About session_attributes

Offline Conversion Import (OCI) tracks offline conversions from imports using the GCLID. In scenarios where GCLID is not available, OCI users can rely on other identifiers such as hashed user-provided data, wbraid/gbraid or session_attributes.

On this page

• About session_attributes
• How to capture session_attributes
• How to send the data to Google Ads

About session_attributes

session_attributes is a field that provides further context and signals about the user's interaction with your website, which can enhance conversion measurement, reporting and bidding accuracy. You can use our front-end script below to create the base64 encoded string of session_attributes, pass that to your database/CRM and send to Google in your API imports. If you cannot use the front-end script, use the session_attributes_key_value_pairs field to send each key/value pair individually.

We recommend that you send all of the sub-fields but you can choose to send as few or as many of them as you want. All sub-fields are optional.

Here are the sub-fields inside the session_attributes field:

• gad_source: An aggregate parameter served in the URL to identify the source of traffic originating from ads. Learn more about gad_* URL parameters.
• gad_campaignid: The ID of the specific ad campaign that drove the ad click. Learn more about gad_* URL parameters.
• landing_page_url: The full URL of the landing page on your website. This indicates the specific page the user first arrived on.
• session_start_time_usec: The timestamp of when the user's session began on your website. This helps track the duration of user visits. It's important to use a consistent time format in UNIX timestamp epoch microseconds.
• landing_page_referrer: The URL of the webpage that linked the user to your website. This helps understand the traffic sources leading to your site. For more information on referrers, refer to this article that while focused on Analytics, the concept of a referrer is universal across the web.
• landing_page_user_agent: A string that identifies the user's browser and operating system. This information can be useful for understanding the technical environment of your users.

How to capture session_attributes

You can use the JavaScript helper function and HTML form below on your landing page to capture and persist session_attributes.

This example code persists data to localStorage. Before implementing on your website, please additionally ensure any necessary consent and data retention requirements specific to your website are honored as needed.

HTML Form

1. You need to modify each form submission page to add a hidden field for session_attributes. This is how session_attributes will be passed to your backend system. Below is a sample code to demonstrate this.
   <form action="" name="myForm">
         Name: <input type="text" name="name">
         <input type="hidden" id="session_attributes_field" name="session_attributes_field" value="">
         <input type="submit" value="Submit Form" name="btnSubmit">
</form>
2. Sample script to capture session_attributes_encoded and set it in the form field. This example code persists data to localStorage.

   <script>
function getSessionAttributes() {
  const searchParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
  if (Array.from(searchParams.keys()).some(key => key.startsWith('gad_')) ||
      searchParams.has('gclid') || searchParams.has('gbraid')) {
    const params = {};
    searchParams.forEach((value, key) => {
      if (key.startsWith('gad_')) params[key] = value;
    });
    params['session_start_time_usec'] =
        (new Date().getTime() * 1000).toString();
    params['landing_page_url'] = window.location.href;
    params['landing_page_referrer'] = document.referrer;
    params['landing_page_user_agent'] = navigator.userAgent;
    const sessionAttributesEncoded = btoa(JSON.stringify(params))
                      .replace(/\+/g, '-')
                      .replace(/\//g, '_')
                      .replace(/=+$/, '');
    localStorage.setItem('google_session_attributes', sessionAttributesEncoded);
    return sessionAttributesEncoded;
  }
  return localStorage.getItem('google_session_attributes') || '';
}

   
   function addSessionAttributes() {
  const sessionAttributesEncoded = getSessionAttributes();
  var sessionAttributesFormField =
      document.getElementById('session_attributes_field');
  if (sessionAttributesFormField && sessionAttributesEncoded != '') {
    sessionAttributesFormField.value = sessionAttributesEncoded;
  }
}
window.addEventListener('load', addSessionAttributes);
</script>

How to send the data to Google Ads

1. session_attributes_encoded field in Google Ads API

For existing Offline Conversion Import (OCI) users who use Javascript, the simplest way to start sending this data is by setting the encoded session_attributes captured from the Javascript provided on a new field called ClickConversion.session_attributes_encoded within your existing upload schema. Continue using your current OCI process, but set this new field when making imports. Google Ads will use session_attributes when your other identifiers are not present.

2. Migration to Data Manager

In addition to the session_attributes column within the existing OCI flow, you also have the option of migrating to Data Manager. This platform provides a streamlined interface for managing and uploading your data.

• Data Manager UI (H2 2025): Starting in H2 2025, you can migrate to Google Ads Data Manager UI to upload your data. This provides a user-friendly way to manage your data uploads.
• Data Manager API (H2 2025): Starting in H2 2025, you can integrate with the Data Manager API to programmatically upload your data.

By sending the right data, you enable Google Ads to use this information to attribute conversions to the correct campaigns and provide you with more comprehensive conversion reporting. Consult the Data Manager documentation for specific instructions and schema details.