Google Ads Conversion Tracking Not Working? Debug Guide

Few things are more frustrating than running Google Ads campaigns and seeing zero conversions recorded, or watching your conversion numbers mysteriously drop overnight. You know customers are buying, leads are coming in, and forms are being submitted - but Google Ads shows nothing. Without accurate conversion tracking, you're flying blind, unable to optimize campaigns or prove ROI to stakeholders.

This guide will walk you through the systematic process of diagnosing and fixing Google Ads conversion tracking issues. Whether you're dealing with tags that won't fire, cross-domain tracking failures, or mysterious discrepancies between platforms, you'll find the solution here.

Common Symptoms of Broken Conversion Tracking

Before diving into solutions, let's identify the specific symptoms you might be experiencing. Each points to different underlying causes and requires different debugging approaches.

Zero conversions recorded

The most obvious symptom is seeing no conversions at all, even when you know transactions or leads are occurring. This typically indicates a fundamental implementation problem - either the tag isn't installed, it's on the wrong page, or it's not firing when it should.

Conversion count suddenly dropped

If your conversion tracking was working and then stopped or significantly decreased, something changed. Common culprits include website updates that removed or broke the tag, Google Tag Manager changes, new cookie consent implementations blocking tags, or third-party app conflicts.

Conversions not matching actual sales

When Google Ads shows 50 conversions but you actually had 100 sales, you're losing visibility into half your customer acquisition. This partial tracking often stems from cross-domain issues, enhanced conversion problems, or attribution window misconfigurations.

Conversion status showing warnings

In Google Ads, navigate to Goals > Conversions > Summary to check your conversion action statuses. Warning signs include:

• Unverified: Google hasn't detected the tag firing yet
• No recent conversions: Tag was verified but hasn't recorded conversions recently
• Tag inactive: The conversion action exists but the tag isn't implemented
• Recording: Everything is working correctly

Debugging with Google Tag Assistant

Google Tag Assistant is your primary debugging tool for conversion tracking issues. There are two versions available: Tag Assistant Legacy (Chrome extension) and the newer Tag Assistant built into Chrome DevTools. For comprehensive debugging, use both.

Using Tag Assistant Legacy

Install the Tag Assistant Legacy extension from the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, navigate to your website and click the extension icon. The tool will analyze all Google tags on the page and show their status:

• Green: Tag is working correctly
• Blue: Minor implementation suggestions
• Yellow: Potential issues that may affect data
• Red: Critical errors preventing proper tracking

For conversion tracking specifically, look for tags with "AW-" prefixes (Google Ads tags). Click on each tag to see detailed information including the conversion ID, conversion label, and any parameters being passed.

Recording a conversion journey

The most effective debugging method is recording a complete conversion journey. In Tag Assistant Legacy, click "Record" before starting. Then navigate through your website as a user would: land on your site, browse products or services, and complete a conversion. Stop the recording and analyze the tag firing sequence.

Key things to verify in the recording:

• The Google Ads remarketing tag fires on all pages
• The conversion tag fires only on the thank you/confirmation page
• The conversion tag fires after the conversion event, not on page load
• All required parameters (conversion ID, label, value) are present

Google Tag Manager vs Global Site Tag Troubleshooting

The debugging approach differs significantly depending on whether you're using Google Tag Manager (GTM) or the direct Google tag (gtag.js). Understanding your implementation is the first step to fixing it.

Identifying your implementation

View your website's source code and search for these patterns:

• GTM: Look for gtm.js or GTM-XXXXXX in the code
• Global site tag: Look for gtag.js or gtag('config', 'AW-

Debugging Google Tag Manager implementations

GTM provides its own preview and debug mode, which is essential for troubleshooting. In your GTM workspace, click "Preview" in the top right. This opens a debug panel that shows exactly which tags fire on each page and event.

Common GTM conversion tracking issues include:

Debugging global site tag implementations

Direct gtag.js implementations are simpler but less flexible. The conversion tag should be placed on your confirmation page and fire on the conversion event. A common mistake is placing the tag in the site header, causing it to fire on every page view.

Verify your gtag.js implementation includes:

1. The base gtag.js snippet in your site header (all pages)
2. The config command with your Google Ads ID: gtag('config', 'AW-XXXXXXXXX')
3. The conversion event command on your thank you page: gtag('event', 'conversion', ...)

Cross-Domain Tracking Fixes

Cross-domain tracking failures are the most common cause of missing conversions for businesses with multiple domains. This includes sites that use a separate domain for checkout (like Shopify stores with custom domains), payment processors that redirect to their domain, and businesses with regional domains.

How cross-domain tracking breaks

When a user clicks your ad and lands on domain-a.com, Google Ads tracks them with a client ID stored in cookies. If they then navigate to checkout.domain-b.com to complete their purchase, that second domain can't access the cookies from the first domain. The user appears as a new visitor, and the conversion isn't attributed to the original ad click.

Implementing cross-domain tracking

The solution is passing the client ID between domains using URL parameters. Google's tools do this automatically when configured correctly:

1. GA4 Configuration: In your GA4 property, go to Admin > Data Streams > Configure tag settings > Configure your domains. Add all domains that users might traverse.
2. Conversion Linker Tag: In GTM, ensure you have a Conversion Linker tag that fires on all pages across all domains.
3. Same Google Tag: Use the identical Google tag configuration across all domains.

Verifying cross-domain tracking

Test your implementation by clicking through your conversion path. Watch the URL as you move between domains. You should see a _gl parameter appended to URLs when crossing domain boundaries. For example:

checkout.yourdomain.com/cart?_gl=1*1abc2de*_ga*MTIz...

If this parameter is missing, the cross-domain configuration isn't working. Check that all domains are listed in your configuration and that the conversion linker tag fires on all pages.

Enhanced Conversions Setup Verification

Enhanced conversions address the growing challenge of tracking in a privacy-focused world. By sending hashed first-party customer data (email address, phone number, or mailing address) to Google, you can recover conversions that would otherwise be lost due to cookie restrictions and cross-device journeys. For most advertisers, enhanced conversions can recover 5-15% of previously untracked conversions.

Checking enhanced conversions status

In Google Ads, go to Goals > Conversions > Summary. Click on your conversion action and look for the "Enhanced conversions" section. Status indicators include:

• Not set up: Enhanced conversions haven't been configured
• Pending verification: Setup complete, waiting for Google to verify data
• Recording: Working correctly and capturing enhanced data
• Needs attention: Issues with the implementation need to be fixed

Common enhanced conversions issues

Implementing enhanced conversions correctly

For GTM implementations, you need to configure user-provided data variables that capture customer information at the point of conversion. The most reliable method is using a data layer push that includes the hashed email address:

Ensure your website's thank you page pushes user data to the data layer before the conversion tag fires. The data should be normalized (lowercase, trimmed) before hashing, or you can let Google's tag handle the hashing automatically by passing unhashed data.

Attribution Model Discrepancies

One of the most confusing aspects of conversion tracking is when your numbers don't match across platforms. You might see 100 conversions in Google Ads but only 70 in GA4, or your internal sales system shows different numbers entirely. Understanding attribution explains most of these discrepancies.

Why platforms report different numbers

Different platforms use different rules for crediting conversions to marketing touchpoints. Here's how major platforms typically differ:

Consider this scenario: A user clicks your Google Ad on Monday, then clicks an organic search result on Wednesday, and converts on Friday. Google Ads credits the conversion to the ad click (last Google Ads click). GA4 might credit it to organic search (last click across channels). Same conversion, different attribution.

Acceptable discrepancy ranges

Some discrepancy between platforms is normal and expected. Use these guidelines to determine when a gap indicates a tracking problem versus normal attribution differences:

• 5-15% discrepancy: Normal range due to attribution differences
• 15-25% discrepancy: Investigate but may be explained by model differences
• 25%+ discrepancy: Likely indicates a tracking implementation issue

For detailed guidance on understanding and choosing attribution models, see our Google Ads Attribution Reporting Guide.

Aligning tracking for better comparison

While you can't eliminate all discrepancies, you can minimize them by aligning settings where possible:

1. Use the same conversion window across platforms (e.g., 30 days everywhere)
2. Ensure timezone settings match across all platforms
3. Link Google Ads and GA4 for consistent user tracking
4. Import GA4 conversions into Google Ads for unified reporting

Conversion Tracking Diagnostic Checklist

When you discover a conversion tracking problem, work through this systematic checklist before attempting fixes. This helps identify the root cause rather than treating symptoms.

Step 1: Verify the tag exists

• View page source on your conversion page
• Search for your Google Ads ID (AW-XXXXXXXXX)
• Confirm the conversion label matches your Google Ads setup

Step 2: Confirm the tag fires

• Use Tag Assistant to monitor tag firing
• Complete a test conversion while monitoring
• Verify the tag fires at the correct moment (after conversion, not page load)

Step 3: Check conversion action settings

• In Google Ads, verify the conversion action is active
• Confirm the conversion window matches your sales cycle
• Check that the counting method is correct (one vs. every conversion)

Step 4: Test the complete journey

• Start fresh (clear cookies or use incognito mode)
• Click an actual ad to start the conversion journey
• Complete the conversion process
• Wait 24-48 hours and check if the conversion appears

Platform-Specific Conversion Issues

Different e-commerce platforms and website builders have unique conversion tracking challenges. Here are solutions for the most common platforms:

Shopify

Shopify's built-in Google channel often conflicts with manual tracking implementations. If you're using both, you may see duplicate conversions. Choose one method:

• Google Channel app: Handles tracking automatically, less control
• Manual GTM: More control, requires careful configuration

For manual implementations, note that Shopify's checkout is on a separate subdomain (checkout.shopify.com or your custom checkout domain), requiring cross-domain tracking configuration.

WordPress/WooCommerce

WordPress sites commonly break conversion tracking through plugin conflicts, theme updates, or caching issues. Ensure your tracking code is not being cached by excluding it from caching plugins. The thank you page typically uses the endpoint /checkout/order-received/.

Single Page Applications (React, Vue, Angular)

SPAs don't trigger traditional page views, breaking standard conversion tag setups. You need to fire conversion tags based on route changes or custom events rather than page loads. Implement a data layer event that fires when the virtual "thank you page" loads, and trigger your conversion tag from that event.

Testing Conversions Without Real Transactions

You need to verify your tracking without waiting for actual customers or spending ad budget. Here are methods to test conversion tracking in isolation:

Using Google Tag Assistant recordings

The recording feature in Tag Assistant lets you simulate a conversion journey and verify tag firing without completing an actual transaction. Start recording, navigate through your conversion funnel, and analyze the tag sequence.

Direct URL testing

If your thank you page is accessible via direct URL (e.g., /thank-you or /order-confirmation), navigate directly to it while monitoring Tag Assistant. The conversion tag should fire. Note that this tests tag implementation but not the full user journey.

Test conversions in Google Ads

Google Ads shows conversion action status within 24-72 hours of a tag firing. After testing, check your conversion action status. If it changes from "Unverified" to "Recording" or "No recent conversions," your implementation is working at a basic level.

Preventing Future Tracking Issues

Once you've fixed your current tracking problems, implement safeguards to catch issues before they impact your data:

Set up monitoring alerts

Create custom alerts in Google Analytics or third-party monitoring tools to notify you when conversion rates drop significantly. A 50% or greater drop in daily conversions should trigger an immediate investigation.

Document your implementation

Maintain documentation of your tracking setup including: which tags are implemented where, trigger conditions for each conversion action, any custom data layer variables, and cross-domain configurations. This makes troubleshooting faster and prevents accidental breaks during updates.

Test after every site update

Make conversion tracking verification part of your deployment checklist. After any website update, theme change, or plugin installation, run through a test conversion to verify tracking still works. Many tracking issues are introduced during site updates and go unnoticed for weeks.

When to Seek Professional Help

Some conversion tracking issues require specialized expertise. Consider bringing in a tracking specialist or agency when:

• You've worked through this entire guide without resolving the issue
• Your implementation involves complex custom events or data layer configurations
• You're dealing with server-side tracking requirements
• Multiple platforms need to be synchronized with consistent data
• The business impact of lost tracking data is significant

For seamless conversion tracking integration across all your ad platforms, Benly can help automate monitoring and alert you to tracking anomalies before they impact your campaigns. Connect your Google Ads account to get real-time visibility into your conversion data health and catch issues the moment they occur.