🔍 Overview
If you've noticed that your utm_campaign or other UTM parameters are being changed or removed inside Google Ads, this is most likely caused by the OTTO PPC feature automatically applying a URL prefix or ValueTrack parameter to your campaigns. This article explains why it happens and how to fix it.
⚙️ Why This Happens
OTTO PPC can automatically update the Account-level URL prefix in Google Ads to enable enhanced tracking. In some cases, this process may:
- Overwrite existing UTM parameters you've set manually on your campaigns or ad groups.
- Apply a malformed {ignore} ValueTrack parameter that breaks the URL prefix, causing tracking to fail or behave unexpectedly.
- Conflict with UTM values already defined at the campaign, ad group, or ad level in Google Ads.
Google Ads applies URL parameters in a specific order of precedence — account level, then campaign level, then ad group level, then ad level. When OTTO PPC writes to the account-level URL prefix, it can silently override more specific settings you've configured lower in that hierarchy.
🛠️ How to Fix the Override
Follow these steps to resolve UTM parameter conflicts between Search Atlas and your Google Ads account.
- Check your Account-level URL prefix in Google Ads. In Google Ads, go to Admin > Account Settings > Tracking and review the value in the Tracking template or Final URL suffix field. Look for any unexpected parameters or a malformed {ignore} tag inserted by OTTO PPC.
- Remove or correct the malformed {ignore} parameter. If you see something like {ignore}?utm_source=… or a broken URL string, delete the malformed portion and restore your intended UTM parameters. Save the changes in Google Ads.
- Review OTTO PPC tracking settings in Search Atlas. Inside Search Atlas, navigate to your OTTO PPC dashboard and locate the Tracking or URL Settings section. Verify what value OTTO is configured to push as the URL prefix.
- Align your UTM parameters in one place. To avoid future conflicts, define your UTM parameters at a single level — either through OTTO PPC or directly in Google Ads, but not both. If you prefer to manage UTM parameters manually in Google Ads, disable or clear the URL prefix setting inside OTTO PPC.
- Test your tracking URLs. After making changes, use the Google Ads URL Tester (found under Admin > Account Settings > Tracking) or a tool like Google Tag Assistant to confirm your final URLs are resolving correctly with the expected UTM values.
✅ Best Practices to Prevent Future Conflicts
- Use one source of truth for UTM parameters. Decide whether OTTO PPC or your Google Ads account owns UTM tracking, and stick to one approach consistently.
- Audit your URL prefix after enabling OTTO PPC. Whenever you activate or update OTTO PPC for an account, immediately verify that your account-level URL prefix in Google Ads still contains the correct parameters.
- Avoid duplicate UTM keys across levels. If utm_campaign is set at the account level, do not also set it at the campaign or ad level — Google Ads will attempt to apply both, which can produce unexpected results.
- Document your tracking setup. Keep a record of which UTM parameters are managed by Search Atlas versus Google Ads so that any team member can quickly diagnose future issues.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
Will disabling the OTTO PPC URL prefix break my conversion tracking? No. Conversion tracking in Google Ads relies on your Google tag or Google Click ID (gclid), not on UTM parameters. Removing the URL prefix only affects UTM-based reporting in tools like Google Analytics.
Does Search Atlas automatically re-apply the URL prefix after I remove it? OTTO PPC may re-apply its URL prefix setting during its next optimization cycle. If this keeps happening, disable the URL prefix feature within OTTO PPC settings or contact support for guidance on permanently excluding it.
My UTM parameters look correct in Search Atlas but wrong in Google Ads — why? There is often a sync delay between Search Atlas and Google Ads. Allow up to 24 hours for changes to propagate. If the issue persists after 24 hours, follow the steps in the How to Fix the Override section above.
🆘 Need More Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.