Custom links

Custom links is the integration for traffic that does not come from one of the listed ad platforms. Tag links in newsletters, affiliate deals, QR codes or partner placements with the Custom links UTM template, and ClickPatrol will classify that traffic just like your ad clicks.

Before you start#

Make sure the ClickPatrol tag is installed and firing in Google Tag Manager. The classification behind every channel, including Custom links, depends on it. If you have not set up the tag yet, start with the Google Tag Manager article.

Set up Custom links#

1. Go to Integration in the sidebar of your ClickPatrol dashboard.
2. Open the Custom links tab. Like the other channel tabs it shows a short How It Works and your UTM Template.
3. Copy the UTM template with the copy button.
4. Append it to the destination URL of every link you want ClickPatrol to watch. If the URL has no parameters yet, replace the leading & with ?.
5. Follow the numbered steps on the tab to finish the setup.

Verify your setup#

Click one of your tagged links and check whether the traffic arrives:

• On the Account Progress page, the Custom links row under Traffic Sources should switch to CONNECTED and start counting clicks.
• Data can take up to 30 minutes to appear, though it is often faster.

Good to know#

• Use Custom links for every paid placement that has no tab of its own; anything untagged reaches your site as plain unattributed traffic.
• Always copy the template from your own dashboard rather than reusing a string from another account, so the tracking matches your unique ID.