Upgraded URLs allow you to specify the tracking and landing page parts of your URL through separate fields:
- Final URL: Represents a list of actual landing pages for your ad, keyword, or sitelink. The final URL must be what the user ultimately sees in the browser bar after clicking an ad.
- Final mobile URL: Represents a list of possible final mobile URLs for your ad, keyword, or sitelink after all cross domain redirects.
- Final App URL: Represents a list of final app URLs that will be used on mobile devices if the user has the specific app installed.
- Tracking template: Optional template to specify additional tracking parameters or redirects. We will use this template to assemble the actual destination URL to associate with the ad.
- Custom parameters: Optional ValueTrack parameters to which you can assign your own IDs.
As an example, you can find the detailed specifications of these fields at this
reference page for the Ad object.
Field descriptions
The sections below describe the fields that comprise an Upgraded URL.
Final URL
The final URL represents the actual landing page for your ad, keyword, or sitelink. The final URL must be the URL the user sees in the browser bar after clicking your ad: It must not have any off-domain redirects.
Final URLs follow the same override rules as destination URLs. For example, a final URL at the keyword level overrides a final URL at the ad level.
All existing validation rules for destination URLs also apply to final URLs. You can have URL tags in final URLs. All tags should either be valid ValueTrack tags, or custom parameters. You can have up to four levels of nesting when specifying URL tags:
{ifmobile:{ifsearch:{keyword:cp={_customP}}}}
Most of the time, you only need to specify one final URL or final mobile URL. In the rare case where a tracking template might redirect the user to one of several landing pages that don't go through a common landing page on the advertiser's domain (for example, when testing landing pages), you can specify these landing pages using multiple final URLs.
Final mobile URLs
If you want to send users to a different landing page on mobile devices you can provide a
separate mobile-preferred final URL. However, if you
prefer using ValueTrack
parameters, you can use existing ValueTrack parameters
{device} and {ifmobile} instead of this field.
Final app URLs
If you have ads that link directly into in-app content using deep links, or have click-to-download ads, you can specify these URLs in the final app URLs field.
Tracking template
The tracking template field lets you specify any additional tracking parameters
or redirects. When this parameter is specified, it will be used instead of final
URLs to assemble the actual destination URL for your ad. The tracking service
tracks the click and redirects the user to a landing page. The URL of the
landing page should match the final URL. This template can embed the final URL
using ValueTrack parameters such as {lpurl}.
Custom parameters
Custom parameters allow you to create your own parameters, similar to ValueTrack parameters. This can be useful when you want to use your own IDs, for instance, in identifying ads. Previously, you'd have to hardcode this in the ad's destination URL. Now, you can specify the ID for the ad, use a custom parameter for each ad, and then refer to the custom parameter in the final URL and/or tracking template, as you would for any other ValueTrack parameter.
The name of a custom parameter can only contain alphanumeric characters. When
referring to the custom parameter in final URLs and tracking templates, you
should surround the custom parameter in braces, and prefix an underscore to
its name—for example, {_promoCode}.
As with final URLs, custom parameters in a lower-level entity override values for higher-level entities. You can have up to eight custom parameters for an entity. The key and value must not exceed 16 and 200 bytes, respectively.