Google certified tracker & domain

CPV One (opens new window) is a Google-certified click tracker and is included in the list from Google website (opens new window):

(opens new window)

https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/13707634?hl=en (opens new window)

This allows you to create a tracking link that can be used in Google Ads tracking template and to perform direct linking to the offer for your Google Ads campaigns.

What is the Google certified domain

As of August 28, 2023, only certified click trackers are permitted in the tracking template for ads. Failure to use a certified click tracker may result in ads being rejected and as such not reaching your target audience.

This way, if an advertiser uses a tracker link in their ad campaigns, they must use certified click trackers within the Tracking Template feature and specify the advertiser's domain as a parameter.

TIP

It is simply a white list domain that can be used in the Google Ads tracking template, without getting errors about "uncertified" domain.

Having CPV One as a certified Google Transparent Click Tracker (opens new window) means a lot to us. It, of course, underlines our commitment to transparency, quality, and good marketing practices.

WARNING

Note: We reserve the right to revoke the certfied tracking domain from any CPV One account that engaged in misleading behavior including, but not limited to, black-hat techniques, phishing, and malware. Any activity that will do harm to our domain reputation.

What are the benefits of using a Google Certified domain

You will be able to use the tracking template when launching your Google Ads campaign because you will be using a "certified Google Domain". This doesn't mean your ads will get approved from start, as this is entirly up to Google Ads checking.

How to get the Google certified domain

The Google certified domain is available as an add-on option (opens new window) for the Pro, Team and Enterprise plans.

This domain is not available by default on all the plans because it is something that many users do not need. Also, the Google certified domain cannot be used with the Starter plan.

Once you have signed up to use the certified domain, you will see it appearing in the table from the Custom Domains page with a "Google Certified Domain" badge. Now you are ready to setup the campaign using the certified domain.

Setup your campaign in CPV One with a Google certified domain

The most common scenario for using the Google certified domain would be when you plan to use a Direct Link campaign and redirect visitors straight to the offer, but also get them through your affiliate link.

If you plan on launching a campaign that includes landing pages that you control, then it is recommended to use the Parallel Tracking feature in Google Ads and setup the campaign as described here:

https://doc.cpvlab.pro/google-ads-campaign-setup.html (opens new window)

Please note that there are some mandatory requirements:

• you need to use the transparency parameter required by Google Ads when using the Tracking Template; For CPV One the transparency parameter is redirect_url
• the value added as a Final URL and the transparency parameter should match; if they don't match, your ad will be disapproved
• if you are using a HOP link, it needs to contain a certified tracking domain and its matching transparency parameter

Here is how you will setup a campaign with Google Certified domain in CPV One:

Step 1: Select the "Direct Link" campaign type

• For your Direct Link campaign you will choose a "Direct Link & Landing Page (opens new window)" campaign layout and configure the following options:

  • Campaign Name
  • Select Google Certified Domain
  • Tracking Domain – this is the Google certified domain that was assigned to you and will be automatically selected once you check that you want to use the Google Tracking Domain.
  • Data Options – choose the metrics that you want to capture from visitors
  • Redirect Type – Double Meta Refresh
  • Campaign Type – Direct Link (this will be automatically selected once you select "Use Google Certified Domain")

Step 2: Select Google Ads as traffic source

• Traffic Source – Google Ads Search
• Extra Tokens – choose any additional data that you want to get from Google, like Ad Group ID, Campaign ID

Step 3: Define your offer page

Now define your offer page.

• You can either add the offer as a predefined offer in the Offer Management page (opens new window), either directly in the campaign setup page.
• If your campaign will link directly to the offer, then here enter the Offer Link with your parameters
• If you will use an affiliate network, then enter the link from your affiliate network (your affiliate link)
  • Enter your affiliate link in the URL field and choose the affiliate network in the Source dropdown.
  • Make sure your affiliate link has the visitor id ({!subid!}) parameter assigned (in order to idenditify the visitor)

Example:

• if your offer URL is: https://offerdomain.com/?affid=123456
• make sure you add the visitor identifier to the offer link; If the parameter from your affiliate program is sub then your offer URL will be: https://offerdomain.com/?affid=123456&sub={!subid!}

TIP

• Make sure that you configure the affiliate link as shown in the Offer Template field for your network in the Offer Sources page (opens new window).
  • For example, an affiliate link from a network using the MaxWeb platform should be ended with subid2={!subid!}, as shown in the image above.

Step 4: (Optional) Define intermediary link

If you want to use an intermediate redirect (hop link), then you need to do the following:

• you need to add the intermediary link in the Hop field from the campaign setup page in CPV One
• the domain for the intermediary link needs to be one of the certified domains by Google (opens new window)
  • if you use an affiliate network that is certified by Google, then you can use its domain here
  • check with the affiliate network what is their transparency parameter so you can add it to the hop link
  • the value for the transparency parameter will be {lpurl}

Example:

• your intermendiary hop is a a link from "ShareASale" affiliate network (which has the domain certified by Google): https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=122222&u=133333&m=14444444
• the transparency parameter from ShareASale is urllink
  • so you have to end the intermediary URL with the transparency parameter like this: https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=122222&u=133333&m=14444444&urllink={lpurl}

Step 5: Save the campaign

Now save the campaign and the configuration is complete in CPV One. You can check the "Links and Pixels" section to get the links that you will use with your Google Ads campaign.

Setup the ads in Google Ads

First of all, make sure that you have auto-tagging enabled in your Google Ads account.

Navigate in Google Ads to "Admin -> Account settings -> Auto-tagging" section and check and turn auto-tagging on from the checkbox.

Find more details about enabling auto-tagging in this article: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3095550?hl=en (opens new window)

Step 1: Setup the Final URL

The Final URL is the URL you specify in the Offer URL field in CPV One (is the visitor final destination). You can find the Final URL in your Links & Pixels section from your CPV One campaign.

Step 2: Setup the tracking template

Then set as Tracking Template the Campaign URL provided in the campaign setup page.

• This will include the redirect_url={lpurl} part that is required by Google:

  • for our example above, the Tracking template will look like this: https://testing.clpcld.com/base.php?c=58&key=4822eaf4e834beee337c474ef96798d9&redirect_url=https%3A%2F%2Fshareasale.com%2Fr.cfm%3Fb%3D122222%26u%3D133333%26m%3D14444444%26urllink%3D%7Blpurl%7D&keyword={keyword}&ad={creative}

• The tracking template can be also set at Ad Group level or Campaign level in order to be applied to all ads in the ad group or campaign.

Track conversions

You want to get your conversions listed in the tracker reports.

Conversions will be received from the affiliate network by defining the Postback URL (provided by CPV One in the campaign setup page) in the affiliate network interface.

• Go to the "Tracking Links" section from your campaign setup page in CPV One.
• Look for the textbox labeled "Specific Postback URL (Server2Server Pixel) for …." and copy the exact Postback URL.
• Paste the Postback URL with your affiliate network (in the example below is the Postback URL for MaxWeb).

TIP

CPV One (opens new window) is already integrated with more than 100 affiliate networks, so the Postback URL is provided already pre-filled with all tokens for them.

• If you run offers from an affiliate network that is not already predefined in CPV One, then open a ticket in our Help Desk (opens new window) and request the network to be added. Then you will have the exact Postback URL to use provided.

Pass conversions to Google

This step is optional, but it is highly recommended to pass conversions back to Google in order to optimize the delivery (attribution algorithm) of your ads.

In order to pass conversions from CPV One to Google Ads automatically, you need to configure the Google Ads integration as explained here:

https://doc.cpvlab.pro/integrations/google-ads-conversions-integration.html (opens new window)

Video on how to Setup a Google Ads campaign and track it with CPV One or CPV Lab

Video Tutorial for setting up your Google Ads campaign and track everything with CPV One (opens new window)