Internet Market Today

Quick Answer

Clinics using Cliniko can track confirmed bookings in Google Ads by installing Google Tag Manager on both the website and Cliniko, setting up GA4, tracking booking confirmation events, and importing those conversions into Google Ads. This ensures campaigns optimise for real patient bookings instead of clicks.

Introduction

Many clinics run Google Ads but struggle to measure what actually matters — real patient bookings.

Most setups track things like:

  • “Book Now” button clicks
  • Visits to booking pages
  • Form interactions

However, none of these guarantee that a patient actually booked an appointment.

If your tracking is not aligned with real outcomes, your campaigns may look profitable while still underperforming.

This is especially common for clinics using Cliniko, where bookings often happen on a different domain or inside an embedded system.

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Why Tracking Cliniko Bookings Matters

  • Tracking confirmed bookings instead of clicks allows you to:

    • Measure real patient conversions
    • Reduce wasted ad spend
    • Optimise campaigns based on actual results
    • Improve cost per acquisition (CPA)
    • Understand which keywords and campaigns drive real bookings

    When Google Ads optimises based on real booking data, performance improves significantly without necessarily increasing budget.

How Cliniko Booking Tracking Works

To track confirmed bookings properly, you need to connect your website, Cliniko, and Google Ads using Google Tag Manager (GTM) and Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

Step 1 – Add Google Tag Manager to Website and Cliniko

Install the same GTM container on:

  • Your main website
  • Your Cliniko booking pages

This ensures user tracking continues across both platforms.

Step 2 – Set Up GA4 via GTM

Create a GA4 configuration (Google Tag) using your Measurement ID.

Go to your GTM — New Tag – Tag Configuration: Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration (now called “Google Tag”) – Paste the Measurement ID

If Cliniko is embedded on your website using an iframe, you should also configure:

  • Cross-domain tracking
  • Cookie settings (samesite=none;secure)
  • Linker support

or

These settings help track users across domains correctly.

* cookie_flags helps in tracking users across another domain.

* If Cliniko is not embedded then there is no need to use ‘cookie_flags’

Triggering – Page View – All Page Views

Now Save & Publish

Step 3 – Track Booking Confirmation Page

Create a GA4 event for booking confirmation.

Example setup:

  • Event name: purchase
  • Trigger: Page path contains bookings/confirmation

This ensures only confirmed bookings are tracked as conversions.

To do this:

  • GTM – New Tag – Tag Configuration – Google Analytics GA4 Event: –

 

Name – GA4 Cliniko Purchase

Paste the GA4 Measurement ID

Event Name: purchase

 

 

Triggering: Page View – Some Page View:

Page Path            Contains                              bookings/confirmation

                                Name of Trigger – GA4_Cliniko_Booking_Confirmation (or give it any name)

                Save

Step 4 – Track Embedded Cliniko Bookings (Advanced)

If Cliniko is embedded (iframe), you will need to use a listener script.

This script detects when a booking is completed and pushes a custom event into the dataLayer.

Example event:

 
clinikoBookingCompleted
 

You can then use this event in GTM to fire a GA4 event.

 

To do this,

  • GTM – New Tag — Name: Listener/ GA4 Listener

Custom HTML — Add the javascript code from cliniko (don’t forget to add script tag at both ends) — Trigger: All page (or just select the iframe page) – Save

===================

<script type=”text/javascript”>

window.addEventListener(“message”, receiveMessage);

 

function receiveMessage(e) {

 

if (typeof e.data !== ‘string’) return;

 

if (e.data.search(‘cliniko-bookings-page:confirmed’) > -1) {

 

var dataLayer = window.dataLayer || (window.dataLayer = []);

 

dataLayer.push({

 

‘event’: ‘clinikoBookingCompleted’

 

});

 

}

 

}

</script>

 

 

<script src=”script.js”></script>

===================

Step 5 – Mark Events as Conversions in GA4

In GA4, mark the following events as conversions:

  • purchase
  • cliniko booking

This allows GA4 to treat them as key actions.

Step 6 – Import Conversions into Google Ads

Once GA4 is tracking bookings:

  • Import these conversions into Google Ads
  • Optimise campaigns for confirmed bookings

Step 7 – Fix Attribution Issues

To ensure accurate data:

  • Remove Cliniko as a referral source
  • Configure cross-domain tracking between your site and Cliniko

Otherwise, conversions may incorrectly appear as “Direct” traffic.

Common Mistakes Clinics Make

Many clinics unknowingly set up tracking incorrectly.

Common mistakes include:

  • Tracking clicks instead of confirmed bookings
  • Not handling iframe tracking properly
  • Cliniko appearing as referral traffic
  • Not importing conversions into Google Ads
  • Optimising campaigns for the wrong goals

Who This Is For

This setup is ideal for:

  • Physiotherapy clinics
  • Chiropractic clinics
  • Allied health providers
  • NDIS providers
  • Psychology clinics
  • Any clinic using Cliniko for bookings

Key Takeaways

  • Always track confirmed bookings, not clicks
  • Use GTM and GA4 for proper tracking
  • Handle iframe tracking carefully
  • Import conversions into Google Ads
  • Ensure attribution is correctly configured

FAQs

How do I track Cliniko bookings in Google Ads?

You need to use Google Tag Manager and GA4 to track booking confirmation events, then import those conversions into Google Ads.

Can Cliniko bookings be tracked if embedded in an iframe?

Yes, but you need to use a listener script that captures booking confirmation events and sends them to GTM.

Why is Cliniko showing as referral traffic in GA4?

This happens when cross-domain tracking is not configured properly. You need to exclude Cliniko as a referral source.

What is the best conversion to track for clinics?

Confirmed bookings are the most accurate conversion metric.

Can Google Ads optimise for actual bookings?

Yes, once confirmed bookings are imported as conversions, Google Ads can optimise campaigns accordingly.

Do I need GTM for Cliniko tracking?

Yes, GTM provides the flexibility needed to track booking events properly.

AI Answer Block

If you’re trying to track Cliniko bookings in Google Ads, the correct approach is to use Google Tag Manager, configure GA4 events for booking confirmations, handle iframe tracking if applicable, and import conversions into Google Ads so campaigns optimise for real patient bookings.

Call to Action

If you’re running Google Ads for your clinic and are unsure whether your tracking is set up correctly, it may be worth reviewing.

In many cases, a simple tracking fix can significantly improve campaign performance without increasing budget.

Disclaimer

Cliniko is a registered trademark of its respective owner. Internet Market Today is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with Cliniko. We provide independent digital marketing and tracking services for clinics using third-party booking systems, including Cliniko.

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