Protect Your GCLID in Safari 26: Google Ads Server-Side Tracking with GTM & Stape

Introduction

With the release of Safari 26, Apple’s new privacy update now targets tracking identifiers — including Google Click Identifier (GCLID) — which can break your Google Ads attribution and conversion tracking.

To fix this issue, you can protect your GCLID in Safari 26 by implementing Google Ads Server-Side Tracking using GTM (Google Tag Manager) and Stape.io.
This guide explains, step by step, how to use a custom query parameter to pass the click ID securely and ensure accurate conversion tracking across browsers.

Prerequisites 

Before you begin, ensure the following setup is ready:

• Google Ads account (with conversion tracking enabled)
  
• Web & Server Google Tag Manager containers
  
• Stape.io account for server-side GTM hosting
  
• Your website connected to Web GTM
  
• Basic understanding of GA4 & Conversion Linker tags
  

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Step 1: Set Up the Custom Query Parameter in Google Ads

To start protecting your GCLID in Safari 26, configure a custom parameter in Google Ads.

1. Navigate to your Google Ads account.
   
2. Go to Admin → Account Settings → Tracking.
   
3. Add a new query parameter to send the click ID.
   
4. Use a custom name like ZC_ID (or any unique parameter name).
   
5. This helps safely pass the click ID, since Safari 26 targets automatically generated GCLID parameters.

Step 2: Test the Custom Query Parameter

Now test if your custom query parameter works correctly before moving to server-side setup.

1. Enter Preview Mode in your Web GTM container.
   
2. In the preview URL, manually append a demo value, e.g. ?ZC_ID=DEMO_CLICK_ID
   
3. Also, open Preview Mode in your Server GTM container.
   
4. Connect to your website and check the incoming request in SGTM preview.
   
5. You should see the page_location variable containing your URL with the custom parameter: …&ZC_ID=DEMO_CLICK_ID.

Step 3: Implement the Query Replacer Variable (Server GTM)

To fix the Safari 26 GCLID tracking issue, create a Query Replacer variable.

1. In Server GTM, go to Variables → New Variable.
   
2. Open the Template Gallery and search for Query Replacer (from Stape.io).
   
3. Configure it as follows:
   
4. • Input: Capture data from the Page Location variable.
     
   • Replace Query: Old query → ZC_ID, New query → GCLID.
     
5. Save the variable (for example: Page Location with GCLID).

Step 4: Create and Apply a Transformation

Next, use the transformation feature in SGTM to apply the corrected query dynamically.

1. In Server GTM, go to Transformations → New Transformation.
   
2. Add a new row:
   
   • Parameter Name: page_location
     
   • New Value: Select the variable you created (Page Location with GCLID).
     
3. Under Tags to Affect, choose all relevant tags depending on GCLID tracking:
   
   • Google Ads Conversion Tag
     
   • Google Remarketing Tag
     
   • Conversion Linker Tag
     
   • GA4 Event Tag
     
4. Save and publish the transformation.

Step 5: Final Verification

Once the setup is complete, test your Google Ads Server-Side Tracking for Safari 26.

1. Run Preview Mode on your Server GTM.
   
2. Trigger a conversion event (like a form submission).
   
3. In SGTM Preview, inspect tags such as Conversion Linker or Google Ads Conversion Tag.
   
4. Verify that the page_location parameter now shows the transformed GCLID, confirming the replacement worked.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. Why is Safari 26 blocking GCLIDs?
👉 Safari 26 aims to block automatic tracking parameters like GCLID to enhance user privacy.

Q2. Can I still use the standard GCLID parameter?
👉 Not directly. You must send it via a custom parameter such as ZC_ID to prevent Safari from removing it.

Q3. Is this setup Google Ads compliant?
👉 Yes. You’re still using valid GCLID tracking through a server-side method.

Q4. Do I need Stape.io for this setup?
👉 Stape.io simplifies the GTM Server-Side setup, though self-hosting is also possible.

Q5. How can I confirm if the GCLID fix works?
👉 In Server GTM Preview, ensure page_location shows your custom GCLID value after form submission.

Conclusion

By following these five steps, you’ve successfully implemented Google Ads Server-Side Tracking using GTM and Stape.io to protect your GCLID in Safari 26.

✅ Key Benefits:

• Fixes Safari 26 GCLID tracking issue
  
• Maintains accurate conversion tracking
  
• Ensures privacy compliance
  
• Strengthens Google Ads attribution reliability
  Now your campaigns will continue to track conversions precisely — even with Safari’s new restrictions.

🚀 Need help setting up GCLID Safari 26 Fix with Google Ads Server-Side Tracking and GTM Stape GCLID setup?

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