Google Ads campaign naming convention: a B2B template that also works in LinkedIn and Microsoft Ads
A good Google Ads campaign naming convention puts the same parts in the same order in every campaign name, so names can be filtered, grouped and joined to CRM data without manual mapping. For B2B, use region, channel, funnel stage, campaign type, product or offer and start month, in lowercase with one separator, for example na_search_bofu_brand_pacing_202611. Use the same pattern in Microsoft Ads and LinkedIn Ads and reuse it as utm_campaign, so the name in the ad platform and the name in GA4 and the CRM match.
Key takeaways
- Names are data. Every part should be something you will filter or group by in a report.
- Fix the order and the separator, and keep everything lowercase.
- Use approved values for region, channel, stage and type; leave free text only for the offer.
- Reuse the campaign name as utm_campaign so platform, GA4 and CRM data join on one key.
- Audit live names monthly; conventions decay as soon as a new person or agency launches a campaign.
Link Console at a glance
- What it is
- A UTM link builder from PlanConversion that applies naming rules as people type, with short links, QR codes and a shared link history
- Checks
- Live Google Ads and Microsoft Ads URLs (hourly, read only, Pro); GA4 exports; HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive (Pro)
- 1 month free
- First month free for up to 3 users, no credit card: naming rules, approved values, approvals, 5 templates, 100 short links a month. Then Pro, or the workspace pauses with its data kept
- Pro
- $79 USD per workspace a month, or $790 a year (12 months for the price of 10); 10 users included, then $5 per extra user. Approvals, ad account audit, link health, GA4 and CRM attribution check and API included
- Enterprise
- $249 USD a month, billed annually, unlimited users; includes naming taxonomy setup, invoice billing and priority support
- With Pacing Console
- Pro: add Link Console for $39 a month, so both products are $88 per workspace a month ($880 a year); Enterprise: add Link Console to Pacing Console Enterprise for $199 a month for all users. One account for both products: the same login, team and billing
- Sign-in and extension
- Google or Microsoft sign-in; Chrome extension in the Chrome Web Store
Why campaign names matter more than they look
In B2B, the campaign name is often the only field that travels from the ad platform to the spreadsheet, the BI tool and the CRM. When names follow a pattern, a report by region, funnel stage or product is a filter. When they do not, it is a manual mapping exercise that someone repeats every month and nobody trusts.
Google Ads exposes the numeric campaign ID through the {campaignid} ValueTrack parameter, but there is no ValueTrack parameter for the campaign name. So if you want readable campaign values in GA4 and the CRM, the name has to be designed to be reused, and the ID is the backup key that joins it all.
The parts of a B2B campaign name
| Part | Example values | Why it is there |
|---|---|---|
| Region or market | na, ca, us, emea, qc | Budget and reporting are often split by market |
| Channel | search, pmax, display, li, msft | One pattern across platforms needs the channel in the name |
| Funnel stage | tofu, mofu, bofu | Pipeline expectations differ by stage |
| Type or audience | brand, nonbrand, comp, abm, rtg | Brand and competitor terms must be reported apart |
| Product or offer | pacing, demo, webinar-q4 | Ties spend to the product line or offer |
| Start month | 202611 | Sorts chronologically and separates relaunches |
Keep it to the parts you actually report on. Six is usually enough; every extra part is one more place for a typo.
We fix source data, routing and attribution so sales and finance trust the numbers.
Formatting rules
- Lowercase everything. Many reporting tools and CRMs treat case differences as different values.
- Use one separator between parts, such as an underscore, and a hyphen only inside a part (webinar-q4).
- No spaces, accents or special characters; they break exports and URL parameters.
- Fixed order, every time, even when a part does not apply (use a placeholder such as x).
- Dates as YYYYMM so names sort correctly.
- Ad groups follow the same rules with their own parts, such as theme and match type.
A template you can adopt
| Platform | Campaign name | utm_campaign |
|---|---|---|
| Google Ads search | us_search_bofu_nonbrand_pacing_202611 | Auto-tagging; name reused in reports |
| Google Ads Performance Max | us_pmax_bofu_nonbrand_demo_202611 | Auto-tagging; name reused in reports |
| Microsoft Ads | us_msft_bofu_nonbrand_pacing_202611 | us_msft_bofu_nonbrand_pacing_202611 |
| LinkedIn Ads | na_li_mofu_abm_guide-budget_202611 | na_li_mofu_abm_guide-budget_202611 |
Add utm_id with the platform campaign ID where you can. GA4 uses utm_id to join imported cost and campaign data, and an ID survives a renamed campaign where a name does not.
How to keep the convention enforced
- Write the convention down with the approved values for each part and one owner in marketing operations.
- Give everyone who launches campaigns, including agencies, a name builder instead of a document to read.
- Audit live campaign names in every platform monthly and fix the exceptions while they are few.
- Rename only when reporting needs it; keep the ID as the join key so history is not lost.
- Review the approved values each quarter and add new ones on request, not by improvisation.
Automating the audit
A spreadsheet of approved values does not stop a new campaign from being launched with a creative name at 6 pm on a Friday. The convention has to be checked where the campaigns live.
That is what campaign name governance in Link Console does. You define the parts, their order, separator and case and the approved values for each, build compliant names from menus, and Link Console checks live campaign names in Google Ads, Microsoft Ads and LinkedIn Ads (the first 10 results on every plan; the full audit, ad group names in Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, and the CSV fix list on Pro). Each name that breaks the convention is listed with the exact problem and, when the fix is mechanical, a suggested name.
The same workspace enforces your UTM naming conventions, so campaign names and utm_campaign stay identical. The first month is free; Pro is US$79 per workspace a month.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good campaign naming convention for Google Ads?
A fixed sequence of parts you report on, such as region, channel, funnel stage, type, product or offer and start month, in lowercase with one separator: us_search_bofu_nonbrand_pacing_202611.
Should LinkedIn and Microsoft Ads use the same naming convention as Google Ads?
Yes. One pattern with a channel part lets you report across platforms with a filter instead of a mapping table.
Should utm_campaign match the campaign name?
For manually tagged channels, yes. Reusing the platform campaign name as utm_campaign lets ad platform, GA4 and CRM data join on one value. Add utm_id with the campaign ID as a stable key.
Is there a ValueTrack parameter for the Google Ads campaign name?
Google’s ValueTrack list includes {campaignid} for the campaign ID but no campaign name parameter, so readable names have to come from your naming convention or a linked data source.
How often should campaign names be audited?
Monthly at least, and after every agency change or major launch. Exceptions are cheap to fix while there are few of them.
Sources
Related service: RevOps and marketing operations. See also pricing and client results.
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