How to set up Google Ads conversion tracking

What does conversion tracking actually do?

It places a Google tag on your site and records a conversion when someone completes an action you've defined as valuable, matching it back to the ad click that brought them there.

Google Ads describes conversion measurement as a free tool that shows what happens after a customer interacts with your ads — whether they completed a purchase, signed up, or called your business [1](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1722022).

Before you start: decide what counts as a conversion

Pick the specific action that represents a real result for your business — a submitted form, a completed purchase, a call over a minimum length — not a page view.

• A thank-you page view is a weak proxy; a completed form submission is stronger.
• A click on a phone number is weaker than a call that lasted long enough to be a real enquiry.
• Decide which action(s) should be marked 'primary' — these are the ones used for reporting and automated bidding.

How to set up a website conversion action

Create the conversion action in Google Ads, then install the matching tag on your website so the two are connected.

1. In Google Ads, go to Goals, then Conversions, then Summary.
2. Click the plus button to create a new conversion action and choose 'Website'.
3. Enter your site's URL and let Google Ads scan for existing tags, or set up the action manually.
4. Choose the conversion category, value and count settings that match the action (for example, 'Submit lead form', one per click).
5. Install the Google tag on every page of your site, and add the event snippet on the specific page or button that represents the conversion (for example, the thank-you page).
6. If you use Google Tag Manager, add the conversion tracking tag there instead of editing site code directly.

How to confirm it's actually working

Test the action yourself and watch for a recorded conversion, rather than assuming the setup worked.

A successful tag-firing test confirms the tag works; it doesn't by itself confirm attribution from a real ad click, which only real ad traffic can show [2](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7521212).

1. Open Google Tag Assistant and connect it to your site.
2. Complete the action yourself — submit the form, or trigger the event you set up.
3. Confirm Tag Assistant shows the conversion firing with the expected details.
4. Check back in Google Ads a day or two later to confirm a conversion was recorded against the right action.

What to do if it stops working later

A sudden drop to zero conversions, while clicks continue as normal, usually means something on the website changed — not that the ads stopped working. Check the last-recorded-conversion date for each action and compare with real leads before changing any campaign.

Limitations of this guide

• Phone calls, offline sales and app events need separate tracking methods beyond basic website conversion tracking.
• A website redesign, new form tool, or consent banner can silently break tracking after setup — periodic checks matter.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides and tools

• Google Ads conversion tracking not working — How to check whether tracking is broken or just quiet.
• Conversion tracking checker — Check a page for a Google tag, conversion ID, call link and form.
• Google Ads getting clicks but no leads — Why ads stop converting and how to find the cause.
• How to audit a Google Ads account — A step-by-step checklist, in business language.