# How to set up Google Ads conversion tracking > Set up Google Ads conversion tracking for sales or leads on your website with the Google tag. Exact menu steps, primary vs secondary, testing and a worked example. - **Author**: Marxx - **Published**: 2026-11-17 - **Category**: Tracking - **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-guides/how-to-set-up-google-ads-conversion-tracking --- To set up Google Ads conversion tracking, open **Goals**, then **Summary**, add your website as a data source, and create a conversion action that uses the Google tag. Then test it, and mark your main sale or lead as a primary conversion so Google's bidding learns from it. Steps follow Google's [web conversions guide](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/16560108), checked 2026-10-20. Menu names change, so match the idea if a label differs. ## Step by step 1. In Google Ads, click **Goals**, then **Summary**. 2. Click **+ Create conversion action**. If you do not see it, click **Edit data sources** next to "Conversions on a website". 3. Enter your website domain and click **Scan**. Google checks for a Google tag or a linked Google Analytics property. 4. If it finds nothing, click **Set up** to create a Google tag. 5. Choose a **category** that matches the action, such as a purchase or a lead. 6. Click **+ Create conversion** and choose the **Google tag** as the data source. 7. Pick how to track the action: - **Automatically without code.** Choose the event, then a URL rule such as "URL contains" and the thank-you page address. - **Manually using code.** Paste Google's event snippet on the page where the action happens. - **Google Tag Manager.** Click **Set up in Google Tag Manager**, add the suggested tags to a workspace, set the trigger and publish. Set up a Conversion Linker tag on the pages where visitors land after an ad click ([Google](https://support.google.com/tagmanager/answer/7549390)). 8. Set the **value**, and the **count**. Google recommends **Every** for sales and **One** for leads ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3438531)). 9. Choose **Primary** or **Secondary**. Primary conversions are used for bidding. Secondary ones are for observation only. 10. Turn on enhanced conversions if you want them, then click **Agree and finish**. ## Test it Use Google Tag Assistant to check the tag fires. Then watch the **Status** column in **Goals**, **Summary**. Google lists five statuses: Active, Needs attention, Misconfigured, Awaiting conversions and Removed ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/troubleshooter/13455130), checked 2026-10-20). A new action can show Awaiting conversions, which Google says typically means it was created under 48 hours ago, your campaigns are paused or traffic is too low. Misconfigured means conversions stopped recording because of a setup error or a broken tag. If you serve people in the European Economic Area, consent affects your data. Google's consent mode reference says that when consent is not granted, remarketing gets no data and conversion data for bidding is limited ([Google](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/13802165), checked 2026-10-20). See [consent mode v2](/glossary/consent-mode-v2). ## A worked example Say a clinic gets bookings on a page called /thank-you. You create a lead conversion with the URL rule "URL contains /thank-you", count **One**, and a value of INR 1,500, your average booking. The numbers are made up. After a month Google Ads shows 40 conversions and INR 30,000 of spend. - Conversion value: 40 x INR 1,500 = INR 60,000 - Value for each rupee spent: INR 60,000 / INR 30,000 = **2.0** That is a [ROAS](/glossary/roas) of 2 on bookings. The value is your estimate, so check it against real revenue. ## Mistakes to avoid - **Marking everything Primary.** Page views and button clicks then steer bidding. Keep only your sale or lead as primary. - **Counting one action from two sources.** If a Google Analytics event and a tag both track the same sale, check that only one is primary. - **Counting every lead.** Use **One** for leads, so each ad click counts as one lead and not several. - **Never testing.** Check the Status before you spend more. Google numbers and Meta numbers rarely match. See [GA4 vs Meta Ads Manager numbers](/compare/ga4-vs-meta-ads-manager-numbers). If you also run Meta ads, set up tracking there as well: [how to set up Meta Conversions API](/guides/how-to-set-up-meta-conversions-api). Once tracking works, Marxx can read your Google Ads spend, campaigns and search terms through its connection. ## FAQ ### Do I need Google Tag Manager? No. You can use the Google tag with a snippet, or a URL rule without code. Tag Manager helps when you have many tags or a developer. ### What is the difference between primary and secondary? Primary conversions are used for bidding. Secondary ones are for observation only. Google says this setting matters because Smart Bidding relies on it. ### How long before conversions show up? A new conversion action can show Awaiting conversions until it records one. If you import from Google Analytics, Google says import options can take 24 to 48 hours to appear. --- - [More Tracking articles](https://marxx.ai/library-guides/category/tracking) - [All articles](https://marxx.ai/library-guides)