> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.upstackdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Configure Outbrain Click ID Tracking

> Add the Outbrain click ID parameter to your campaign URL suffix — required for server-side conversion attribution via Upstack Data.

<Tip>
  * Open your campaign in **Outbrain Amplify Dashboard**.
  * Navigate to the **Tracking** or **URL Parameters** section.
  * Add `obclid={{ob_click_id}}` to your **URL suffix** or tracking template.
  * Save and verify URLs include the click ID on ad clicks.
</Tip>

<Warning>
  **This step is critical.** Outbrain does **NOT** support enhanced matching with email or phone. Attribution relies **solely** on the click ID (`obclid`). Without this parameter in your campaign URLs, Upstack cannot attribute any conversions to Outbrain — all events will be skipped.
</Warning>

<Note>
  **What is the Outbrain click ID?**

  The **click ID** (also called `ob_click_id` or `obclid`) is a unique identifier that Outbrain generates for each ad click. When a user clicks your ad, Outbrain appends this ID to your landing page URL. Upstack captures and stores this ID in a first-party cookie, then includes it with every conversion event so Outbrain can match the conversion back to the original ad click.
</Note>

## Prerequisites

Before you start, you need:

* Access to an **Outbrain Amplify** account at [amplify.outbrain.com](https://amplify.outbrain.com/)
* Campaign edit permissions
* Active or draft campaigns to update

## Steps to configure click ID tracking

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign in to Outbrain Amplify">
    Sign in to Outbrain Amplify at [amplify.outbrain.com](https://amplify.outbrain.com/).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open your campaign">
    Navigate to **Campaigns** and select the campaign you want to configure.

    Click **Edit** or **Settings** to access the campaign configuration.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the URL parameters section">
    Look for **Tracking**, **URL Parameters**, **URL Suffix**, or **Tracking Template** in the campaign settings.

    This is where you add parameters that Outbrain will append to your landing page URLs.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the click ID parameter">
    Add the following to your URL suffix:

    ```
    obclid={{ob_click_id}}
    ```

    **If you already have other tracking parameters** (like UTM tags), append the click ID with an ampersand:

    ```
    utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=native&utm_campaign={{campaign_name}}&obclid={{ob_click_id}}
    ```

    <Tip>
      The `{{ob_click_id}}` placeholder is a dynamic macro that Outbrain replaces with the actual click ID when a user clicks your ad.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the campaign">
    Click **Save** or **Apply** to save your changes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the configuration">
    To verify the click ID is being appended:

    1. Preview your ad or click on it from a test placement
    2. Check the landing page URL in your browser's address bar
    3. Confirm you see `obclid=v1-abc123...` (a long alphanumeric string starting with `v1-`)

    **Example URL after click:**

    ```
    https://yourstore.com/products/widget?utm_source=outbrain&obclid=v1-abc123xyz789def456ghi789jkl012
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Update all active campaigns">
    Repeat steps 2-5 for **all your active Outbrain campaigns**.

    <Warning>
      Any campaign missing the `obclid` parameter will not have its conversions attributed. Make sure to update all campaigns, including existing ones.
    </Warning>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## How Upstack captures the click ID

Once your campaigns are configured:

1. **User clicks ad** → Outbrain appends `obclid=v1-...` to the landing page URL
2. **Upstack Pixel loads** → Captures the `obclid` from the URL and stores it in a first-party cookie (`_obclid`)
3. **User converts** → Upstack includes the stored click ID with the conversion event
4. **Event sent to Outbrain** → Outbrain matches the conversion to the original ad click

The click ID cookie expires after 30 days, matching Outbrain's attribution window.

## Alternative parameter name

Outbrain also recognizes `ob_click_id` as a URL parameter name. Both work identically:

* `obclid={{ob_click_id}}` ✅ Recommended (shorter)
* `ob_click_id={{ob_click_id}}` ✅ Also works

Upstack captures both parameter names automatically.

## Troubleshooting

### Click ID not appearing in URL

If the click ID isn't being appended after clicking your ad:

1. Verify the URL suffix is saved correctly in the campaign settings
2. Check for typos — the macro must be exactly `{{ob_click_id}}`
3. Clear your browser cache and try clicking the ad again
4. Contact Outbrain support if the issue persists

### Conversions not being attributed

If you've configured the click ID but conversions aren't appearing in Amplify:

1. Verify the Upstack Pixel is loading on your landing pages (check browser dev tools)
2. Confirm the `_obclid` cookie is being set after ad clicks
3. Check that your Upstack destination shows **Healthy** status
4. Wait 5-10 minutes — conversions aren't instant

<Note>
  **Next step:** [How to configure the Outbrain destination in Upstack Data](/guides/outbrain/how-to-configure-outbrain-destination-in-upstack-data)
</Note>