[UA] Import Analytics goals and transactions into Google Ads Conversion Tracking [Legacy]

You are viewing a legacy article about Universal Analytics. Learn more about Google Analytics 4 replacing Universal Analytics.
This article is about importing your goals and Ecommerce transactions from Analytics into Google Ads Conversion Tracking in Universal Analytics. See the following resources for similar information related to Google Analytics 4:

To import your goals and Ecommerce transactions from Analytics into Google Ads Conversion Tracking, the following conditions must apply:

  • Your Analytics and Google Ads accounts are linked.
  • You've enabled auto-tagging in your Google Ads account. Note: If you are using the auto-tagging override setting in Analytics, you can still import goals and transactions into Google Ads for those clicks.
  • You've created one or more goals or set up ecommerce tracking in Analytics.

Optionally, you can activate Google signals so that cross-device conversions are automatically exported to Google Ads.

In addition to importing Analytics goals and transactions into Google Ads Conversion Tracking, you can also view Analytics metrics—like Bounce Rate, Avg. Session Duration, and Pages/Session—on your Google Ads Campaigns and Ad groups tabs. To learn how, read about adding Analytics data to Google Ads reports.

Google Ads will not import goals and transactions attributed to video campaigns.

To import your goals:

  1. Sign in to your Google Ads account, and click the Tools and settings icon in the header. Note: If you just recently linked your Google Ads and Analytics accounts, wait 30 minutes before starting to import goals or transactions.
  2. Go to Measurement > Conversions.
  3. In the top left, click  Conversion.
  4. Click + New conversion action.
  5. Click Import, select Google Analytics (UA), then click Continue.
  6. Select each goal or transaction you want to import, then click Import and continue.
  7. Click Done.

By default, Google Ads marks your imported Google Analytics 4 conversions as "primary" conversion actions. Google Ads Conversion Tracking starts importing the data from your Analytics account starting from the day you clicked Import. Historical data from before this date is not added to conversion tracking. Your goals appear alongside your conversion data in your Conversions page and Google Ads reports within two days.

When you first import a goal from Analytics into Google Ads Conversion Tracking, it has the same name as it does in Analytics, followed by its view name in parentheses. For example, an Analytics goal named "Sign Ups" located in a view called "Primary View" is named "Sign Ups (Primary View)" in Google Ads Conversion Tracking. If you later want to change the name of an imported goal, you need to make the change in your Google Ads account. Changes to the goal name in Analytics aren't reflected in Google Ads.

Google Ads uses your chosen conversion window(s) (7-90 days, default: 30 days) to determine which goals or Transactions to import from Analytics. For example, if you use the 30-day default window for a goal named goal 1: Registrations, Google Ads only imports goal Completions that occurred within 30 days of the click.

To learn more about how Google Ads Conversion Tracking works with Analytics once the two are linked, read Conversion Tracking and Analytics.

You can also learn more about why you may see some discrepancies in the conversion statistics between Google Ads Conversion Tracking and Analytics.

If you're using Target CPA bidding to manage your bids, it automatically starts using Analytics goals and Ecommerce transactions once you've clicked Import.

FAQs

Why don't I see View-through conversions or Cross-device conversions in Google Ads?

You won't see this data if you are importing goals and/or transactions from Analytics because native Google Ads conversion tracking is required for this feature.

Why doesn't imported conversion data in Google Ads match the transaction or goal data in Analytics?

You may be trying to compare goals and transactions from ALL traffic sources, rather than just those from google/cpc. Additionally, the Analytics Goal Completions and Ecommerce Transactions metrics are calculated differently than the conversion tracking metrics in Google Ads. If you see data for these metrics in your Analytics account that differs from your conversion metrics in your Google Ads account, it doesn't necessarily mean that your tracking implementation is wrong; it could simply be a result of the different tracking methods. Learn more about why you may see some discrepancies.

Related resource

Download the play book for digital media managers

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