Apple's Link Tracking Protection on iOS 17 and Safari 17: Impacts
Introduction: What is Link Tracking Protection?
Apple introduced the Link Tracking Protection (LTP) feature in iOS 17 and Safari 17, a major advancement aimed at strengthening user privacy. This update removes certain tracking parameters from URLs in Messages, Mail apps, and Safari's private browsing mode (Safari Private Browsing). For marketing teams, this development raises crucial questions about impacts and adaptation strategies. This article explores these impacts, the affected URL parameters, advertising platforms' responses, and recommendations to mitigate negative effects.
What Are the Main Impacts for Marketing Teams?
Loss of Ad Tracking in Safari Private Browsing Mode
Apple's LTP feature removes certain tracking parameters from URLs when users browse in Safari's private mode. This means user interactions in this mode will no longer be tracked the same way, directly affecting marketing campaigns based on user behavior.
In March 2023, Safari represented 1/3 of the mobile internet browser market in France. Google Chrome represents just over half of the market. Source: https://fr.statista.com/statistiques/1039570/navigateur-internet-mobile-france/
List of Removed URL Parameters
Apple appears to use a static list of tracking parameters to remove, based on PrivacyTests.org's list. Here are the main affected parameters:
- fbclid (Facebook Click Identifier)
- gclid (Google Click Identifier)
- dclid (DoubleClick Click ID)
- msclkid (Microsoft Click ID)
- mkt_tok (Marketo Tracking Token)
- hsCtaTracking (HubSpot Tracking Parameter)
- mc_eid (Mailchimp Email ID)
- __hsfp, __hssc, __hstc, _hsenc (HubSpot Tracking Parameters)
- _openstat (Yandex Tracking Parameter)
- oly_anon_id, oly_enc_id (Omeda Marketing Identifiers)
- s_cid (Adobe SiteCatalyst Tracking Parameter)
- vero_conv, vero_id (Vero Tracking Parameters)
- wickedid (Wicked Reports E-commerce Tracking)
- yclid (Yandex Click ID)
These parameters are commonly used for user tracking across advertising campaigns and website analytics. Their removal means a loss of granularity in tracking data. This list may evolve over time, potentially adding Click IDs from other advertising platforms like Snap or TikTok.
Unaffected Parameters
UTM parameters, such as utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content, and utm_term, remain intact and continue to provide essential information about
marketing campaigns. This offers marketing teams an opportunity to
maintain part of their tracking capability by focusing on UTMs.
Advertising Platform Adaptations
Meta
Meta has started automatically adding UTM parameters to links if they
are not already present. This initiative allows bypassing the removal of
specific tracking parameters like fbclid by relying on UTMs,
which are not affected by LTP. This helps maintain part of the tracking capability
for advertising campaigns on Meta platforms.
Google introduced the wbraid and gbraid parameters
for conversion tracking well before iOS 17. These parameters are designed
to work in environments where cookies and other traditional tracking methods
are limited. Although LTP affects gclid, Google's new solutions can help mitigate
the impact by providing robust alternatives for conversion tracking.
👉 Learn more about wbraid and gbraid parameters in our expert note: Google Ads: New wbraid and gbraid Parameters for Conversion Tracking
Our Recommendations to Limit Impact
Implementing UTM Tracking
Implementing UTM tracking is essential to compensate for the removal of other tracking parameters, possibly in addition to Google Ads auto-tagging for example. UTMs allow tracking advertising campaign effectiveness by providing detailed information about traffic sources. It is recommended to structure marketing campaigns to systematically include UTM parameters.
Using Alternative Tracking Methods
Alternative tracking methods, such as Web AdAttributionKit (formerly Private Click Measurement or PCM), can offer solutions to bypass limitations imposed by LTP. AAK for the Web allows measuring ad clicks anonymously without sending PII (personally identifiable information) to advertisers, in compliance with new privacy standards.
👉 Learn more about AdAttributionKit in our expert note: AdAttributionKit: Innovation in Ad Campaign Tracking on iOS 18
Our Opinion
It is crucial to continuously monitor marketing campaign performance and adapt strategies based on new data. Regular testing and results analysis will help identify specific LTP impacts and adjust marketing approaches accordingly.
Other Critical Restrictions in Safari Private Browsing Mode
Advanced Tracking Enabled by Default in Safari Private Browsing
Since iOS 17 and Safari 17 in Private Browsing mode, the "Use advanced tracking and fingerprinting protection" feature is enabled by default. In addition to removing certain URL parameters, new requests are also blocked, such as those to googletagmanager.com and segment.com domains.
If your data collection is based on tools like Google Tag Manager Web and Segment and part of your users are on Safari and sensitive to data privacy issues (i.e., likely to use Safari's Private Browsing mode), we recommend implementing 1st-party data collection optimizations as soon as possible, such as setting up Google Tag Manager Server-side.
👉 Learn more about sGTM and Server-side tagging in our expert note: Server-side Tagging with Google Tag Manager
Conclusion
The introduction of Link Tracking Protection in iOS 17 and Safari 17 represents a significant challenge for marketing teams. However, with strategic adaptations such as using UTM parameters and alternative tracking methods like Web AdAttributionKit, it is possible to minimize negative impacts. Marketing teams must remain vigilant, proactive, and ready to adapt quickly to changes to ensure their campaigns continue to achieve their tracking and conversion objectives. By adopting these recommendations, you can continue to navigate effectively in this new digital landscape and maintain high campaign performance.
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