Tag: Conversion Tracking

  • How to Audit Your Google Ads Conversion Tracking

    Conversion tracking breaks silently. A tag stops firing after a site update. A developer removes a script during a redesign. An auto-imported goal becomes a primary conversion without anyone noticing. The result is weeks or months of bad data feeding into Smart Bidding — and wasted ad spend before anyone catches it. A regular audit of your conversion tracking prevents this.

    This guide provides a systematic process for auditing your Google Ads conversion tracking, with a repeatable checklist you can run monthly.

    Why You Should Audit Conversion Tracking Regularly

    Conversion tracking is not a set-and-forget system. Here are the most common ways it breaks:

    • Website updates: A new theme, a plugin update, or a page redesign can remove or break the conversion tag without any warning
    • Tag duplication: Someone adds a Google tag directly to the site while GTM already has one — now every conversion is counted twice
    • Auto-imported goals: Linking Google Analytics or enabling Google Ads features can automatically create conversion actions that end up as primary without your knowledge
    • Default changes: Google occasionally changes default settings for new conversion actions, which can differ from your intended configuration
    • Form plugin changes: Updating your form plugin might change how forms submit, breaking event-based triggers
    • Expired or paused actions: Conversion actions that have not received data in over 7 days show as “Tag inactive” — but you might not notice unless you look

    Any of these issues corrupts the data Smart Bidding uses to make decisions. If Google thinks you are getting 50 conversions a week when you are really getting 25, your Target CPA bids will be wrong and your budget allocation will be off.

    Step 1: Review Your Conversion Actions List

    Start in your Google Ads account:

    1. Go to Goals > Conversions > Summary
    2. Review every conversion action in the list — not just the ones you remember creating

    For each conversion action, check:

    Status: Is it actively recording? The status column tells you:

    • “Recording conversions” — working correctly
    • “Tag inactive” — the tag has not fired in over 7 days. Either nobody converted (possible) or the tag is broken (more likely)
    • “Unverified” — Google has never detected this tag firing. It was created but never installed, or was installed incorrectly
    • “No recent conversions” — the tag was detected but no conversions have been recorded recently

    Primary vs Secondary: Check the “Optimisation goal” column. Every action marked as “Primary” is influencing your Smart Bidding. Ask yourself: should this action be affecting how Google bids? If it is a page view, a newsletter signup, or an auto-imported Analytics goal, it probably should not be primary. See our guide to primary and secondary conversions for the full breakdown.

    Count model: Click into each conversion action and check the count setting. Lead generation actions should almost always be “One” (one conversion per click). If you see “Every” on a form submission action, duplicate submissions are inflating your numbers.

    Source: Note where each conversion action comes from. Some are created manually, some are imported from Google Analytics, some are auto-created by Google Ads features like call extensions. Imported and auto-created actions are the ones most likely to be misconfigured.

    Step 2: Verify Tags Are Actually Firing

    The status column in Google Ads tells you whether tags have fired recently, but it does not tell you if they are firing correctly right now. For real-time verification, you need to check on the site itself.

    Using Google Tag Assistant (GTM Users)

    If you use Google Tag Manager:

    1. Open your GTM workspace and click Preview
    2. Enter your website URL and connect
    3. Navigate to the page where conversions happen
    4. Trigger a test conversion (submit the form, visit the thank-you page)
    5. In the Tag Assistant panel, verify that:
      • Your conversion tag appears under “Tags Fired”
      • It fires exactly once per conversion (not twice, which would mean double-counting)
      • The Conversion Linker tag is firing on all pages

    For more detail on GTM setup and testing, see our GTM conversion tracking guide.

    Using the Tag Assistant Chrome Extension

    If you do not use GTM (or want to check for tags outside of GTM):

    1. Install the Google Tag Assistant Legacy extension or use the Tag Assistant at tagassistant.google.com
    2. Visit your conversion page and trigger a conversion
    3. Check for Google Ads conversion tags in the assistant output
    4. Look for any duplicate tags — two conversion tags with the same Conversion ID firing on the same page is a common cause of inflated conversion counts

    Check for Duplicate Tags

    Duplicate conversion tags are one of the most common causes of conversion over-counting. They happen when:

    • The same conversion is tracked via both GTM and a Google tag installed directly on the site
    • Multiple GTM triggers fire the same conversion tag on one page
    • A conversion tag is set to fire on “All Pages” instead of just the conversion page
    • The thank-you page reloads or refreshes after the initial load

    For a deeper dive into why your conversion numbers might be inflated, see our article on why Google Ads reports more conversions than you actually received.

    Step 3: Compare Google Ads Conversions to Actual Results

    This is the most important step in any conversion tracking audit. Pull two numbers and compare them:

    1. Google Ads conversion count: Go to your campaign reports and note the total conversions for the past 30 days
    2. Actual results count: How many real leads, sales, or enquiries did you actually receive in that same period? Check your CRM, email inbox, form submission logs, or phone records.

    Some discrepancy is normal. Google Ads uses attribution models that can assign fractional conversions across multiple clicks. A small difference (10-15%) is expected. But if Google Ads says 80 conversions and you only have 40 real leads, you have a serious tracking issue.

    Common causes of large discrepancies:

    • Duplicate firing: Tags firing twice per conversion (see Step 2)
    • Spam submissions: Bots submitting forms that trigger the conversion tag but are not real leads
    • Wrong count model: “Every” instead of “One” means repeat visitors create multiple conversions
    • Cross-device attribution: Google attributes a conversion to a click on a different device, which might not align with your own tracking
    • Multiple primary actions: Several conversion actions all counting as primary, inflating the total

    One advantage of per-lead tracking tools like TrueConversion is that you can compare your actual form submissions — with the traffic source attached to each one — against what Google Ads reports. This makes discrepancies immediately obvious and easy to diagnose.

    Step 4: Check Conversion Lag and Attribution Windows

    Conversion lag is the time between when someone clicks your ad and when they convert. Understanding this is important for both your reporting and your audit.

    1. Go to Goals > Conversions > Summary
    2. Click on a conversion action
    3. Look at the conversion window settings — the default click-through window is 30 days

    If your conversion window is 30 days, a click from January 1st can generate a conversion that appears on January 30th. This means your most recent data is always incomplete — conversions from the last 30 days may still be trickling in.

    To see how your conversions distribute over time after the click, go to Goals > Tools > Attribution > Conversion paths. This shows you the typical lag between click and conversion for your account. If most conversions happen within 1-3 days, a 30-day window is fine. If your sales cycle is longer (common in B2B), you might need a longer window.

    Key things to check:

    • Are your conversion windows appropriate for your sales cycle?
    • Are you making campaign decisions based on data that is still within the conversion lag period? (Wait until the full window has passed before drawing conclusions)
    • Is your attribution model set to data-driven (the current Google default) or last-click? Data-driven distributes credit across touchpoints, which can show fractional conversions.

    Step 5: Verify Enhanced Conversions Are Working

    If you have enabled enhanced conversions, verify they are functioning:

    1. Go to Goals > Conversions > Summary
    2. Click on the conversion action that has enhanced conversions enabled
    3. Go to the Diagnostics tab
    4. Check the “Enhanced conversions” section
    5. Look for:
      • Tag health: Should show “Active” or “Recording”
      • Match rate: Typically 30-70%. If it is 0%, the user-provided data is not being captured correctly
      • Coverage: What percentage of your conversions include enhanced conversion data

    If enhanced conversions show “No data” or a 0% match rate, revisit your GTM configuration. The most common issue is that the CSS selectors or dataLayer variables are not matching the form data on the conversion page.

    Step 6: Check for Auto-Imported Conversion Actions

    Google Ads can automatically create conversion actions from several sources:

    • Google Analytics (GA4) linked goals: When you link GA4 to Google Ads, events marked as conversions in GA4 can be imported automatically
    • Google Ads call extensions: If you use call extensions, Google can auto-create a “Calls from ads” conversion action
    • Store visits: For businesses with physical locations, Google may auto-create store visit conversion actions
    • Automatically created conversions: Google Ads can auto-detect certain website actions and create conversion actions for them

    The risk is that these auto-imported actions often default to primary, meaning they start influencing your Smart Bidding without you realising. During your audit, look for any conversion actions you did not manually create. For each one, decide whether it should be:

    • Kept as primary: Only if it represents a genuine business outcome and provides clean data
    • Changed to secondary: If you want to track it for reporting but do not want it affecting bidding
    • Removed: If it is redundant or does not provide useful data

    To prevent this issue going forward, periodically check Goals > Conversions > Settings and review the “Automatically created” conversions section. You can disable automatic creation if you prefer full manual control.

    The Monthly Audit Checklist

    Run through this checklist once a month (set a calendar reminder):

    • Review all conversion actions in Goals > Conversions > Summary
    • Check the status of each action (Recording / Tag inactive / Unverified)
    • Verify that only the right actions are set as primary
    • Confirm count model is correct (One for leads, Every for transactions)
    • Test-fire conversion tags on your site using Tag Assistant or GTM Preview
    • Check for duplicate tags firing on conversion pages
    • Compare Google Ads conversion count to actual leads or sales for the past 30 days
    • Review conversion lag and attribution window settings
    • Check enhanced conversions diagnostics (if enabled)
    • Look for any new auto-imported or automatically created conversion actions
    • Verify the Conversion Linker tag is still firing on all pages (GTM users)
    • Confirm that conversion values are accurate (if you use conversion values)

    This checklist takes about 20 minutes once you are familiar with it. The time investment is minimal compared to the damage that weeks of bad conversion data can do to your Smart Bidding performance and budget.

    What to Do When You Find Issues

    If your audit reveals problems, here is how to prioritise fixes:

    Fix immediately:

    • Duplicate tags causing double-counting — this directly corrupts Smart Bidding
    • Wrong conversion actions set as primary — especially auto-imported ones
    • Tags that have stopped firing — your campaigns have no conversion data

    Fix this week:

    • Count model misconfigurations (Every instead of One)
    • Enhanced conversions not working
    • Conversion windows that do not match your sales cycle

    Plan for:

    • Adding offline conversion imports if you are not using them yet
    • Setting up enhanced conversions if not enabled
    • Creating a primary offline conversion action and making online form submissions secondary

    After making changes to primary/secondary status or fixing tag issues, give Smart Bidding two to three weeks to recalibrate before evaluating performance. The algorithm needs time to adjust to the corrected data.

    Summary

    A monthly audit of your conversion tracking catches problems before they waste significant budget. The core of the audit is simple: review your conversion actions list, verify tags are firing correctly, compare reported conversions to actual results, and check for any auto-imported actions that might be influencing your bidding without your knowledge.

    The biggest issues to watch for are duplicate tags, conversion actions incorrectly set as primary, and growing gaps between Google Ads reported conversions and your actual lead or sales count. If you want to make this comparison easier, per-lead tracking tools like TrueConversion let you see the traffic source of every individual form submission alongside your Google Ads data — making discrepancies easy to spot.

    Spot conversion tracking issues before they waste your budget. TrueConversion logs every form submission with its traffic source, so you can compare real leads against what Google Ads reports — no spreadsheet reconciliation needed. Try it free.

    Google Ads integration requires the Pro plan ($49/month). Free 14-day trial available.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How often should I audit my conversion tracking?

    Monthly is the recommended frequency for a full audit. However, you should also check conversion tracking after any website update, theme change, form plugin update, or Google Ads account restructure. If you notice sudden changes in conversion volume or cost-per-conversion, run an immediate audit — something may have broken.

    What is a normal discrepancy between Google Ads and actual conversions?

    A 10-20% difference is common and usually explained by attribution modelling (data-driven attribution distributes fractional credit), cross-device conversions, and conversion lag. If the discrepancy exceeds 30%, investigate. If Google Ads reports significantly more conversions than you actually received, the likely causes are duplicate tags, wrong count model, or spam form submissions. If it reports fewer, check for broken tags or expired cookies.

    Can I delete old conversion actions that I no longer use?

    Yes. You can remove conversion actions from your account, but the historical data associated with them will also be removed from your reports. If you want to preserve historical data, change the action to secondary and leave it in place — it will not affect bidding but will still appear in “All conversions” reports. Only delete actions that you are certain you will never need to reference again.

  • Google Ads Enhanced Conversions — What They Are and How to Set Them Up

    Enhanced conversions improve the accuracy of your Google Ads conversion tracking by supplementing your existing tags with first-party customer data — like an email address or phone number — that is hashed and sent to Google to improve attribution. If you have noticed conversion numbers dropping or attribution gaps in your reports, enhanced conversions can help fill in the missing data.

    This guide explains what enhanced conversions are, why they matter, and walks through the setup process step by step using Google Tag Manager.

    What Are Enhanced Conversions?

    Standard conversion tracking works by placing a cookie when someone clicks your ad, then reading that cookie when they convert on your site. The problem is that cookies are increasingly unreliable. Safari blocks third-party cookies by default. Chrome is phasing them out. iOS privacy changes limit cross-app tracking. Users switch devices between clicking an ad and converting.

    Enhanced conversions add a second layer of identification. When someone converts on your site — filling in a form, completing a purchase — the conversion tag captures user-provided data (email address, phone number, name, or postal address), hashes it with SHA-256, and sends the hashed data to Google. Google then matches this hashed data against Google accounts to verify the conversion.

    This means even if the cookie is lost, Google can still attribute the conversion by matching the hashed email to the Google account that clicked the ad. The result is more complete conversion data and better-informed Smart Bidding.

    Two Types of Enhanced Conversions

    Google offers two variants, and they serve different purposes:

    Enhanced Conversions for Web

    This is for conversions that happen on your website. When someone fills in a form or completes a purchase, the conversion tag reads the form data (email, phone, name), hashes it, and sends it alongside the standard conversion ping. No extra uploads or CRM connections needed — it all happens in the browser at conversion time.

    Use this if your conversions happen online and you collect customer data during the conversion process.

    Enhanced Conversions for Leads

    This is for conversions that happen offline — after the website interaction. When someone fills in a lead form, the tag captures and hashes their email at the point of form submission. Later, when that lead converts offline (becomes a customer, attends a meeting, signs a contract), you upload the hashed email to Google Ads to record the offline conversion.

    This is similar to standard offline conversion imports, but uses hashed email instead of (or alongside) the gclid. It is particularly useful when you cannot reliably capture the gclid on every form submission.

    Why Google Introduced Enhanced Conversions

    The shift towards enhanced conversions is driven by several industry changes:

    • Cookie deprecation: Third-party cookies — the foundation of traditional conversion tracking — are being phased out across all major browsers
    • iOS App Tracking Transparency: Apple’s privacy changes reduced the ability to track users across apps and websites on iOS devices
    • Cross-device gaps: People click ads on their phone and convert on their laptop. Cookies do not follow across devices, but a hashed email linked to a Google account does
    • Browser privacy features: Browsers like Safari and Firefox aggressively restrict cookies, causing conversion data loss even without explicit user opt-outs

    The net effect is that standard conversion tracking is missing more and more conversions each year. Enhanced conversions recover a significant portion of this lost data. Google reports that advertisers typically see a 5-15% increase in reported conversions after enabling enhanced conversions.

    Setting Up Enhanced Conversions for Web (GTM Method)

    This walkthrough uses Google Tag Manager, which is the most common setup method for advertisers who already have GTM installed. If you have not set up basic conversion tracking yet, do that first — see our GTM conversion tracking guide.

    Step 1: Enable Enhanced Conversions in Google Ads

    1. Sign in to your Google Ads account
    2. Go to Goals > Conversions > Settings (the gear icon at the top of the Conversions page)
    3. Expand the Enhanced conversions section
    4. Check Turn on enhanced conversions for web
    5. For the implementation method, select Google Tag Manager
    6. Click Save

    This tells Google Ads to expect enhanced conversion data from your GTM tags. The setting applies account-wide — you only need to do this once.

    Step 2: Edit Your Existing Conversion Tag in GTM

    You do not need to create a new tag. Enhanced conversions are added to your existing Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag:

    1. Open Google Tag Manager and go to your workspace
    2. Click Tags and find your existing Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag
    3. Click to edit it
    4. Scroll down to the section that says “Include user-provided data from your website”
    5. Check this box

    Now you need to tell GTM where to find the user data. You have two options:

    Step 3 (Option A): Automatic Collection with CSS Selectors

    The simplest approach. GTM will look at the page at conversion time and try to find form fields matching common patterns (email inputs, phone inputs, etc.).

    1. After checking “Include user-provided data,” select “Automatic” as the data source
    2. GTM will attempt to detect email, phone, first name, last name, and address fields automatically
    3. Save the tag

    This works well if your conversion page has a standard form with clearly labelled fields. It does not work well if the form data is no longer visible on the conversion page — for example, if you redirect to a thank-you page that does not display the submitted information.

    Step 3 (Option B): Manual Configuration with Variables

    For more control, you can specify exactly where to find each data point:

    1. After checking “Include user-provided data,” select “Manual configuration”
    2. Choose “New variable” to create a User-Provided Data variable
    3. For each data field (email, phone, first name, last name, street, city, region, postal code, country), you can specify either:
      • A CSS selector pointing to the form field (e.g., input[name="email"] or #email-field)
      • A JavaScript variable or dataLayer variable that contains the value
    4. At minimum, provide the email address — this is the most effective identifier for matching
    5. Save the variable and the tag

    The manual method is more reliable because you control exactly which data is captured. If your thank-you page does not display the form data, use a dataLayer variable approach — push the form data into the dataLayer on submission and reference it in your enhanced conversion variable.

    Step 4: Preview and Test

    1. Click Preview in GTM
    2. Navigate to your conversion page and submit a test form
    3. In the Tag Assistant panel, click on your conversion tag under “Tags Fired”
    4. Look for the “User-provided data” section in the tag details
    5. Verify that the email (and any other fields you configured) are being captured — they will appear as hashed values in the debug output

    If the user-provided data section is empty, the CSS selectors or variables are not matching. Common issues:

    • The form data is not present on the page when the tag fires (e.g., you redirected to a thank-you page)
    • The CSS selector does not match the actual form field (inspect the form in DevTools to verify the selector)
    • The form uses dynamic field names that change on each page load

    Step 5: Publish and Verify

    1. Once testing confirms the data is being captured, click Submit to publish your GTM container
    2. In Google Ads, go to Goals > Conversions > Summary
    3. Click on your conversion action and go to the Diagnostics tab
    4. After a few days (not immediately), you should see enhanced conversion data in the diagnostics report
    5. Look for the “Enhanced conversions” status — it should show “Recording” or “Active”

    It can take up to 5 days for the diagnostics to fully populate after you enable enhanced conversions. Do not make changes during this period — give it time to collect data.

    Setting Up Enhanced Conversions for Leads

    Enhanced conversions for leads works differently from the web version. Instead of matching data at the point of online conversion, it captures hashed data during the initial form submission, then lets you upload offline conversion data tied to that hashed identifier.

    The setup in Google Ads is similar:

    1. Go to Goals > Conversions > Settings
    2. Expand Enhanced conversions for leads
    3. Turn it on and select your implementation method (GTM or Google tag)
    4. Create a separate conversion action for offline lead conversions (Goals > Conversions > New > Import > CRM)

    In GTM, you configure the existing conversion tag to capture the email at the point of form submission. Later, when you upload offline conversions, you include the hashed email instead of (or in addition to) the gclid. Google matches the hashed email from your upload against the hashed email captured at form submission to attribute the conversion.

    This approach is particularly valuable if your gclid capture is unreliable or if leads convert across a long sales cycle where cookies have expired.

    Privacy and Data Handling

    A common concern with enhanced conversions is privacy. Here is how the data handling works:

    • Hashing happens in the browser: Customer data (email, phone, name) is hashed using SHA-256 before it leaves the user’s browser. Google never receives the plaintext data.
    • One-way hash: SHA-256 is a one-way function — you cannot reverse the hash to recover the original email address. Google uses the hash to match against its own hashed user database.
    • No new data collection: Enhanced conversions use data that the user voluntarily provided on your form. You are not collecting anything new — you are sending a hashed version of data you already have.
    • Matching only: Google uses the hashed data solely to match the conversion to the ad click. It is not used for targeting, building audience profiles, or any other purpose.

    Consent Requirements

    Enhanced conversions require that you have a legal basis for processing the user’s data. In practice, this means:

    • Your privacy policy should mention that you use conversion tracking and may share hashed data with advertising platforms for measurement purposes
    • In the EU/UK (GDPR): You need user consent for conversion tracking, which typically means a cookie consent banner. If the user consents to marketing/analytics cookies, that generally covers enhanced conversions as well. Consult with your legal advisor for your specific situation.
    • In other regions: Ensure you comply with local data protection laws. Most privacy frameworks allow first-party data use for measurement when properly disclosed.

    Google’s enhanced conversions are designed to be privacy-preserving, but they do not remove your obligation to have proper consent mechanisms in place.

    Common Setup Mistakes

    Wrong CSS selectors: The most frequent issue. Your CSS selector needs to match the actual form field on the conversion page. Use your browser’s DevTools (right-click > Inspect) to find the correct selector. Remember that class names and IDs can vary between form plugins.

    Data not available on the conversion page: If your form redirects to a thank-you page, the form field values are no longer in the DOM when the conversion tag fires. Solutions: use the automatic method (which sometimes captures data before the redirect), pass data through the dataLayer, or trigger the conversion tag on the form page itself before the redirect.

    Not testing properly: The Tag Assistant preview shows whether user-provided data is being captured. If you skip this step and just publish, you might not discover the issue for days until you check the diagnostics in Google Ads.

    Enabling without a conversion tag: Enhanced conversions are an addition to existing conversion tracking, not a replacement. You must have a working Google Ads conversion tag before enhanced conversions will do anything.

    Expecting immediate results: Enhanced conversions data takes up to 5 days to appear in diagnostics and up to 30 days to show full impact on your conversion reporting. Do not make changes or assume it is broken during this initial period.

    Verifying Enhanced Conversions Are Working

    After setup, here is how to confirm everything is working:

    1. Wait at least 48-72 hours after publishing the GTM container
    2. Go to Goals > Conversions > Summary in Google Ads
    3. Click on the conversion action that has enhanced conversions enabled
    4. Go to the Diagnostics tab
    5. Check the “Enhanced conversions” section — you should see a tag health indicator and match rate
    6. A match rate above 50% is typical. Higher is better, but even 30-40% means enhanced conversions are recovering data that would otherwise be lost.

    If the diagnostics show “No data” after a week, revisit your GTM configuration. The most likely cause is that user-provided data is not being captured by the tag — go back to Preview mode and test again. Include enhanced conversions verification as part of your regular conversion tracking audit.

    Should You Use Enhanced Conversions?

    In almost all cases, yes. If you are running Google Ads and tracking conversions, enhanced conversions improve the accuracy of your data with minimal setup effort. The main reasons to enable them:

    • More accurate conversion counts (recovering conversions lost to cookie restrictions)
    • Better Smart Bidding performance (more data means better optimisation decisions)
    • Improved cross-device attribution (linking mobile clicks to desktop conversions)
    • Future-proofing against further cookie deprecation

    If you use WordPress, TrueConversion handles enhanced conversions automatically — it captures form data and sends it hashed to Google Ads without any GTM configuration needed. For sites not on WordPress, the GTM method described above is the standard approach.

    Summary

    Enhanced conversions supplement your existing conversion tracking with hashed first-party data to improve attribution accuracy. The setup involves enabling enhanced conversions in Google Ads, then configuring your GTM conversion tag to capture user-provided data via CSS selectors or dataLayer variables. Test thoroughly in Preview mode before publishing, and give the system at least 5 days to populate diagnostics data.

    For lead generation businesses, consider using both enhanced conversions for web (to improve online conversion tracking) and enhanced conversions for leads (to better attribute offline conversions). Together with a solid primary and secondary conversion setup, this gives Smart Bidding the most complete picture of which clicks generate real business value.

    Enhanced conversions without the GTM headache. TrueConversion captures form data on your WordPress site, hashes it, and sends it to Google Ads automatically — no CSS selectors, no dataLayer configuration, no tag debugging. Try it free.

    Google Ads integration requires the Pro plan ($49/month). Free 14-day trial available.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is this GDPR compliant?

    Enhanced conversions can be GDPR compliant, but compliance depends on your overall consent framework. You need a legal basis for processing the data (typically consent via a cookie banner), your privacy policy must disclose the use of conversion tracking with hashed data sharing, and you should implement Google’s consent mode if you operate in the EU. The hashing of data before transmission is a privacy-preserving measure, but it does not remove the requirement for consent. Consult your legal advisor for your specific circumstances.

    What data does Google actually receive?

    Google receives SHA-256 hashed versions of the customer data fields you configure — typically email address, and optionally phone number, name, and postal address. The hashing happens in the browser before any data is sent. Google cannot see the original email or phone number. It uses the hashed values solely to match against its own hashed database of signed-in Google users, to attribute the conversion to the correct ad click.

    How do I know enhanced conversions are working?

    In Google Ads, go to your conversion action’s Diagnostics tab. After 48-72 hours, you should see an “Enhanced conversions” section showing a health status and match rate. In GTM Preview mode, check that the “User-provided data” section of your conversion tag shows hashed values when you test a conversion. If both are showing data, enhanced conversions are working correctly.

    Do I need consent to use enhanced conversions?

    Yes, in most jurisdictions. Enhanced conversions use first-party customer data for advertising measurement, which requires disclosure and typically consent. In GDPR regions, this falls under your existing cookie consent requirements — if users consent to marketing/analytics tracking, that generally covers enhanced conversions. In other regions, ensure your privacy policy discloses the practice. Google also offers Consent Mode integration for granular consent management.

  • How to Import Offline Conversions into Google Ads

    Most Google Ads conversions happen after the click — after the form is submitted, after the phone call, after the sales meeting. Offline conversion imports let you feed this real-world outcome data back into Google Ads so Smart Bidding can learn which clicks actually generate revenue, not just which clicks generate form fills.

    This guide covers the complete process: capturing the click identifier, formatting your data, uploading it to Google Ads, and setting up recurring imports.

    What Are Offline Conversions?

    Online conversions happen on your website — a form submission, a purchase, a page view. Google Ads can track these automatically with conversion tags.

    Offline conversions happen away from your website — a phone call that turns into a booking, a lead that becomes a paying client after a meeting, a quote request that converts into a signed contract. Google Ads has no way of knowing about these unless you tell it.

    Offline conversion imports bridge this gap. You upload a file that tells Google: “This click from Tuesday led to a $5,000 sale on Friday.” Google Ads then uses this data to optimise your campaigns, showing your ads to people who look like the ones who actually bought — not just the ones who filled in a form.

    For lead generation businesses, this is one of the most impactful things you can do with your Google Ads account. Without it, Smart Bidding optimises for form submissions, and not all form submissions are equal. With offline conversion data, Smart Bidding optimises for actual revenue.

    Prerequisites

    Before you can import offline conversions, you need three things in place:

    1. Auto-Tagging Must Be Enabled

    Auto-tagging is what makes Google Ads append the gclid parameter to your ad URLs. When someone clicks your ad, the URL they land on looks like this:

    https://yoursite.com/landing-page?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI...

    The gclid (Google Click Identifier) is a unique ID for that specific click. You need to capture and store it so you can later tell Google which click led to a conversion.

    To verify auto-tagging is enabled: go to Admin > Account settings in Google Ads and check that “Auto-tagging” is turned on. It is enabled by default on most accounts, but confirm it.

    2. Your Forms Must Capture the GCLID

    This is the step most people miss. The gclid is in the URL when someone lands on your site, but it needs to be stored and submitted with your form. There are a few ways to do this:

    • Hidden form field: Add a hidden field to your form and use JavaScript to populate it with the gclid value from the URL
    • Cookie-based capture: Store the gclid in a cookie when the visitor arrives, then read it when the form is submitted
    • WordPress plugin: Tools like TrueConversion capture the gclid automatically on every form submission without any code changes — the gclid is stored alongside the lead data and can be exported or uploaded to Google Ads directly

    If you want to do it manually with JavaScript, here is a basic approach. Add a hidden field named gclid to your form, then include this script on your landing pages:

    // Get gclid from URL and store in cookie
function getParam(p) {
    var match = RegExp('[?&]' + p + '=([^&]*)').exec(window.location.search);
    return match && decodeURIComponent(match[1].replace(/\+/g, ' '));
}

var gclid = getParam('gclid');
if (gclid) {
    document.cookie = 'gclid=' + gclid + ';max-age=2592000;path=/';
}

// On form load, populate hidden field from cookie
var gclidField = document.querySelector('input[name="gclid"]');
if (gclidField) {
    var gclidCookie = document.cookie.match('(^|;)\\s*gclid\\s*=\\s*([^;]+)');
    if (gclidCookie) {
        gclidField.value = gclidCookie.pop();
    }
}

    The cookie approach is important because visitors often do not convert on the same page they land on. They might click your ad, browse several pages, then submit a form on a different page. The cookie preserves the gclid across page views.

    For more detail on capturing UTM parameters and click IDs on WordPress forms, see our UTM tracking guide for WordPress contact forms.

    3. A Conversion Action for Offline Imports

    You need a conversion action in Google Ads that is specifically configured for offline imports:

    1. Go to Goals > Conversions > Summary
    2. Click + New conversion action
    3. Select Import
    4. Choose Other data sources or CRMs, then Track conversions from clicks
    5. Name it something clear like “Qualified Lead” or “Closed Sale”
    6. Set the count model — One for leads (one per click) or Every for transactions
    7. Set a conversion value if you know it, or leave it to be set per upload
    8. Click Create and continue

    Consider setting this conversion action as primary and your website form submission as secondary. This way Smart Bidding optimises for actual qualified leads or sales rather than raw form fills. See our guide to primary and secondary conversions for the full explanation.

    Formatting the CSV Upload File

    Google Ads accepts offline conversions as a CSV file with specific columns. Here is the required format:

    ColumnDescriptionExample
    Google Click IDThe gclid captured from the ad clickEAIaIQobChMI…
    Conversion NameMust exactly match the conversion action name in Google AdsQualified Lead
    Conversion TimeWhen the offline conversion happened2026-02-15 14:30:00+1300
    Conversion ValueThe value of this conversion (optional but recommended)500
    Conversion CurrencyThree-letter currency code (required if you include value)NZD

    Here is what a sample CSV file looks like:

    Google Click ID,Conversion Name,Conversion Time,Conversion Value,Conversion Currency
EAIaIQobChMIexample1,Qualified Lead,2026-02-10 09:15:00+1300,500,NZD
EAIaIQobChMIexample2,Qualified Lead,2026-02-11 14:30:00+1300,1200,NZD
EAIaIQobChMIexample3,Qualified Lead,2026-02-12 11:00:00+1300,800,NZD

    The Date Format Is Critical

    The most common upload error is an incorrect date format. Google Ads requires:

    yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss+timezone

    The timezone offset must be included. For example:

    • New Zealand: +1300
    • US Eastern: -0500
    • US Pacific: -0800
    • UK: +0000
    • Australia Eastern: +1100

    Note: there is no colon in the timezone offset. It is +1300, not +13:00.

    The Conversion Name Must Match Exactly

    The “Conversion Name” column must exactly match the name of the conversion action you created in Google Ads — including case and spacing. If your conversion action is called “Qualified Lead” and your CSV says “qualified lead”, the upload will fail for those rows.

    Uploading the File

    Once your CSV is ready:

    1. Go to Goals > Conversions > Uploads in Google Ads
    2. Click the + button (or “Upload”)
    3. Select your CSV file
    4. Google will validate the file and show you a preview — check for errors
    5. If everything looks good, click Apply

    After uploading, the status column will show “Processing.” It typically takes a few hours for the conversions to appear in your reports, and up to 24 hours in some cases.

    Timing: Wait at Least 24 Hours After the Click

    Google needs time to register and process the original ad click before it can accept an offline conversion for that click. The recommendation is to wait at least 24 hours after the click occurred before uploading the corresponding conversion. Uploading too soon can result in unmatched conversions.

    In practice, this is rarely an issue for most businesses. If someone clicks your ad on Monday and becomes a qualified lead on Wednesday, you are well within the window. The 24-hour rule mostly matters if you are trying to upload conversions the same day as the click.

    Scheduling Regular Uploads

    Manual CSV uploads work, but they are tedious. For ongoing offline conversion tracking, you have several options:

    Google Ads API: If you have development resources, the Google Ads API allows you to upload conversions programmatically. This is the most robust option for large-scale operations.

    Google Ads scheduled uploads: In the Uploads section, you can configure Google Ads to automatically pull a CSV file from a URL (like a Google Sheets published as CSV) on a daily or weekly schedule. Go to Goals > Conversions > Uploads, click Schedules, and set up the recurring import.

    Zapier or Make: Integration platforms can connect your CRM to Google Ads and push conversions automatically when a lead status changes. This works well for smaller businesses without development teams.

    WordPress plugins: If your leads come through WordPress forms, TrueConversion captures the gclid automatically and can upload offline conversions to Google Ads without manual CSV work — bridging the gap between your forms and your ad account.

    What Happens After You Upload

    Once offline conversions are imported:

    • They appear in your conversion reports attributed to the original click date (not the upload date or conversion date)
    • Smart Bidding starts using this data to optimise future bids — it learns which audiences, keywords, and placements lead to real conversions
    • You can see offline conversions alongside online conversions in your campaign reports by adding the “All conversions” column
    • The conversion appears under the campaign, ad group, and keyword that generated the original click

    It takes time for Smart Bidding to learn from offline conversion data. Google recommends having at least 30 offline conversions per month for the algorithm to use the data effectively. The more data you provide, the better the optimisation. Run a periodic conversion tracking audit to verify your imports are being matched correctly.

    Common Upload Errors and How to Fix Them

    “Conversion action not found”: The Conversion Name in your CSV does not match any conversion action in Google Ads. Double-check the name, including capitalisation and spacing.

    “Invalid click ID”: The gclid value is malformed or truncated. This often happens when the gclid was not captured completely from the URL. Ensure your capture mechanism handles the full gclid string (they can be over 100 characters).

    “Click too old”: The gclid is from a click that happened outside your conversion window. The default click-through conversion window is 30 days — if you are uploading a conversion for a click that happened 45 days ago, it will be rejected. Extend your conversion window if your sales cycle is longer.

    “Conversion time format error”: The date is not in the required yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss+timezone format. The most common mistakes are using slashes instead of dashes, omitting the timezone, or including a colon in the timezone offset.

    “Duplicate conversion”: You are uploading a conversion for a gclid/time combination that already exists. This is usually harmless — Google skips duplicates rather than double-counting them, as long as the count model is set to “One.”

    If you are seeing discrepancies between what you upload and what Google reports, our article on why Google Ads reports different conversion numbers covers the most common causes.

    Offline Conversions Without a GCLID

    What if you did not capture the gclid? You have a couple of alternatives:

    Enhanced conversions for leads: Instead of using the gclid, you can upload hashed customer data (email address, phone number) that Google matches against its user database. See our enhanced conversions setup guide for the full walkthrough.

    Start capturing it now: If your forms are not collecting the gclid, fix that first. You cannot retroactively associate old leads with their gclids. Going forward, make sure every form submission stores the gclid. Once you have a few weeks of data with gclids attached, you can start uploading offline conversions.

    For WordPress sites, the fastest way to start capturing gclids is to install a tracking plugin. Our guide to tracking WordPress form lead sources covers the options in detail.

    Summary

    Offline conversion imports tell Google Ads which clicks led to real business outcomes. The process requires three things: auto-tagging enabled, gclid capture on your forms, and a properly formatted CSV upload. The date format and exact conversion action name are the two most common sources of upload errors.

    For the best results, set your offline conversion action as primary and your online form submission as secondary — this gives Smart Bidding the cleanest possible signal about which clicks actually matter. Upload regularly (at least weekly) and aim for at least 30 conversions per month to give the algorithm enough data to work with.

    Skip the spreadsheets. TrueConversion captures the gclid on every WordPress form submission and feeds qualified leads back to Google Ads as offline conversions — automatically. No CSV formatting, no manual uploads. Try it free.

    Google Ads integration requires the Pro plan ($49/month). Free 14-day trial available.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How long until I see imported conversions in my reports?

    After uploading, conversions typically appear within a few hours, though it can take up to 24 hours. They are attributed to the original click date, not the upload date. So if the click happened on February 1st and you upload the conversion on February 15th, the conversion appears in your February 1st data.

    What if I do not have the gclid for some leads?

    You cannot import standard offline conversions without a gclid. However, you can use enhanced conversions for leads, which matches on hashed customer data (email address) instead. If you are missing gclids for historical leads, start capturing them now and begin uploading once you have enough data going forward.

    Can I import negative conversions to correct mistakes?

    Google Ads does support conversion retractions. You can upload a file to remove previously imported conversions if they were uploaded in error. In the Uploads section, look for the “Apply adjustments” option. You can retract specific conversions by gclid and conversion time. This is useful if a sale falls through or a lead is disqualified after the conversion was already imported.

  • How to Set Up Google Ads Conversion Tracking with Google Tag Manager

    Google Ads conversion tracking tells you which clicks lead to real business outcomes — form submissions, phone calls, purchases. Without it, you are flying blind. Google Tag Manager (GTM) is the most reliable way to install conversion tracking without touching your website code directly. This guide walks through the entire process from start to finish.

    What You Need Before Starting

    Before setting up conversion tracking, make sure you have:

    • A Google Ads account with at least one active campaign (or one you are about to launch)
    • A Google Tag Manager container installed on your website — if you have not done this yet, create a GTM account at tagmanager.google.com, create a container for your site, and install the two code snippets GTM gives you (one in the <head>, one after the opening <body> tag)
    • Access to both your Google Ads and GTM accounts (you need to be an admin or editor in GTM)
    • A clear conversion event to track — a thank-you page URL, a form submission, a button click, or some other measurable action

    Step 1: Create a Conversion Action in Google Ads

    Start in your Google Ads account:

    1. Click Goals in the left navigation menu
    2. Click Conversions, then Summary
    3. Click the blue + New conversion action button
    4. Select Website as the conversion source
    5. Enter your website URL and click Scan — Google will check your site, but you can skip any automatic suggestions
    6. Click + Add a conversion action manually
    7. Fill in the conversion details:
      • Goal category: Choose the closest match (e.g., “Submit lead form” for contact forms)
      • Conversion name: Something descriptive like “Contact Form Submission” or “Quote Request”
      • Value: For lead gen, choose “Don’t use a value” or assign a fixed value if you know your average lead value
      • Count: Choose One for leads (so one person submitting twice counts as one conversion) or Every for e-commerce transactions
    8. Click Done, then Save and continue

    If you are unsure whether to set this as a primary or secondary conversion, read our guide to primary and secondary conversions — the distinction directly affects how Smart Bidding uses this data.

    Step 2: Choose Google Tag Manager as the Install Method

    After saving the conversion action, Google Ads asks how you want to install the tag. You will see three options:

    • Install with a Google tag (global site tag)
    • Install with Google Tag Manager
    • Install manually

    Select Use Google Tag Manager. Google Ads will now display two values you need:

    • Conversion ID: A number like AW-123456789
    • Conversion Label: An alphanumeric string like AbC1dEfGhIjKlMnO

    Copy both values. You will enter them into GTM in the next step. Keep this page open or save them somewhere — you cannot easily retrieve the Conversion Label later without going back through this flow.

    Step 3: Create the Conversion Tag in Google Tag Manager

    Now switch to your Google Tag Manager workspace:

    1. Click Tags in the left sidebar, then New
    2. Name your tag something descriptive, like “Google Ads — Contact Form Conversion”
    3. Click Tag Configuration and select Google Ads Conversion Tracking
    4. Enter the Conversion ID you copied from Google Ads
    5. Enter the Conversion Label
    6. Leave the other fields at their defaults unless you need to pass a conversion value or transaction ID

    Do not click Save yet — you still need to add a trigger.

    Step 4: Set the Trigger

    The trigger determines when the conversion tag fires. This is the most important part of the setup — get it wrong and you will either track no conversions or track the wrong ones.

    Click Triggering at the bottom of the tag configuration, then click the + icon to create a new trigger. Which trigger type you choose depends on how your site handles conversions:

    Option A: Thank-You Page (Most Common)

    If your form redirects to a dedicated thank-you page after submission:

    1. Choose trigger type Page View
    2. Select Some Page Views
    3. Set the condition: Page URL — contains — /thank-you (or whatever your thank-you page URL path is)
    4. Name the trigger (e.g., “Thank You Page View”) and save

    This is the simplest and most reliable method. If you can set up a thank-you page, do it.

    Option B: Form Submission Event

    If your form shows a success message on the same page (no redirect), you need a custom event trigger:

    1. Choose trigger type Custom Event
    2. Enter the event name that your form plugin pushes to the dataLayer — for example, cf7submission for Contact Form 7, or wpformSubmit for WPForms (this varies by plugin)
    3. Name the trigger and save

    For this to work, your form plugin needs to push a dataLayer event when a form is submitted. Some plugins do this natively. Others require a small snippet of JavaScript or a helper plugin. If you use WordPress and want to avoid this complexity entirely, tools like TrueConversion handle conversion tracking automatically without GTM configuration.

    Option C: Click Trigger

    If you want to track a button click (like a “Buy Now” button):

    1. Choose trigger type Click — All Elements (or Just Links if it is a link)
    2. Select Some Clicks
    3. Set conditions to match the specific button — for example, Click ID equals buy-now-btn or Click Classes contains submit-button
    4. Name the trigger and save

    Click triggers track intent, not completion. If someone clicks the submit button but the form fails validation, the conversion still fires. For this reason, thank-you page triggers or dataLayer events are usually more accurate.

    Step 5: Save and Preview

    After setting your trigger, click Save on the tag. Before publishing, always test:

    1. Click Preview in the top-right of your GTM workspace
    2. Enter your website URL and click Connect
    3. Your website opens in a new tab with the Tag Assistant debug panel at the bottom
    4. Navigate to the page where the conversion happens
    5. Trigger the conversion (submit the form, visit the thank-you page, click the button)
    6. In the Tag Assistant panel, check that your conversion tag appears under Tags Fired — if it shows under Tags Not Fired, your trigger conditions are not being met

    Common reasons a tag does not fire in Preview mode:

    • The page URL condition does not match (check for trailing slashes, HTTP vs HTTPS, or typos)
    • The custom event is not being pushed to the dataLayer (check the dataLayer tab in Tag Assistant)
    • The trigger is set to fire on “All Pages” instead of “Some Pages” (or vice versa)

    Step 6: Publish the Container

    Once you have confirmed the tag fires correctly in Preview mode:

    1. Close the Preview mode
    2. Click Submit in the top-right of the GTM workspace
    3. Add a version name (e.g., “Added Google Ads conversion tracking for contact form”)
    4. Click Publish

    Your conversion tracking is now live. But you are not done — you should verify it is actually working in Google Ads.

    Step 7: Verify in Google Ads

    After publishing, go back to Google Ads:

    1. Go to Goals > Conversions > Summary
    2. Find your conversion action and check the Status column
    3. It will show one of these states:
      • Unverified: Google has not seen the tag fire yet. This is normal for a few hours after setup.
      • No recent conversions: The tag has been detected but no conversions have been recorded recently. This might mean the tag is installed correctly but nobody has converted yet.
      • Recording conversions: Everything is working. Conversions are coming in.
      • Tag inactive: The tag has not fired in the last 7 days. Something may be wrong.

    Important: Conversions in Google Ads can take 3 or more hours to appear after the actual conversion happens. Do not panic if you submit a test form and do not immediately see a conversion. Check back the next day.

    To test properly, click on one of your own ads (or use the Google Ads Preview tool to generate a click) and then complete the conversion action. This ensures the full tracking chain is working — from ad click to conversion recording.

    Adding the Google Ads Conversion Linker Tag

    There is one more tag you should add if you have not already: the Conversion Linker tag. This tag ensures that click information from Google Ads is properly passed between pages on your site. Without it, conversion tracking can be unreliable, especially in browsers that restrict third-party cookies (which is most of them now). For even better attribution in a cookie-restricted world, consider setting up enhanced conversions as well.

    1. In GTM, create a new tag
    2. Choose Conversion Linker as the tag type
    3. Set the trigger to All Pages
    4. Save and publish

    You only need one Conversion Linker tag per GTM container, regardless of how many conversion actions you track.

    Tracking Multiple Conversion Actions

    If you need to track different conversion types (e.g., contact form submissions, phone calls, and downloads), create a separate conversion action in Google Ads for each one, then create separate tags in GTM — each with its own Conversion ID, Conversion Label, and trigger.

    When running multiple conversion actions, pay attention to which ones are set as primary versus secondary. You probably do not want all of them influencing your bidding.

    Using dataLayer Pushes for Form Plugins

    Many form plugins do not push events to the dataLayer by default. Here is how to add a dataLayer push for the most common WordPress form plugins:

    Contact Form 7

    Add this JavaScript to your site (via GTM Custom HTML tag fired on All Pages, or in your theme):

    document.addEventListener('wpcf7mailsent', function(event) {
    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
    window.dataLayer.push({
        'event': 'cf7_form_submission',
        'cf7_form_id': event.detail.contactFormId
    });
});

    Then create a Custom Event trigger in GTM for the event name cf7_form_submission.

    WPForms

    WPForms fires a jQuery event on submission. Add this via a Custom HTML tag:

    jQuery(document).on('wpformsAjaxSubmitSuccess', function(event) {
    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
    window.dataLayer.push({
        'event': 'wpforms_submission'
    });
});

    Gravity Forms

    Gravity Forms has a built-in event you can listen for:

    jQuery(document).on('gform_confirmation_loaded', function(event, formId) {
    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
    window.dataLayer.push({
        'event': 'gf_form_submission',
        'gf_form_id': formId
    });
});

    If you find the dataLayer approach complicated, you have alternatives. You can redirect forms to a thank-you page and use a simple Page View trigger instead. Or if you use WordPress, tracking form submissions with UTM data can be handled by plugins that integrate directly with your forms.

    Troubleshooting Common Issues

    Here are the problems that come up most often when setting up conversion tracking with GTM:

    Tag fires in Preview but conversions do not appear in Google Ads: Wait at least 24 hours. Conversion data is not real-time. If nothing appears after 24 hours, check that your Conversion ID and Label are correct and that the Conversion Linker tag is installed.

    Conversions are double-counted: This usually means the tag fires more than once per conversion. Check if the thank-you page is being reloaded, or if multiple triggers are hitting the same tag. Also check whether you have the same conversion tracked via both GTM and a global site tag — having both installed causes duplicates. For a deeper look at this issue, see our article on why Google Ads reports more conversions than you actually received.

    Tag shows as “Still running” in Preview: This can happen with asynchronous tags. It usually means the tag is firing but taking a while to complete. Check your network tab in browser DevTools for the Google Ads request — if you see a request to googleads.g.doubleclick.net, the tag is working.

    GTM container not detected on the site: Verify that the GTM snippets are installed correctly. The first snippet must be in the <head> section, and the second must be immediately after the opening <body> tag. Some caching plugins can interfere — clear your site cache and try again.

    Summary

    Setting up conversion tracking with Google Tag Manager follows a straightforward process: create the conversion action in Google Ads, note the Conversion ID and Label, create a matching tag and trigger in GTM, test with Preview mode, then publish. The key to getting it right is choosing the correct trigger — a thank-you page trigger is the simplest and most reliable option for most sites.

    Remember to also add a Conversion Linker tag, verify that conversions are recording in Google Ads after 24 hours, and regularly audit your conversion tracking to make sure nothing has broken. For ongoing tracking maintenance, read our guide to tracking WordPress form lead sources.

    Want conversion tracking without the GTM complexity? TrueConversion tracks form submissions on your WordPress site and attributes each lead to the Google Ads campaign, ad group, and keyword that drove the click — no Tag Manager setup required. Try it free.

    Google Ads integration requires the Pro plan ($49/month). Free 14-day trial available.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Does Google Tag Manager slow down my site?

    GTM itself adds minimal load time — typically under 50 milliseconds. The performance impact depends more on what tags you load inside GTM. A few tracking tags (Google Ads, Analytics) are fine. Loading dozens of marketing pixels and scripts through GTM can slow things down. Keep your container lean and use trigger conditions to ensure tags only fire where they are needed.

    What if I do not have a thank-you page?

    You have several options. Many form plugins let you set a redirect URL after submission — create a simple thank-you page and use that. If you cannot create a redirect, use a dataLayer event trigger as described above. Alternatively, some form plugins like Gravity Forms show a confirmation message with a specific CSS class that you can use as a trigger condition with the Element Visibility trigger type in GTM.

    Can I track multiple conversion actions with one GTM container?

    Yes. Create a separate Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag for each conversion action, each with its own Conversion ID and Label. Use different triggers to fire each tag at the appropriate time. There is no limit to how many conversion tags you can have in one container. You only need one Conversion Linker tag for all of them.

  • Primary vs Secondary Conversions in Google Ads — Setup Guide

    Every conversion action in Google Ads is either primary or secondary. This setting controls whether Google’s Smart Bidding algorithms use that conversion to optimise your campaigns. Get it wrong and your campaigns optimise for the wrong outcomes — wasting budget on leads that never turn into customers.

    This guide explains the difference, shows you exactly how to configure each type, and covers the most common scenarios where the distinction matters.

    What Are Primary and Secondary Conversions?

    Primary conversions are used by Smart Bidding strategies (Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximise Conversions, Maximise Conversion Value) to optimise your campaigns. When Google decides who to show your ad to and how much to bid, it looks at your primary conversions to make that decision.

    Secondary conversions are tracked and reported but are not used for bidding optimisation. They appear in your Conversions columns only if you add the “All conversions” column to your reports. Think of them as observation-only metrics.

    By default, every new conversion action you create in Google Ads is set to primary. This means unless you deliberately change it, every conversion action you track is influencing your bidding.

    Why This Matters More Than You Think

    Here is a scenario that plays out on thousands of Google Ads accounts every day:

    You set up conversion tracking for form submissions. Every form fill gets counted as a primary conversion. Google’s algorithm optimises to get you more form fills. The problem? Not every form fill is a real lead. Some are spam, some are sales pitches, some are job applications. Google does not know the difference — it just sees a conversion and optimises to get more people like that person.

    If you are running Smart Bidding (and most accounts are), this directly affects who sees your ads and what you pay. The algorithm is making decisions based on every conversion action marked as primary.

    When to Use Primary Conversions

    Mark a conversion action as primary when:

    • It represents your actual business goal (a genuine lead, a purchase, a booking)
    • You want Smart Bidding to optimise towards getting more of this action
    • The signal is clean — the data reliably represents real value

    Examples of good primary conversions:

    • Purchase confirmations (e-commerce)
    • Qualified lead form submissions (if you can filter out junk)
    • Phone calls over 60 seconds
    • Offline conversions imported from your CRM (only verified sales or qualified leads)

    When to Use Secondary Conversions

    Mark a conversion action as secondary when:

    • You want to track it for reporting but do not want it influencing your bids
    • The action is a micro-conversion or engagement signal, not a business outcome
    • The data is noisy (includes spam, irrelevant submissions, or duplicates)

    Examples of good secondary conversions:

    • All form submissions (before filtering for quality)
    • Newsletter sign-ups
    • PDF downloads
    • Page views of key pages (pricing, contact)
    • Chat widget interactions

    The Recommended Setup for Lead Generation

    If you run a lead generation business (services, B2B, professional services), the cleanest setup is:

    1. Secondary: Track all form submissions as a secondary conversion. This gives you volume data without polluting your bidding.
    2. Primary: Import only qualified, genuine leads as a primary conversion using offline conversion imports. This tells Google exactly which clicks led to real business.

    This two-tier approach means Google sees every form fill for reporting purposes, but only optimises towards the ones that actually mattered. Over time, Smart Bidding learns which types of clicks lead to real customers and adjusts accordingly.

    Tools like TrueConversion can automate this by identifying genuine leads and uploading only those as conversions to Google Ads — but you can also do it manually with spreadsheet uploads, which we cover in our offline conversion import guide.

    How to Change a Conversion Action to Primary or Secondary

    Here is the step-by-step process in the Google Ads interface:

    1. Sign in to your Google Ads account
    2. Click Goals in the left navigation menu
    3. Click Conversions, then Summary
    4. Find the conversion action you want to change and click its name
    5. Click Settings (or the pencil icon) — if you need help finding your conversion actions in the interface, our GTM conversion tracking guide includes a step-by-step walkthrough
    6. Scroll to Goal and action optimisation
    7. Select either Primary — used for bidding optimisation or Secondary — not used for bidding optimisation
    8. Click Save

    The change takes effect immediately for new auctions. Existing campaign data will not be retroactively changed, but Smart Bidding will start adjusting based on the new primary/secondary designation within a few days.

    Configuring the Count Model

    While you are in the conversion action settings, check the Count setting as well:

    • One: Counts only one conversion per click, regardless of how many times the action happens. Use this for leads — one person submitting a form twice is still one lead.
    • Every: Counts every instance of the conversion action. Use this for e-commerce transactions where each purchase has separate value.

    For lead generation, almost always choose One. This prevents duplicate form submissions from inflating your conversion count and misleading Smart Bidding.

    Conversion Windows and Attribution

    Two other settings worth reviewing while you are configuring your conversion actions:

    Click-through conversion window: How many days after a click can a conversion be attributed? The default is 30 days. For most lead generation businesses, 30 days is sensible. For impulse purchases, you might shorten it to 7 days.

    Attribution model: Google now defaults to data-driven attribution for most accounts. This distributes credit across multiple touchpoints in the conversion path. If your account does not have enough data for data-driven, it will fall back to last-click.

    Common Mistakes to Avoid

    • Leaving everything as primary: If you have five different conversion actions all set to primary, Smart Bidding is optimising for all of them simultaneously. This dilutes the signal and confuses the algorithm.
    • Using “Every” count for leads: One person refreshing your thank-you page three times should not count as three leads.
    • Not checking after setup: Google occasionally changes defaults or adds conversion actions automatically (like from linked Google Analytics goals). Audit your conversion actions at least quarterly.
    • Switching too frequently: Changing conversion actions from primary to secondary (or vice versa) resets the learning period for Smart Bidding. Make the change, then give it two to three weeks to stabilise.

    How to Check Your Current Setup

    To quickly audit which conversion actions are currently influencing your bidding:

    1. Go to Goals > Conversions > Summary
    2. Look at the Optimisation goal column
    3. Every action showing “Primary” is being used by Smart Bidding
    4. If you see actions that should not be influencing bids (like page views or newsletter sign-ups), change them to secondary

    If the “Optimisation goal” column is not visible, click the columns icon and add it.

    Summary

    Primary and secondary conversions give you control over what Google optimises for. The key principle is simple: only mark a conversion as primary if it represents genuine business value. Everything else should be secondary — tracked for reporting but kept away from your bidding strategy.

    For lead generation businesses, the ideal setup is to track all form submissions as secondary and import only qualified leads as primary conversions. This gives Smart Bidding a clean signal and stops your budget being wasted on junk leads.

    Want to automate this? TrueConversion captures the traffic source of every form submission on your WordPress site, identifies genuine leads, and sends only real conversions back to Google Ads as primary conversion actions — no spreadsheets or manual uploads required. Try it free.

    Google Ads integration requires the Pro plan ($49/month). Free 14-day trial available.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I have multiple primary conversion actions?

    Yes, but be deliberate about it. Every primary conversion action influences Smart Bidding simultaneously. If you have a primary action for form submissions and another for phone calls, the algorithm optimises for both. This is fine if both represent equal business value — but if one is noisier than the other, it can dilute the signal.

    What happens to my data if I switch from primary to secondary?

    Historical data remains unchanged in your reports. The conversion action will continue to track and record conversions. The only difference is that Smart Bidding will stop using it for optimisation going forward. Expect a learning period of two to three weeks as the algorithm adjusts.

    Do secondary conversions appear in the main Conversions column?

    No. Secondary conversions only appear in the “All conversions” column. You need to add this column to your reports manually if you want to see them. The default “Conversions” column only counts primary conversion actions.

    Should I use primary or secondary for Google Analytics imported goals?

    In most cases, secondary. Google Analytics goals imported into Google Ads are often broad engagement metrics (time on site, pages per session) that should not influence bidding. If you have a specific GA4 event that represents a genuine conversion, you can keep it as primary — but audit it carefully to ensure it is not double-counting with your Google Ads conversion tag.

  • WordPress Form Tracking Beyond Google Analytics — Per-Lead Attribution

    Google Analytics can tell you how many people visited your WordPress site, which pages they viewed, and where they came from. It can even show you that a form was submitted by tracking a thank-you page view or a custom event. But there’s one thing it fundamentally cannot do: connect a specific form submission to a specific visitor session.

    When John Smith fills out your contact form at 2pm on Tuesday, Google Analytics knows that someone from Sydney visited via Google Ads and submitted a form. Your form plugin knows that John Smith from john@example.com sent a quote request. But neither system connects these two facts together. You can’t look at John’s form submission and say “he came from our Google Ads plumbing campaign.”

    This is the gap between aggregate analytics and per-lead attribution — and it’s the gap that costs small businesses real money in misallocated marketing spend.

    The solution: TrueConversion bridges the gap between analytics and form submissions. See the traffic source for every individual lead. Free WordPress plugin.

    What Google Analytics Does Well (and Where It Stops)

    Google Analytics is excellent at aggregate traffic analysis. It shows you:

    • Total visitors by source (Google Ads, organic, social, direct)
    • Page-level engagement metrics (bounce rate, time on page)
    • Conversion events (form submissions, button clicks)
    • User flow through your site
    • Campaign performance at a traffic level

    This is useful for understanding overall trends. But when it comes to form leads, Google Analytics tells you how many people from each source submitted forms — not which specific people. And with GA4’s privacy-first approach, data sampling, and consent requirements, even the aggregate numbers can be unreliable for low-traffic sites.

    For a business that receives 5 to 50 leads per month, you don’t need statistical trends — you need to know where each lead came from. That requires per-lead attribution, which is a fundamentally different approach from analytics. And once you have per-lead data with click IDs attached, you can import offline conversions into Google Ads to improve your campaign targeting.

    Per-Lead Attribution: A Different Approach

    Per-lead attribution works by capturing the visitor’s traffic source data at the moment they land on your site and attaching it directly to their form submission. Instead of aggregate statistics, you get a clear, per-submission answer.

    The data you get for each lead includes:

    • Traffic source label — “Google Ads”, “Meta Ads”, “Organic Search”, “Referral”, or “Direct”
    • UTM parameters — the specific campaign, medium, and source from the URL
    • Click ID — the platform-specific identifier (gclid for Google, fbclid for Facebook)
    • Landing page — which page the visitor first arrived on
    • Referrer — which website sent them

    This is the data that Google Analytics knows about the session but can’t connect to the form submission. Per-lead attribution captures it at the session level and carries it through to the form.

    How TrueConversion Bridges the Gap

    TrueConversion is a free WordPress plugin that provides per-lead attribution for all 9 major WordPress form plugins. It works independently of Google Analytics — no GA4 configuration, no Tag Manager, no custom events needed.

    Here’s how it works:

    1. A lightweight JavaScript runs on every page, capturing UTM parameters and click IDs from the URL
    2. The data is stored in a cookie and localStorage, persisting through the browsing session
    3. When the visitor submits any form, TrueConversion reads the stored data and saves it alongside the submission
    4. Every entry appears in a dashboard with a colour-coded traffic source badge

    The setup takes two minutes: download the plugin, install, run the wizard, done. No analytics configuration, no tracking code, no developer needed.

    No GA4 setup required. TrueConversion captures traffic source data independently. Works even if you don’t have Google Analytics installed.

    Download TrueConversion Free

    TrueConversion vs Google Analytics: What Each Does Best

    These tools solve different problems and work well together:

    Google Analytics is best for understanding overall traffic patterns, user behaviour across your site, audience demographics, and page-level performance. Use it for big-picture marketing strategy.

    TrueConversion is best for connecting specific leads to specific marketing channels. Use it to answer “where did this lead come from?” and “which channel generates real customers?” It also lets you send real conversions to Google Ads (available on the Pro plan) — something Google Analytics can’t do. For teams using Tag Manager, our GTM conversion tracking guide covers the standard setup process.

    Use both. Google Analytics for traffic analysis. TrueConversion for per-lead attribution and conversion tracking. Together they give you a complete picture of your marketing performance. See the How It Works page for more details.

    Works With 9 WordPress Form Plugins

    TrueConversion supports Contact Form 7, WPForms, Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms, Formidable Forms, Fluent Forms, Elementor Pro Forms, Forminator, and Jetpack Forms. See the full list of supported plugins.

    Download TrueConversion — Free

    Go beyond Google Analytics. See where each individual form lead comes from. Free forever, works with 9 form plugins.

    Download TrueConversion Free →

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do I still need Google Analytics?

    Google Analytics and TrueConversion solve different problems. Keep Google Analytics for overall traffic analysis and site behaviour. Use TrueConversion for per-lead attribution. They complement each other.

    Does TrueConversion use Google Analytics data?

    No. TrueConversion captures traffic source data independently using its own JavaScript. It doesn’t require or connect to Google Analytics in any way.

    Will TrueConversion work if I don’t have Google Analytics installed?

    Yes. TrueConversion is completely independent. It works regardless of whether you have Google Analytics, Tag Manager, or any other analytics tool installed.

  • Why Google Ads Reports More Conversions Than You Actually Get

    Your Google Ads dashboard says you got 45 conversions this month. But when you check your inbox and CRM, you can only count 15 genuine enquiries. Where did the other 30 go?

    This is one of the most common frustrations for small businesses running Google Ads. The numbers don’t add up. Your ads agency shows you reports with impressive conversion counts, but the phone isn’t ringing and the sales pipeline doesn’t match.

    The problem isn’t that Google Ads is lying. It’s that your conversion tracking is counting things that aren’t real leads. Here’s why it happens and how to fix it.

    The fix is simple: Tell Google which conversions are real. TrueConversion (free WordPress plugin) lets you mark genuine leads and send only those to Google Ads.

    Where the Extra “Conversions” Come From

    Standard Google Ads conversion tracking fires a tag whenever someone submits a form or visits a thank-you page. It counts every submission as a conversion, regardless of quality. Here’s what typically makes up those inflated numbers:

    Spam and Bot Submissions

    Bots fill out forms constantly. Even with reCAPTCHA, some get through. Each bot submission that triggers your conversion tracking is counted by Google as a genuine conversion.

    Sales Pitches and Vendor Outreach

    SEO agencies, web designers, and marketing companies fill out contact forms to pitch their services. They found you through your ads, submitted a form, and Google counted it as a conversion. But they’re selling, not buying.

    Job Applications

    People looking for work often use contact forms to submit their CVs. If they clicked an ad before doing so, that’s another false conversion.

    Existing Customers With Support Questions

    Current customers sometimes use your contact form to ask support questions. If they clicked an ad to find your site (or Google attributed their visit to a previous ad click), the form submission counts as a new conversion.

    Tyre-Kickers and Price Shoppers

    Some people submit a form with no real intent to purchase. They’re browsing, comparing, or “just asking.” These are counted as conversions but will never become customers.

    Why This Matters More Than You Think

    Inflated conversion numbers aren’t just annoying — they actively damage your Google Ads performance. A systematic conversion tracking audit can uncover these issues before they waste more budget. Here’s how the damage plays out:

    Google optimises for the wrong audience. When you use automated bidding (Maximise Conversions, Target CPA), Google’s algorithm learns from your conversion data. If spam and junk are counted as conversions, Google learns to find more people who behave like spam and junk. Your lead quality degrades over time instead of improving.

    Your reported cost per lead is fiction. If Google says you’re getting conversions at $30 each but only a third are genuine, your real cost per lead is $90. Budget decisions based on the inflated number lead to overspending on underperforming campaigns.

    Your agency looks good while your business suffers. Agencies often report on the conversion numbers Google shows. If those numbers are inflated, the agency’s performance looks better than it actually is — and you’re the one paying for it.

    The Solution: Only Count Real Conversions

    The fix is to stop telling Google that every form submission is a conversion. Instead, review your leads, identify the genuine commercial enquiries, and send only those to Google Ads.

    This is called offline conversion tracking, and TrueConversion makes it simple:

    1. Install TrueConversion — download the free plugin and run the 2-minute setup wizard
    2. Connect Google Ads — link your account and create a conversion action
    3. Review and mark — when genuine leads come in, click “Mark as Conversion”
    4. Set priorities — make TrueConversion your Primary conversion action, demote your form-submission tracking to Secondary

    Now Google only counts the leads you’ve verified as real. Its algorithm adjusts to find more people like your actual customers. Your cost per real conversion drops, your lead quality improves, and your reporting finally matches reality.

    Lead source tracking is included in the free plan. Google Ads integration, conversion marking, and AI classification are available on the Pro plan ($49/month with a free 14-day trial).

    Download TrueConversion Free

    What If You Get Too Many Leads to Review Manually?

    For businesses that receive dozens of leads per day, manual review becomes impractical. The TrueConversion Pro plan includes AI-powered lead classification that automatically analyses every submission and determines whether it’s genuine or junk. Real leads are auto-marked and uploaded to Google Ads without any manual work.

    See the pricing page for a comparison of free and Pro features. The free plan is enough for most small businesses.

    Download TrueConversion — Free

    Stop letting junk leads distort your Google Ads data. Send only real conversions so Google can find more customers like the ones that actually matter.

    Download TrueConversion Free →

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Will I lose my existing conversion data in Google Ads?

    No. Your existing conversion tracking stays active as a secondary action. You keep all historical data. TrueConversion adds a new, more accurate conversion source alongside your existing one.

    How quickly will I see improvements in lead quality?

    Google’s algorithm typically needs 15 to 30 real conversions within a 30-day period to significantly adjust its targeting. Most businesses notice improved lead quality within 2 to 4 weeks.

    Does this work with any form plugin?

    Yes. TrueConversion supports 9 popular form plugins including Contact Form 7, WPForms, Gravity Forms, Elementor Pro Forms, and more. See the full list.

  • Google Ads Offline Conversion Tracking for WordPress — The Complete Guide

    Google Ads is optimising your campaigns right now. But what is it optimising for? If you’re using standard conversion tracking, the answer is: anyone who fills out a form. That includes spam bots, sales pitches, job applications, and tyre-kickers who will never become customers.

    Offline conversion tracking changes this. Instead of telling Google “a form was submitted,” you tell Google “this specific click led to a real customer.” Google then uses that data to find more people like your actual customers — and fewer like the junk.

    The problem? Setting up offline conversion tracking on WordPress has traditionally been complicated. You need to capture the Google click ID, store it through the browsing session, attach it to the form submission, then format and upload the data through the Google Ads API. Most small businesses don’t have the technical resources for this.

    This guide shows you how to do it the easy way — with a WordPress plugin that handles the entire process automatically.

    Already know what offline conversion tracking is? Download TrueConversion free and start sending real conversions to Google Ads in under five minutes.

    What Is Offline Conversion Tracking?

    Standard Google Ads conversion tracking fires a tag when someone completes an action on your website — typically a form submission or a page view (like a thank-you page). Google sees the conversion immediately and attributes it to the click that brought the visitor.

    The problem is that standard tracking treats every form submission equally. A genuine commercial enquiry from a decision-maker counts the same as a spam bot filling your form with gibberish. Google optimises for volume — more submissions — not quality.

    Offline conversion tracking works differently. Instead of tracking conversions instantly on the website, you review your leads first, decide which ones are genuine, and then upload those specific conversions to Google Ads after the fact. The “offline” part simply means the conversion decision happens outside of Google’s standard tracking — it doesn’t mean the customer was offline.

    The key piece of data that makes this work is the Google Click ID (gclid). Every time someone clicks your Google Ad, a unique gclid is added to the URL. If you capture and store this gclid alongside the form submission, you can later tell Google: “this specific click, identified by this gclid, led to a real conversion.”

    Why Standard Conversion Tracking Falls Short

    Consider a typical small business running Google Ads. They get 30 form submissions per month from their ads. Standard conversion tracking reports all 30 as conversions. But when the business owner reviews those leads:

    • 8 are spam or bot submissions
    • 5 are sales pitches from other companies
    • 4 are job applications
    • 3 are existing customers with support questions
    • 10 are genuine commercial enquiries

    Google Ads thinks it generated 30 conversions and is doing a brilliant job. In reality, only 10 of those clicks were worth anything. Google is optimising for the wrong audience — it’s finding more people who fill out forms, not more people who become customers.

    When you send only the 10 genuine conversions back to Google Ads through offline conversion tracking, Google’s machine learning adjusts. It learns the characteristics of clicks that lead to real customers: the search terms they used, the time of day they searched, their location, their device, their demographics. Over time, your ads are shown to more people like your real customers and fewer people like the junk.

    This is how sophisticated advertisers get better results from the same budget. Read more about how junk leads waste your Google Ads budget and how to fix it.

    How Offline Conversion Tracking Works — Step by Step

    The technical process has four stages:

    1. Capture the click ID. When someone clicks your ad and lands on your website, the URL contains a gclid parameter. This needs to be read from the URL and stored somewhere — a cookie, localStorage, or a hidden form field.

    2. Attach it to the form submission. When the visitor fills out your form, the stored gclid must be included with the submission data. This connects the specific ad click to the specific lead.

    3. Review and qualify the lead. You receive the form submission, review it, and decide whether it’s a genuine commercial enquiry. This is the “offline” part — the qualification happens in your business, not on the website.

    4. Upload the conversion. The qualified conversion, along with the gclid, is sent to Google Ads through the API. Google matches it to the original click and uses the data to improve campaign optimisation.

    Setting this up manually requires JavaScript to capture the gclid, server-side code to store and attach it, and API integration to upload conversions. For a detailed walkthrough of the manual process, including CSV formatting and upload schedules, see our guide on how to import offline conversions into Google Ads. For most WordPress sites, this is impractical without a developer.

    The Easy Way — Set Up Offline Conversions With TrueConversion

    TrueConversion is a WordPress plugin that handles the entire offline conversion tracking process automatically. It captures the gclid, stores it through the browsing session, attaches it to form submissions from 9 popular form plugins, and uploads conversions to Google Ads through the API — all without writing a single line of code. Google Ads offline conversion tracking is available on the Pro plan ($49/month with a free 14-day trial).

    Step 1 — Install TrueConversion

    Download the free plugin, upload it to your WordPress site via Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, and activate it. The setup wizard will guide you through selecting your form plugins and configuring notifications. It takes about two minutes.

    Step 2 — Connect Your Google Ads Account

    Go to TrueConversion → Google Ads in your WordPress admin. Click Connect Google Ads and sign in with your Google account. Enter your Google Ads Customer ID (the number in the top-right corner of your Google Ads dashboard, formatted like 123-456-7890). Then click Create Action to let TrueConversion create a conversion action called “TrueConversion Lead” in your account.

    Your login credentials are never stored on your website — the connection uses secure OAuth tokens. See the setup documentation for a detailed walkthrough.

    Step 3 — Mark Real Conversions

    As form submissions come in, review them in the TrueConversion dashboard. When you receive a genuine commercial enquiry, click the Mark button next to that entry. It changes to Conversion (green) and the conversion is automatically uploaded to Google Ads — complete with the gclid and hashed customer data for enhanced matching.

    You can also use bulk actions to mark multiple entries at once.

    That’s the entire setup. Install the plugin, connect Google Ads, and mark your real leads. TrueConversion handles the gclid capture, session storage, form attachment, and API upload automatically.

    Download TrueConversion Free

    What Happens When You Send Real Conversions to Google Ads

    Once Google Ads receives your qualified conversions, its machine learning starts working with better data. Instead of optimising for “people who fill out forms,” it optimises for “people who become real customers.”

    The effects compound over time. After a few weeks of receiving real conversion data, most businesses see:

    • Higher lead quality — fewer spam submissions and tyre-kickers
    • Lower cost per real conversion — your budget goes further when Google targets the right audience
    • Better return on ad spend — more customers from the same budget
    • More accurate reporting — your Google Ads dashboard shows real business outcomes, not vanity metrics

    This is especially powerful if you use automated bidding strategies like Maximise Conversions or Target CPA. These strategies rely entirely on conversion data to make bidding decisions — and the quality of that data directly determines the quality of your results.

    Enhanced Conversions — Better Matching, Better Results

    TrueConversion automatically includes Enhanced Conversions data with every upload. This means it sends hashed (encrypted) customer information — email address and name — alongside the gclid. Google uses this data to match conversions more accurately, even when the gclid alone might not be sufficient.

    To enable Enhanced Conversions on the Google Ads side:

    1. Sign in to your Google Ads account
    2. Go to Goals → Conversions → Summary
    3. Click on the TrueConversion Lead conversion action
    4. Scroll down to Enhanced conversions and expand it
    5. Toggle Enhanced conversions On
    6. Select API as the method
    7. Click Save

    All customer data is hashed with SHA-256 before it leaves your server — Google never receives the raw email address or name.

    Making TrueConversion Your Primary Conversion Action

    This is the step that makes the biggest difference. For Google Ads to optimise for your real conversions, you need to tell it to use TrueConversion as the primary conversion source — and demote your existing form submission tracking to secondary.

    1. In Google Ads, go to Goals → Conversions → Summary
    2. Find your existing form submission conversion action (usually called something like “Submit Lead Form” or “Contact Form”)
    3. Click on it, then click Edit settings
    4. Change it from Primary to Secondary (see our guide to primary vs secondary conversions for why this matters)
    5. Find TrueConversion Lead in the list and make sure it is set to Primary

    Your existing tracking continues to run in the background as a secondary action — you can still see all form submissions in your reports. But Google now optimises your campaigns based on the conversions you have verified as genuine. Learn more about how TrueConversion works with your ad campaigns.

    Automate It With AI Lead Classification

    Marking conversions manually works well, but what if you receive dozens of leads per day? The TrueConversion Pro plan includes AI-powered lead classification that automatically analyses every form submission and determines whether it’s a genuine commercial enquiry. Real leads can be auto-marked as conversions and uploaded to Google Ads without any manual review.

    Google Ads offline conversion tracking — including manual marking, Enhanced Conversions, and automatic upload — is available on the Pro plan ($49/month with a free 14-day trial). The Pro plan also includes AI-powered lead classification (5,000/month) and automatic conversion marking. The free plan includes full lead source tracking, dashboard, email notifications, and summary emails. See the pricing page for a full comparison.

    Download TrueConversion — Free

    Stop letting Google Ads optimise for junk leads. Send your real conversions back to Google so it finds more customers like the ones that actually matter to your business.

    Download TrueConversion Free →

    Free forever. No credit card required. Full lead source tracking included. Google Ads offline conversion tracking available on Pro.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do I need a paid plan for offline conversion tracking?

    Google Ads offline conversion tracking — including gclid capture, Enhanced Conversions, manual lead marking, and upload to Google Ads — is available on the Pro plan ($49/month with a free 14-day trial). The free plan includes full lead source tracking, dashboard, email notifications, and summary emails.

    How long do conversions take to appear in Google Ads?

    Conversions typically appear in Google Ads within 3 to 6 hours, but can take up to 24 hours in some cases. This is a Google-side processing delay, not a TrueConversion limitation.

    Do I need to install Google Tag Manager?

    No. TrueConversion handles all the tracking and data capture directly. There’s no need for Google Tag Manager, custom JavaScript, or any additional tracking tools.

    Which form plugins work with offline conversion tracking?

    TrueConversion supports Contact Form 7, WPForms, Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms, Formidable Forms, Fluent Forms, Elementor Pro Forms, Forminator, and Jetpack Forms. For custom forms, there’s a [tc_fields] shortcode. See the full list of supported form plugins.