including a platform like Hubspot, the GCLID can be captured and stored on contact records. This creates a closed loop between ad spend and downstream revenue.

At a high level, the GCLID enables you to:

Identify which keyword, ad, and campaign generated a specific lead.
Measure conversion rates per Google Ads campaign.
Analyze return on ad spend (ROAS) based on real revenue data.
Improve targeting and bidding strategies using performance insights.

Why Capture GCLID Data in Hubspot

Adding GCLID tracking into Hubspot gives your team a central place to review the performance of your paid traffic and connect it to pipeline and revenue metrics.

Key benefits include:

Accurate attribution: Tie each contact’s source back to a specific Google Ads click.
Better reporting: Build reports that combine deal value with ad campaign data.
Improved optimization: See which ads create high-quality leads rather than just clicks.
Cross-team alignment: Marketing and sales use the same data, all inside Hubspot.

Prerequisites Before Setting Up GCLID Tracking in Hubspot

Before you configure any tracking fields or forms, confirm that your Google Ads account is correctly set up to generate GCLID values.

Step 1: Turn On Google Ads Auto-Tagging

Auto-tagging is required so that Google Ads automatically appends the GCLID parameter to URLs. Without this, your website and Hubspot forms will not receive a GCLID value.

Sign in to your Google Ads account.
Click the Admin or account settings menu.
Locate the Account Settings area.
Find the Auto-tagging section.
Check the option to Tag the URL that people click through from my ad.
Save your changes.

After you enable auto-tagging, test a live ad click to confirm that the URL includes a gclid parameter in the query string.

Step 2: Confirm Website Tracking and Forms

To ensure GCLID values flow into your CRM, your website and lead capture forms should be properly configured.

Install your tracking code so that page views and sessions are captured.
Confirm that the same domain is used for your ads’ landing pages and your forms.
Decide which forms in Hubspot will need to capture GCLID values, such as demo requests or trial signups.

Creating a Custom GCLID Property in Hubspot

To store the GCLID value, you need a dedicated property on the contact record inside Hubspot. This property will be populated when a visitor submits a form that captures the parameter from the URL.

Step 3: Add a Contact Property for GCLID in Hubspot

In your Hubspot account, navigate to Settings.
Go to Properties under the Data Management section.
Select Contact properties.
Click Create property.
Choose a clear label, such as Google Ads GCLID.
Select a Single-line text field type.
Save the property.

Once created, this property will be available for use in forms, workflows, and reports inside Hubspot.

Capturing GCLID with Hubspot Forms

After you have a contact property, the next step is to configure Hubspot forms to pull the GCLID value from the URL and store it in that property when a visitor converts.

Step 4: Add the GCLID Property to Your Forms

Open Marketing > Forms in Hubspot.
Edit the form used on your Google Ads landing page.
Add the Google Ads GCLID property as a hidden field.
Set the field to map to the gclid query parameter.
Save and publish the form.

With this setup, when a visitor arrives from a Google ad, the page URL includes ?gclid=.... The hidden form field reads the value and stores it on the contact record in Hubspot when the form is submitted.

Best Practices for Reliable GCLID Capture in Hubspot

Use the same landing page URLs in your ads that you use in your Hubspot forms.
Avoid unnecessary redirects that might strip query parameters.
Test the form by manually appending a fake gclid value to the URL, then submit and check the contact record.
Standardize your form templates so the GCLID field is included on all key conversion points.

Using GCLID Data for Reporting in Hubspot

Once you begin collecting GCLID values, you can use them to enrich reporting and track revenue performance from your Google Ads campaigns.

Step 5: Build Lists and Views Using GCLID in Hubspot

Create lists or saved views that segment contacts based on whether they have a stored GCLID:

Contacts with GCLID: These leads originated from tracked Google Ads clicks.
Contacts without GCLID: These leads came from other marketing channels.

This segmentation helps you compare performance between paid and non-paid sources directly inside Hubspot.

Step 6: Connect GCLID to Deals and Revenue

When contacts with a GCLID value create deals, your CRM can link ad clicks to closed revenue. You can then build reports that show:

New deals created from GCLID contacts.
Closed-won revenue attributed to specific Google Ads campaigns (via additional UTM or campaign properties).
Conversion rates along the funnel for GCLID-tagged leads.

Aligning this data with pipeline stages inside Hubspot gives you a clear view of ROI and payback period for your ad spend.

Troubleshooting GCLID Tracking Issues in Hubspot

If you do not see GCLID values on contact records, review these common issues:

Auto-tagging disabled: Confirm that Google Ads auto-tagging is still turned on.
Redirects removing parameters: Landing page redirects may drop the gclid parameter.
Form missing hidden field: Ensure every key Hubspot form includes the GCLID property.
Multiple domains: Cross-domain flows can lose the parameter if not handled carefully.

You can also review the original URL stored on contact records to check whether a gclid value was present at the time of submission.

Additional Resources on GCLID and Hubspot

To go deeper into how Google’s click identifier works and how to use it across your tech stack, review the original article on GCLID and Google Ads tracking. It covers more detailed examples and advanced considerations.

For broader CRM and analytics implementation support beyond Hubspot, you can find consulting resources at Consultevo, which shares best practices on marketing operations, data strategy, and analytics enablement.

Summary: Bringing Google Ads and Hubspot Together

When configured correctly, GCLID tracking turns your Google Ads account and Hubspot into a connected system that can trace each click through to revenue. This alignment lets you evaluate paid campaigns based on lead quality and sales outcomes rather than just impressions and clicks.

By enabling auto-tagging, creating a dedicated GCLID property, configuring Hubspot forms, and building reports that connect contact, deal, and revenue data, your team gains clearer visibility into which ads deserve more budget and which should be optimized or paused.

With this foundation in place, you can continue to refine your paid strategy and make data-driven decisions directly inside Hubspot.

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