Final, display, and expanded URLs
Google's definition: "A final URL is the URL address of the webpage in your website that people reach after they click your ad."
Google's policy help separates three URLs:
| URL | What it is |
|---|---|
| Display URL | The web address shown with your ad. |
| Final URL | The landing page people reach after they click. |
| Expanded URL | The final URL plus any tracking template and parameters. With no tracking template, it matches the final URL. |
The final URL is the one that matters for your visitor. The display URL is a label. The expanded URL is what the click actually loads when tracking is added. If a tracking template sends people somewhere other than the final URL, Google can disapprove the ad.
Google's rules for the final URL
- Same domain as the display URL. Google says your landing page and display URL "must share the same domain."
- No cross-domain redirects. Google says, "You may not use cross-domain redirects in your final URL."
- Tracking goes elsewhere. Put tracking in the tracking template field, or add parameters with the final URL suffix.
- Mobile pages have their own field. Use the final URL for mobile field under Ad URL options.
Break these and you can get a Destination mismatch disapproval. If the page itself fails to load, or returns errors like 404 or 500 to Google's crawler, that is Destination not working.
Check the page behind it
The final URL is the page your ad money lands on, so it is worth checking on its own. Load it on a phone. Make sure it does not redirect, and if it must, that the redirect keeps the gclid.
Pick the page that best matches the ad. A roofing repair ad should land on a roof repair page, not the home page. When a page is moved or renamed, update the final URL in every ad that uses it, so it never points at a dead page.
ClickMend checks the page a Google Ad sends people to, which is the final URL. A free scan gives a 0 to 100 score built on Google PageSpeed Insights and Core Web Vitals, and checks whether your Google Ads conversion tag is on the page, whether it loaded, and whether the conversion linker is off. For the full list, see the Google Ads landing page audit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a different page for mobile?
Yes. Google says to enter separate mobile landing pages, such as AMP pages, in the final URL for mobile field under Ad URL options.
Where do tracking parameters go?
Google says tracking information goes in the tracking template field, and the final URL suffix field can add tracking parameters to the end of the landing page URL.
What if my final URL redirects?
A redirect to another domain breaks Google's rules and can cause a Destination mismatch disapproval. Redirects on the same domain can still drop the gclid if the query string is not passed along.