In this guide
- Create a conversion action for each outcome (purchase, lead), install the Google tag and the conversion linker, and send a value.
- Add enhanced conversions (hashed e-mail and phone) to recover matches when the click ID is missing.
- Send from the server too, and share a transaction ID so Google counts each order once.
Google Ads decides who to show your ads to based on the conversions you report. If it sees few conversions, or the wrong ones, it learns the wrong lesson. This page explains how conversion tracking works, the settings that matter and how a server container fits in. See also server-side conversion tracking in Google Ads and Consent Mode v2.
How it works
A person clicks your ad
Google adds a click ID (gclid, or wbraid / gbraid for some iOS traffic) to the landing page address.
Your site stores it
The conversion linker and Google tag save it in a first-party cookie.
The person converts
The tag sends the conversion with the stored click ID, the value and a transaction ID.
Google matches it
It links the conversion to the click and the campaign, ad group and keyword.
Connected in minutes
Add your domain, install the pixel, connect your ad platforms and watch the first events land.
Settings that matter
| Setting | What it does | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion action category | Purchase, lead, sign up and so on | Choose the one that matches the outcome |
| Primary or secondary | Whether the action is used for bidding | Make your main outcome primary, extras secondary |
| Value | What a conversion is worth | Send the real order value, or profit. See POAS |
| Count | Every conversion or one per click | Every for purchases, one for leads |
| Conversion window | How long after a click a conversion counts | Match your sales cycle, commonly 30 days |
| Attribution model | How credit is shared across clicks | Data-driven where available |
Enhanced conversions
Enhanced conversions send hashed customer data (e-mail, phone, name, address) with the conversion, so Google can match it to a signed-in account when the click ID is missing. This is useful in Safari and for blocked visitors. Turn it on in the conversion settings, and pass the fields in the Google tag or the server tag. Use it with consent. Enhanced conversions for leads work the same way for lead forms.
Works with your stack
Grab a logo and throw it. These are the tools Open Tracked already talks to.
Server-side
A server container can send Google Ads conversions with the Conversion Linker and the Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag. The server tag reads the stored click ID, the value, the currency and the transaction ID from the event, and sends them from your server. This recovers conversions the browser would have lost. With Open Tracked, Click ID Restorer turns custom parameters back into gclid or msclkid, Cookie Keeper keeps cookies, and POAS Data Feed (Pro) can send profit as the conversion value.
Common problems
transaction_id for both.What good looks like after a month
A healthy Google Ads set-up has a small number of conversion actions, each with a clear purpose. The main one is primary, with a real value, and is used for bidding. Others are secondary and used for observation. Conversions arrive close to your store's order count, allowing for the usual gap from clicks that never reach Google. The status of each action says it is recording conversions, and the diagnostics tab has no warnings about missing data.
If your picture is messier, with five actions that all count the same sale or a value that is always one, clean it up before you change anything else. Smart bidding learns from what you report, and noise in the conversion data becomes noise in the bidding. A tidy set-up is the cheapest improvement you can make to a Google Ads account, and it costs nothing but an afternoon.
Terms you will see
- Conversion action
- A definition of an outcome Google tracks, such as a purchase.
- Conversion linker
- The tag that stores the click ID in a first-party cookie.
- gclid
- The click ID Google adds to ad links.
- Enhanced conversions
- Sending hashed customer data with a conversion to improve matching.
- Smart bidding
- Google's automated bidding that optimises for conversions or value.
Runs on your domain, anywhere
Your tracking runs on your own domain, so a visit from any country is handled the same way.
Frequently asked questions
What is a conversion action in Google Ads?
A definition of an outcome you want, such as a purchase or a lead, that Google tracks and optimises for.
What is the conversion linker?
A tag that stores the click ID in a first-party cookie so a later conversion can be tied to the click.
Do I need enhanced conversions?
It is recommended. It helps recover conversions when the click ID is missing.
How do I avoid counting an order twice?
Send a transaction ID with every conversion and use the same ID everywhere.
Can I track conversions without cookies?
Partly. Server-side events with hashed customer data and Consent Mode modelling recover some. Consent still applies.
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?
Comments
Loading comments...
Integrations · 6 min read
