In this guide
- In a server container you add the Conversion Linker and the Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag.
- Pass the click ID, value, currency, transaction ID and hashed customer data.
- Respect Consent Mode and test with Google's tools.
This page is the server-side half of Google Ads conversion tracking. It assumes your web container already sends events to your tagging subdomain, and that Google Ads conversion actions exist. The goal is for a purchase that happens in the browser to reach Google Ads from your server, with the information Google needs to match it.
The tags
| Tag | Where | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion Linker | Server container | Reads the click ID from the request and stores it in a first-party cookie set by your server |
| Google Ads Conversion Tracking | Server container | Sends the conversion with the click ID, value and customer data |
| Google tag (web) | Web container | Sends events to your server container and, if you wish, to Google directly |
Works with your stack
Grab a logo and throw it. These are the tools Open Tracked already talks to.
Steps
Create the conversion action
In Google Ads, Goals, Conversions, add a website conversion and note the conversion ID and label.
Add the Conversion Linker to the server container
Fire it on all events, so a visit with a click ID is saved.
Add the Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag
Enter the conversion ID and label, and use the value, currency and transaction ID from the event data.
Add enhanced conversion data
Pass hashed e-mail and phone from the event, with consent.
Set the trigger
Fire on the purchase event, or the lead event for lead generation.
Check consent
Add a consent setting to the tag. Google's tags respect Consent Mode signals they receive.
Click IDs and Safari
The click ID arrives as a parameter in the landing page address. Safari may remove it in some cases. A custom parameter that carries the same value, restored on the server, solves this: with Open Tracked, Click ID Restorer (every plan) turns your own parameter back into gclid or msclkid. See Safari removes click IDs. Cookie Keeper keeps the stored cookie alive for returning visitors.
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.
Offline conversions
For leads that become customers later, you can import the later stage with the click ID, or with enhanced conversions for leads using hashed e-mail. A CRM stage change sent to your tagging server can become a Google Ads conversion. See how to send offline conversions. Google allows imports within a time window after the click, so send promptly.
Deduplication
If the browser also sends the conversion to Google, both copies must carry the same transaction ID so Google counts the order once. See event deduplication. If you move entirely to server-side, remove the browser conversion tag.
Test plan
- Click a test ad (or add a test
gclidto the URL) and place a test order. - In server Preview, check the Conversion Linker stored the click ID and the conversion tag fired.
- Open the tag and read the outgoing request and response.
- In Google Ads, check the conversion status after a few hours.
- Compare Google Ads conversions with orders over a week.
A note on ownership and monitoring
A server-side Google Ads set-up works well until something upstream changes. A new theme drops the value from the data layer, a developer renames the purchase event, or the conversion action is edited in Google Ads. None of these produces an error you will notice. The conversions just get fewer or the value goes to zero. The cure is a simple routine: once a week, compare Google Ads conversions with store orders and look at the conversion value. If either moves away from the usual pattern, open server Preview with a test order and follow the chain.
Write down who owns the set-up. A named person, a weekly check and a one-page note on how the pieces fit are worth more than any clever configuration. The best tracking set-up is the one that someone looks at regularly, because every one of them drifts a little over time.
Terms you will see
- Conversion ID and label
- The identifiers of a conversion action used in the tag.
- Click ID
- The value that ties a conversion to the ad click, such as gclid.
- Transaction ID
- The order number used to avoid double counting.
- Enhanced conversions
- Hashed customer data sent with a conversion.
- Consent setting
- A tag setting that decides whether it may run for a given consent state.
Check your tracking in one pass
This is an example. Run the check on your own site to see where yours stands.
Frequently asked questions
Which tags do I need for Google Ads in a server container?
The Conversion Linker and the Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag.
Where does the click ID come from?
From the landing page URL, stored by the conversion linker in a first-party cookie.
Can I send offline conversions from the server?
Yes. A CRM stage can be imported with the click ID or with enhanced conversions for leads.
Do I still need the web tag?
It is useful to send events to your server. You can remove the browser conversion tag if the server sends the conversion.
How do I check it works?
Use Preview, read the tag's outgoing request, and check the conversion status in Google Ads.
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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