Contacts & People

Identifying visitors on sites with ad networks

If you run ad platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, or other ad networks on your website, you need to be careful about how RightMessage identifies visitors. Using the wrong approach can trigger policy violations and disable your ad campaigns.

The problem with email addresses in URLs

Some email platforms (like Kit/ConvertKit) can pass email addresses in thank-you page URLs after form submissions. While this helps with tracking, it creates serious problems when you're running ads:

  • Ad networks like Google and Meta flag email addresses in URLs as personally identifiable information (PII) violations

  • Your ad account segments or campaigns may be disabled

  • Email addresses appear in server logs and referrer headers, creating GDPR compliance risks

Passing email addresses in URLs (like [email protected]) will cause ad networks to flag your site for PII violations. Use unique identifiers instead.

The solution: Use unique identifiers, not email addresses

Ad networks don't consider platform-specific IDs (like subscriber IDs or contact IDs) to be PII. Instead of passing email addresses, use your email platform's unique identifier:

  • Kit/ConvertKit: Use ck_subscriber_id instead of email

  • ActiveCampaign: Use the contact ID

  • Mailchimp: Use the subscriber hash

  • Other platforms: Use whatever unique contact identifier your platform provides

These IDs let RightMessage connect anonymous visitors to your email contacts without exposing personal information to ad networks.

Best practice: Let RightMessage handle it automatically

The easiest and most reliable approach is to let RightMessage automatically detect and capture email addresses when visitors submit forms on your site.

Our tracking script automatically:

  • Detects form submissions across 15+ platforms (Klaviyo, OptinMonster, ConvertKit, standard HTML forms, and more)

  • Captures email addresses only after visitors submit forms (privacy-safe)

  • Links anonymous visitors to their email contact records

  • Works with dynamic and AJAX forms without custom code

  • Avoids all PII-in-URL issues with ad networks

The formObserver script is included automatically when you install the RightMessage snippet. No additional setup required—it just works.

How it works

  1. A visitor browses your site anonymously

  2. They submit a form (newsletter signup, lead magnet, etc.)

  3. RightMessage captures their email address from the form

  4. The visitor is now identified and linked to their email platform contact record

  5. You can segment and personalize content based on their data—without passing anything in URLs

This "set-it-and-forget-it" approach improves segmentation accuracy by 20-50% and keeps your ad accounts safe from PII violations.

Setup checklist for ad-friendly identification

Follow these steps to ensure RightMessage works smoothly with your ad platforms:

  1. Install the RightMessage snippet before your ad pixels. Place it in your site's <head> tag, above Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or other tracking scripts.

  2. Let our form observer handle identification automatically. No custom code needed, just install the snippet and forms will be detected.

  3. If passing data in URLs, use unique IDs only. Never include email addresses in query parameters on thank-you pages or redirects. While we will automatically work with ?email= parameters, do so only if you're not using an ad platform or don't mind persisting email addresses and other PII in your server logs.

  4. Test your thank-you pages. Check that no email addresses appear in the URL bar after form submissions.

Need to set up the RightMessage snippet? See Everything you need to know about your RightMessage tracking script for installation instructions.

Troubleshooting ad conflicts

If you're experiencing issues with ad networks after installing RightMessage:

Ad segments disabled or flagged: Check your thank-you page URLs for email parameters. Remove any ?email= or similar parameters and replace them with unique IDs.

JavaScript errors with ad scripts: Ensure the RightMessage snippet loads before your ad network scripts. Use Google Tag Manager if you need precise control over script load order.

Forms not being detected: Most forms work automatically, but you can verify detection in your RightMessage dashboard under Visitors. Look for "Email identified via [form platform]" in visitor timelines.

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