htaccess for passing Google gclid parameters

Hi Folks.

I'm just not understanding how to do what has to be done to get Google Adword's gclid parameters to pass upon redirect on a website.

Normally, users who arrive like this:
www.MyDomain.com
...are seeing the default page:
www.MyDomain.com/index.php

The Google Adword users are arriving like this:
www.myDomain.com?gclid=12345
...but the "gclid=12345" is being lost and users are seeing:
www.MyDomain.com/index.php

So...what do I need to do to keep the "gclid" parameter intact , like this:
www.MyDomain.com/index.php?gclid=12345

In this case, I need to execute this with a .htaccess file.

Thanks in advance.

Are you redirecting the request to index.php? If so you just need to add the [QSA] flag to your RewriteRule.

Are you redirecting the request to index.php? If so you just need to add the [QSA] flag to your RewriteRule.

I am, but I have no .htaccess file with rules at all yet. I'm starting from scratch.

J

How are you redirecting the page then? In PHP?

How are you redirecting the page then? In PHP?

Pardon the ignorance.

I'm not exactly sure of the current mechanism. The site is hosted at Hostway, a third party. I assume that URLS that arrive to the site without a page in the address are automatically translated to index.php. It is running Linux/Apache.

For reference, I am familiar with the mechanism in Mac OS X Server, but not at this hosting company.

HTH

J

Just to be clear, you're saying you go to "www.myDomain.com?gclid=12345" and the URL changes to "www.MyDomain.com/index.php" correct? If that's the case you need to find out what is causing the redirection and alter it to append the query string or preemptively redirect the user with a rewrite when it contains the gclid.

Just to be clear, you're saying you go to "www.myDomain.com?gclid=12345" and the URL changes to "www.MyDomain.com/index.php" correct? If that's the case you need to find out what is causing the redirection and alter it to append the query string or preemptively redirect the user with a rewrite when it contains the gclid.

You describe the situation correctly.

It is the latter I am attempting to do to resolve the issue (create a rewrite rule using .htaccess). This is what the tech folks at Hostway recommended. I don't believe I have access to the mechanism that is stripping the query string.

So...we're back to the original question: how to create the htaccess rule.

Thanks for your continued help.

J

Ok. I took a shot. Here's my attempt...which doesn't work...

RewriteEngine on <br>
RewriteRule ^www.mydomain.com?gclid= index.php [QSA]

Here's another try...


RewriteEngine on <br>
RewriteRule ^http://www.mydomain.com/?gclid= http://www.mydomain.com/index.php [QSA]


Looking for end result where the gclid parameter is passed through instead of being stripped.

Try something like this:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} gclid
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/index.php
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /index.php [R=301,QSA]

Try something like this:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} gclid
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/index.php
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /index.php [R=301,QSA]

Wow! That worked exactly as desired! Thanks!

Where do I donate?

Jonathan