Safari Click ID removal: future-proof your campaigns with server-side tracking

Are your tracking strategies ready for the Safari update?

Safari has long positioned itself as a privacy-first browser, regularly rolling out changes that give users more control over their data. For digital marketers, these updates often mean new limits on tracking — from blocking third-party cookies to now restricting the URL parameters that campaigns depend on for accurate attribution.

All of this sits under Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) framework, which is designed to protect user privacy by making it more difficult for advertisers to track users across websites. 

Here’s everything you need to know about protecting your data before it’s too late.

What’s happening right now?

Here’s how Safari is currently handling tracking — and where changes are already showing up:

1. Standard browsing mode 

At the moment, Safari’s standard browsing mode continues to function normally, preserving Click ID parameters in URLs when users click through from Ads campaigns. Your tracking and attribution are currently working as expected for most Safari users.

2. Private browsing mode 

However, Safari’s Private Mode already strips Click ID and other click identifiers from URLs. If you’ve noticed gaps in your conversion tracking or attribution for certain traffic, this may be the reason. Users browsing in Private Mode are essentially invisible to your current tracking setup.

3. Our current observations 

Based on our testing of the latest Safari versions, we’ve observed that:

• Google Click Identifier (GCLID) is still present by default in Standard browsing mode
• The parameter only disappears if users manually enable Safari’s Advanced Tracking & Fingerprinting Protection for “All Browsing”

The future landscape of browser privacy

Browsers like Safari are moving fast towards stricter privacy rules. Currently, Safari is already stripping click identifiers for major advertising platforms in Private Mode, and users now have manual options to prevent tracking and fingerprinting in Standard Mode through Advanced Protection settings.

As browser privacy measures continue to evolve and become more restrictive, it’s essential to be prepared for these shifts before they become mandatory.

Here are the upcoming changes you need to be ready for:

• Click ID parameters will be automatically stripped from URLs for all Safari users
• Other click identifiers from various platforms will also be affected
• This will impact both regular and private browsing sessions

So what does this all mean for your advertising efforts? Once Safari rolls out these changes, the effects will ripple through how you track, measure, and optimise campaigns:

• Lost Attribution – Conversions may go untracked, making it difficult to measure campaign performance
• Incomplete Data – Your Ads reports will show gaps in conversion data
• Budget Inefficiency: Without proper attribution, you may struggle to optimise ad spend effectively
• ROI Uncertainty – Difficulty in determining which campaigns, keywords, and ads are actually driving results

Why is server-side tracking the best approach?

The most reliable way to maintain accurate conversion tracking is to implement a server-side solution. This approach ensures your Ads conversions continue to be tracked accurately, even when Safari removes Click ID parameters. Here’s why it works best:

1. Reliability – Unlike client-side workarounds that require constant monitoring and updates, server-side solutions use Google’s native Conversion Linker, which adapts automatically to any changes Google makes.
2. Future-Proof – Your setup will continue working even if Google updates cookie formats or naming conventions, as the server-side system handles these changes seamlessly.
3. Complete Coverage – Ensures all Safari users are properly tracked, maintaining the integrity of your conversion data and campaign performance metrics.

How to stay ahead of browser privacy updates with server-side tracking?

Server-side tracking is the most reliable way to maintain accurate conversion tracking as browsers implement stricter privacy measures. Take Google Ads, for example: shifting to server-side tracking helps safeguard your attribution data and ensures your results reflect reality.

Implementing this solution requires two core steps: an adjustment within Google Ads and a structured setup of Server-Side Google Tag Manager (sGTM).

1. Google Ads Configuration

• Set up a backup parameter in your Google Ads account (e.g., backup_gclid={gclid})
• Configure a custom URL suffix to capture GCLID data as a fallback
• This ensures you have tracking data even when the original GCLID is removed

2. Server-Side Google Tag Manager Setup

• Ensure Server-Side Google Tag Manager (sGTM) is properly configured
• Install and configure the Query Replacer variable from the Template Gallery
• Set up the Conversion Linker to work with backup parameters
• Configure automatic parameter replacement to maintain tracking continuity
• Implement proper page_location transformations

“With the right server-side setup, you don’t lose sight of what matters. You still see the real impact of your Google Ads, even as browsers close the door on Click IDs. It’s a smarter, more resilient way to track performance – one that protects your ROI now and keeps you ready for whatever changes come next.” – Mustafa Yuksel, Analytics Lead

Do you need to act?

If Safari makes up a meaningful share of your website traffic, then yes — this is something to prioritise. Here’s what we suggest:

• Plan your setup – Coordinate your Google Ads account and Google Tag Manager so the fix is implemented correctly.
• Test thoroughly – Once live, check that tracking works across all browsing scenarios, including Safari’s Private Mode.
• Keep monitoring – Watch your conversion data over time to confirm everything is running smoothly and adjust if needed.

Final takeaway

Right now, solutions are only available for Google Ads, while platforms like Facebook Ads, Microsoft Ads, and Twitter Ads don’t yet have dependable solutions. The fix does require Server-Side Google Tag Manager, so if that’s not already part of your setup, it will need to be put in place. 

Our advice is simple: implement this solution proactively to ensure smooth operations and address potential issues early.

Connect with us to get ahead of this important update and protect your data before it’s too late.