Display Traffic Drop in Adobe Analytics

[jiayingPa1]

Hi Everyone,

Recently we found the attribution of traffic source might not reflect the reality.The display traffic became much lower than search  before, which is very unlikely according to our google ads data. We did not change ads budget allocation that much between search and display ads.

[pradnya_balvir · Accepted solution]

Hi @jiayingPa1 ,

This usually points to attribution or tagging issues, not an actual drop in display performance.

Possible reasons:

1. Missing or Broken Tracking Parameters on Display Ads

• Adobe Analytics relies on tracking codes (e.g., cid, utm_campaign, gclid) to attribute traffic.

• If display ad URLs aren’t tagged correctly (or if redirects strip those tags), Adobe may:

  • Attribute traffic as “Typed/Bookmarked”, “Other Referrers”, or “None”

  • Or group it under Organic or Direct

2. Incorrect or Incomplete Marketing Channel Processing Rules

Adobe uses Marketing Channel Processing Rules to classify traffic. If display ads don't meet the rule logic, they may be misattributed.

For example:

• If your "Display" rule is placed below “Paid Search” or “Referral”, traffic could be wrongly assigned

• Or if it's based on referrer instead of cid, it might miss GDN placements

 Check display ad links for:

• Correct tracking parameters (cid, cmpid, etc.)

• That the parameters persist through redirects or landing pages

Review your Marketing Channel Processing Rules:

• Make sure Display is defined correctly, typically with:

  • Tracking Code contains=display

  • Or Referrer contains=doubleclick.net or other DSP domains

• Ensure Display rule appears higher than broader rules like “Other Advertising” or “Referral”

3. Google Ads Auto-Tagging Issues (gclid)

If using auto-tagging (e.g., gclid ), Adobe doesn’t natively parse gclid. That’s a Google Analytics feature.

• Use manual tagging for Adobe (e.g., cid=display_campaign_xyz)

• Or ensure gclid values are mapped via Processing Rules or Classifications if using a hybrid setup

4. Campaign Expiry Settings

Adobe expires tracking codes after a default period (e.g., 30 days). If a user clicks on a display ad and returns later without the tracking code, their session might be attributed to Direct instead.

Check your tracking code expiration settings in:

• Admin > Report Suite > Conversion Classifications > Tracking Code Expiry

5. Bot Filtering or IP Exclusions

• If bot rules are updated or corporate IPs excluded recently, traffic might get filtered out more aggressively

• This affects impressions or clicks from display-rich environments

Confirm whether bot rules or internal traffic filters were changed recently

Hope this information help you.

Thanks.

Pradnya