How to Remove FBCLID Facebook's Parameter from Google Analytics

Are you tired of seeing the FBCLID parameter in your Google Analytics data? Would you like to learn how to eliminate it? In this article, we’ll go over what the FBCLID parameter is, why it’s showing up in your Google Analytics data, and how to remove it. We’ll also discuss why it’s important to remove it and how doing so can improve your website’s analytics.

What is FBCLID Parameter Or FBCLID in URL ?

The FBCLID parameter is a tracking parameter that Facebook uses to track users who click on a link from Facebook to your website. When a user clicks on a link from Facebook, Facebook appends a unique ID to the URL as a parameter, which is then passed on to your website. This parameter is known as the FBCLID parameter.

Why is the FBCLID parameter showing up in my Google Analytics data?

The FBCLID parameter shows up in your Google Analytics data because it’s being passed on to your website when a user clicks on a link from Facebook. Google Analytics tracks all parameters in the URL, so it will show up in your data along with other parameters.

Why is it important to remove the FBCLID parameter?

The FBCLID parameter can skew your Google Analytics data, making it difficult to accurately track your website’s performance. It can also make it difficult to track where your traffic is coming from and how it’s interacting with your website. Removing the FBCLID parameter can give you a more accurate picture of your website’s performance and help you make informed decisions about how to improve it.

How to Remove the FBCLID Parameter From Google Analytics ?

Remove FBCLID Parameter Using Google Analytics :

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to remove the FBCLID parameter from your Google Analytics reports. All you need to do is create a filter that excludes this parameter from your tracking.

Step 1:

Log in to your Google Analytics account and select the property you want to work with.

Step 2:

Click on “Admin” at the bottom left corner of the page.

Step 3:

In the “View” column, click on “Filters”.

Step 4:

Click on “Add Filter” to create a new filter.

Step 5:

Name the filter appropriately and select “Custom” as the filter type.

Step 6:

Under “Search and Replace”, select “Request URI” from the “Filter Field” dropdown menu.

Step 7:

Enter “(?|&)fbclid=[^&]*” in the “Search String” field.

Step 8:

Leave the “Replace String” field blank.

Step 9:

Click on “Save” to save the filter.

Step 10: Test Your Filter

Once you’ve created your filter, it’s important to test it to make sure it’s working correctly. To do this, navigate to the “Real-Time” reports in Google Analytics and click on “Overview.” Then, visit your website from a Facebook link and see if the FBCLID parameter is excluded from the report. If it is, then your filter is working correctly!

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Remove the FBCLID Parameter Using Google Tag Manager :

To remove the FBCLID parameter using Google Tag Manager, you can follow these steps:

Step 1:

Log in to your Google Tag Manager account and select the container that you want to work with.

Step 2:

Click on “Tags” and then click on “New” to create a new tag.

Step 3:

Name the tag appropriately and select “Custom HTML” as the tag type.

Step 4:

Paste the following code into the HTML field :

<script>
var url = new URL(window.location.href);
url.searchParams.delete(‘fbclid’);
window.history.replaceState(null, null, url);
</script>

Step 5:

Save the tag and click on “Triggers”.

Step 6:

Create a new trigger and name it appropriately.

Step 7:

Select “Page View” as the trigger type.

Step 8:

Under “This trigger fires on”, select “Some Page Views”.

Step 9:

Select “Page URL” as the variable and set the condition to “matches RegEx” and enter “.*” (without quotes).

Step 10:

Save the trigger and then go back to the tag you created earlier.

Step 11:

Under “Triggering”, select the trigger you just created.

Step 12:

Save the tag and publish the changes.

This code will remove the FBCLID parameter from the URL whenever a page is loaded and the trigger fires.

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Conclusion

Removing the FBCLID parameter from your Google Analytics reports is a quick and easy way to ensure that your tracking data is accurate and reliable.

Removing it can give you a more accurate picture of your website’s performance and help you make informed decisions about how to improve it. Using a tool like Google Tag Manager can make it easy to remove the parameter from your data and ensure that it doesn’t show.

FAQs :

What is FBCLID?

FBCLID is a tracking parameter that Facebook adds to URLs when users click on ads or other links on the platform. It is used to track user behavior and attribute ad performance.

Why should I remove FBCLID from my Google Analytics data?

Removing FBCLID can help improve data accuracy and ensure that your Google Analytics data reflects true user behavior on your website.

How does FBCLID affect my Google Analytics data?

FBCLID can lead to inaccurate data in Google Analytics by inflating referral traffic numbers and distorting other metrics such as bounce rate and session duration.

Is it difficult to remove FBCLID from my Google Analytics data?

No, it is a simple process that involves creating a filter in your Google Analytics account to exclude traffic with the FBCLID parameter.