Overview

CRM Attribution extends Progrid CRM with marketing attribution tracking. It captures Google Ads click identifiers and enhanced UTM parameters from incoming website visitors and stores them on the CRM lead record, giving your team full visibility into which marketing efforts generate leads.

Purpose

When a potential customer clicks on a Google Ad and visits your website, the URL contains tracking parameters – identifiers like gclid, gbraid, and wbraid that tie the visit back to a specific ad click. Standard Progrid CRM captures basic UTM parameters (source, medium, campaign) but does not capture these Google-specific click identifiers.

This module fills that gap. It captures Google click IDs from URL parameters and stores them on the CRM lead, enabling:

  • Closed-loop reporting – Connect revenue back to the specific Google Ad click that generated the lead

  • Offline conversion tracking – Upload click IDs to Google Ads to report which clicks led to actual sales

  • Attribution analysis – Understand which campaigns, ad groups, and keywords drive the highest-value leads

Target Users

Marketing Managers

Use attribution data to measure campaign ROI and optimize ad spend. Upload click IDs to Google Ads for offline conversion tracking. Build reports connecting marketing spend to closed deals.

Sales Representatives

View attribution data on lead records to understand how the customer found you. Use this context in conversations: “I see you found us through our roofing services ad.”

Data Analysts

Export attribution data for cross-channel analysis, attribution modeling, and marketing mix optimization.

Key Concepts

Google Click IDs

Google Ads appends tracking parameters to destination URLs when a user clicks an ad. This module captures three types:

gclid (Google Click ID)

The primary click identifier. A unique string assigned to each individual ad click. Used for standard conversion tracking and offline conversion imports.

Example URL: https://example.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI...

gbraid (Google Broad Attribution ID)

Used for iOS App campaigns and web-to-app conversions where Apple’s App Tracking Transparency limits traditional tracking. Provides broad-match attribution without individual user tracking.

Example URL: https://example.com/?gbraid=CLjS1QEY...

wbraid (Google Web Attribution ID)

Used for web conversions from iOS users who have limited ad tracking. Provides modeled attribution data for web-only conversion paths.

Example URL: https://example.com/?wbraid=CLjS1QEY...

Note

A URL will typically contain only one of these three parameters, not all three. The gclid is the most common. gbraid and wbraid appear only when Apple privacy restrictions apply.

UTM Parameters

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are standard marketing tracking tags added to URLs. Progrid CRM already captures basic UTM data through the utm module. This module enhances that tracking with:

  • Better field visibility – Attribution fields displayed prominently on the lead form

  • Combined view – Google click IDs and UTM parameters shown together for a complete attribution picture

  • Consistent capture – All attribution parameters captured through the same mechanism

Standard UTM parameters:

Parameter

Description

utm_source

Traffic source (e.g., google, facebook, newsletter)

utm_medium

Marketing medium (e.g., cpc, email, social)

utm_campaign

Campaign name (e.g., spring_sale_2024)

utm_term

Paid search keyword

utm_content

Ad variation identifier for A/B testing

Data Model

The module extends the crm.lead model with additional fields:

Field

Type

Description

x_gclid

Char

Google Click ID from the gclid URL parameter

x_gbraid

Char

Google Broad Attribution ID from the gbraid URL parameter

x_wbraid

Char

Google Web Attribution ID from the wbraid URL parameter

These fields are read-only on the lead form – they are populated automatically when a lead is created from a tracked URL and should not be manually edited.

How Attribution Tracking Works

The attribution flow follows this sequence:

  1. Marketing team creates a Google Ad with a destination URL pointing to your Progrid website (or landing page with a contact form)

  2. Visitor clicks the ad. Google appends a click ID parameter (e.g., ?gclid=ABC123) to the URL automatically

  3. Visitor lands on your website. The tracking script or form handler captures the click ID from the URL parameters

  4. Visitor submits a contact form or otherwise creates a lead. The captured click ID is passed along with the form data

  5. Lead is created in Progrid CRM with the click ID stored in the appropriate field (x_gclid, x_gbraid, or x_wbraid)

  6. Attribution data is now permanently associated with the lead and follows it through the entire sales pipeline

Tip

For offline conversion tracking with Google Ads, export the gclid values along with conversion dates and values from won opportunities, then upload them to Google Ads using the offline conversion import tool.

Security Model

Attribution fields follow standard CRM lead security:

Sales / User: Own Documents Only

Can view attribution data on their own leads.

Sales / User: All Documents

Can view attribution data on all leads.

Sales / Administrator

Full access to attribution data. Can configure tracking settings.

Attribution fields are read-only for all users to preserve data integrity. Only the system (via form submissions or API) writes to these fields.

Next Steps