Advertising and attribution

[GA4] Create conversions in Google Ads based on Google Analytics key events

Next: Google Analytics 4 benefits and features to drive App campaign performance

Gradual feature rollout: This feature is not yet available for all Google Analytics properties.

Overview

To create a Google Ads conversion, identify an Analytics key event that measures the important interaction and then in Google Ads, create a new conversion that's based on the Google Analytics key event. After you create the conversion in Google Ads, the conversion data is shared between Google Ads and Google Analytics so you're viewing the same data across platforms.

Google Ads conversions that are based on Google Analytics key events can help you see how well your advertisements from Google Ads are performing so you can improve your marketing strategy and optimize your bidding strategy through Google Ads Smart Bidding.

Before you begin

Before you get started, you must:

Create Google Ads conversions

In your Google Ads account, click create .
Select Conversion action from the list.
Click Import, select Google Analytics 4 properties, then click Continue.
Select each Google Analytics key event you want to import, then click Import and continue.
Click Done.

Frequently asked questions

How is credit attributed for conversions that are based on GA4 key events?

Web conversions: You can choose which channels are eligible to receive credit for web conversions shared with Google Ads: Google Paid Channels or Paid and Organic Channels. You can edit this setting in the Admin > Attribution settings page under Data display in Google Analytics, and the change will apply to conversions moving forward. As of June 2023, the default setting for properties creating a link for the first time will be Google Paid Channels. Learn more about selecting attribution settings

App conversions: When app conversions are imported from Google Analytics 4 to Google Ads, they are imported on a Google Paid Channels basis. Learn more about importing app conversions to Google Ads

Why don't I see view-through key event data or cross-device conversions in Google Ads?

To see cross-device conversions in Google Ads, you need to turn on Google signals for your Google Analytics 4 property. Learn more

You won't see view-through conversions if you are importing conversions from Analytics because native Google Ads conversion tracking is required for this feature.

Why is my Google Ads conversion marked as a "secondary" conversion action?

Google Ads marks a conversion as "secondary" when your Google Ads account already has goals from an Analytics property. Conversion actions that are based on GA4 key events are set to "secondary" conversion actions to prevent counting the same event twice for bidding.

What's next

To learn more about how Google Ads conversion tracking works with Analytics and why you may see some discrepancies in the conversion statistics between Google Ads conversion tracking and Analytics, visit the Google Ads help center.

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