Note: Adtriba Core is a legacy feature that we continue to support but no longer sell. The latest version of this feature is available as Funnel Measurement.
If you are already using Funnel Measurement, find more information here. To upgrade, contact us.
What is parallel tracking?
On March 31, 2020, Google reactivated parallel tracking for all search ads. After a test run in 2019, parallel tracking was initially mandatory only for search ads. From April 2020 onward, Google reactivated parallel tracking for all Google Ads customers.
With parallel tracking, users go directly to the final URL after they click an ad. Click measurement runs in the background.
How parallel tracking works:
The user clicks the ad
The user reaches the landing page
Background processes:
The Google Ad click tracker loads
The tracking URL loads
If you use multiple click trackers, additional redirects may load
Without parallel tracking, users go through at least one redirect after they click an ad before they reach the target page. It takes longer for users to reach the landing page.
How tracking works without parallel tracking:
The user clicks the ad
The Google Ad click tracker loads
The tracking URL loads
Any additional tracking URLs load
The user sees the landing page
Source: Google Helpcenter
Why is parallel tracking an issue for marketing tracking?
Many attribution solutions use redirect tracking. When a user clicks an ad, the browser first redirects to the ad server. The ad server collects campaign information and then redirects the user to the landing page.
With parallel tracking, Google loads the landing page directly and calls the ad server redirect in parallel. To prevent multiple calls to the landing page, Google replaces the target URL in the redirect with a Google URL. In this case, the ad server redirect no longer leads to the landing page URL. This can cause a loss of user and touchpoint information.
Is parallel tracking a problem for Adtriba?
No. Adtriba does not use redirect tracking to track marketing touchpoints. It gets campaign information from the URL or from referral information. Adtriba does not expect any impact from parallel tracking.