In this guide
- A retraction removes a conversion. A restatement changes its value.
- You identify the original conversion by order ID (transaction ID) and conversion action.
- Send adjustments soon after the change. Google allows them only within a limited period.
Smart bidding learns from the conversions you report. If a customer cancels an order or returns it, and Google still counts it, the algorithm learns from a sale that did not exist. Conversion adjustments let you correct the record. They are useful for stores with returns and for lead businesses with fake leads. This page explains how they work and how to send them. Google changes its tools, so check its current documentation. See Google Ads conversion tracking and server-side conversion tracking for Google Ads.
Two kinds
| Adjustment | Use it when | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Retraction | An order was cancelled or refunded in full | The conversion is removed |
| Restatement | The value changed, for example a partial refund or an upgrade | The conversion value is updated |
Check your tracking in one pass
This is an example. Run the check on your own site to see where yours stands.
What you need
- The conversion action the original conversion used.
- The order ID (transaction ID) sent with the original conversion. Without it you cannot match the adjustment.
- The time of the adjustment, and for restatements the new value and currency.
- For enhanced conversions, the hashed user data can also be sent with the adjustment.
Set up
Send an order ID with every conversion
This is the key. Make it unique and stable.
Choose how to send adjustments
Through the Google Ads API, an upload in the interface, or a tag in your server container triggered by your system.
Trigger on cancellation or refund
A webhook from your shop or payment provider to your tagging server.
Send the retraction or restatement
With the order ID and the conversion action.
Check the result
In the conversion status or the upload report.
3 things to remember
Scroll and the points stack up.
A retraction removes a conversion. A restatement changes its value.
You identify the original conversion by order ID (transaction ID) and conversion action.
Send adjustments soon after the change. Google allows them only within a limited period.
Time limits
Google accepts adjustments only within a set number of days after the original conversion, and the limit has been in the range of weeks. Check the current limit. For fast refunds, send the adjustment the same day.
Server-side route
A server container can receive a refund webhook from your shop and send the adjustment. Use the same order ID that you sent with the conversion. With Open Tracked, your tagging server handles webhooks on your own subdomain, and the Request Delay power-up (Business plan) can hold a request for a set time if you need to wait for a refund to complete.
Common problems
Orders from your store, back to the ad that earned them
Your store sends the order once. Open Tracked passes it on to each ad platform, cleaned and deduplicated.
Frequently asked questions
What is a conversion adjustment?
A correction to a conversion already reported: a retraction removes it, a restatement changes its value.
What do I need to send one?
The conversion action, the order ID of the original conversion, the time and, for restatements, the new value.
How long do I have?
Google allows adjustments within a limited period after the original conversion. Check the current limit.
Can a server container send them?
Yes, triggered by a refund webhook from your shop.
Why are my adjustments rejected?
Usually the order ID is missing or does not match.
Do I need spreadsheets to read my results?
No. Once tracking is live, the Open Tracked analytics shows spend, revenue, ROAS and profit, and you can ask Ari, the built-in AI assistant, questions about your own numbers in plain words. Ari's allowance depends on your analytics plan.
Is Open Tracked different from Open Track or Open Space Track?
No. Open Tracked is the official name of our server-side tracking platform, and the website is opentracked.io. Many people search for it as Open Track, OpenTrack or Open Space Track. All of them lead to the same product: server-side Google Tag Manager hosting, first-party analytics and a CRM pipeline.
Fix your tracking at the source
Open Tracked hosts your server-side Tag Manager, keeps first-party cookies alive and shows what each ad is really worth.
The Open Tracked team
We build Open Tracked: server-side tracking hosting, analytics and the tools around them, for stores that spend on ads. Questions about this guide, or an idea for the next one?
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