[GA4] Product Linking: Link Optimize and Google Ads

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has replaced Universal Analytics (UA). Starting 1 July 2023, standard Universal Analytics properties stopped processing data. (360 Universal Analytics properties with a current order will receive a one-time processing extension ending on 1 July 2024.) It's critical that you migrate your Universal Analytics property to Google Analytics 4. Learn how to Make the switch to Google Analytics 4.

This article shows you how to link your Google Optimize and Google Ads accounts.

About Google Optimise

Every user is unique and your website should address their individual tastes. Google Optimise enables you to run website experiments to determine the optimal experience for each group of users.

Integrating Google Ads with Optimise

Integrating Google Ads with Google Optimise allows you to easily target experiments and personalised experiences to specific ads and keywords. You can personalise your existing web pages to match each of your users' intents based on the campaign that they clicked on or the keywords that triggered the ad.

Permission

To link Google Ads and Optimise, you need a Google Account with administrative access to Google Ads.

Instructions

Step 1: Link Google Ads to Analytics

The first step is to link Google Ads to Analytics. Follow the directions for either Google Ads or Analytics.

Step 2: Enable Optimise sharing

After Google Ads and Analytics are linked, you can turn on Google Ads for Optimise. Choose an option below based on your Google Ads account type.

Option 1 – Google Ads individual account

To turn on Optimise sharing from a Google Ads individual account, follow these steps:

Note: The instructions below are part of the new design for the Google Ads user experience. To use the previous design, click the 'Appearance' icon and select Use previous design. If you're using the previous version of Google Ads, review the Quick reference map or use the search bar in the top navigation panel of Google Ads to find the page you’re searching for.

1. In your Google Ads account, click the Admin icon .
2. Click Linked accounts.
3. Under 'From Google', find 'Google Analytics (UA)' or 'Google Analytics (GA4) and Firebase', then click Details.
4. Click the toggle next to 'Google Optimise sharing turned off'.

Option 2 – Google Ads manager account

To turn on Optimise sharing from a Google Ads manager account, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your Google Ads manager account.
2. Click Tools and settings in the top-right corner of your account.
3. Under 'Setup', click Linked accounts.
4. Under 'From Google', find 'Google Analytics (UA)' or 'Google Analytics (GA4) and Firebase', then click Details.
5. Click the toggle next to 'Google Optimise sharing turned off'.

Turning on Optimise sharing for a Google Ads manager account enables it for all of its managed accounts. Control over Optimise sharing remains at the individual account level and can be adjusted there.

When an individual Google Ads account is added to a manager hierarchy, it retains its individual Optimise sharing setting. You can turn on Google Optimise sharing for the new Google Ads accounts by returning to the Analytics linked accounts page above.

Step 3: Link Optimise to Analytics

The final step is to verify that your Optimise container is linked to the same Analytics property that you linked to from Google Ads in Step 1. This is usually done when setting up an Optimize container. Learn how to Link Optimize to Analytics.

Turn off Optimize sharing

To disable Optimise sharing, you must have administrative access to a Google Ads account.

Note: The instructions below are part of the new design for the Google Ads user experience. To use the previous design, click the 'Appearance' icon and select Use previous design. If you're using the previous version of Google Ads, review the Quick reference map or use the search bar in the top navigation panel of Google Ads to find the page you’re searching for.

1. In your Google Ads account, click the Admin icon .
2. Click Linked accounts.
3. Under 'From Google', find 'Google Analytics (UA)' or 'Google Analytics (GA4) and Firebase', then click Manage and link.
4. Click the toggle next to 'Google Optimise sharing turned on'.

When you turn off Optimise sharing, Optimise experiments targeting ads or keywords from the affected Google Ads account stop including new users. While an affected experiment continues to run, experiment sessions will still be counted for users who were first included in the experiment when the sharing was turned on. An affected experiment's targeting configuration in Optimize will no longer display the names or statuses of the targeted Google Ads entities.

Related links

Optimise related links

• Using Google Analytics and Google Ads together
• Link Optimise to Analytics (Google Optimise help centre)
• Link/unlink Google Ads and Analytics (Google Analytics help centre)

About Product Linking

• About the 'Linked accounts' page and Product Linking
• Product Linking: Link your Google products during the Enhanced onboarding experience

Google products

• Product Linking: Link your Google Business Profile to Google Ads
• Product Linking: Link Ads Creative Studio and Google Ads
• Product Linking: Link Ads Data Hub and Google Ads
• Product linking: Link Google Analytics 4 properties and Google Ads
• Product Linking: Link Hotel Centre and Google Ads
• Link a Google Ads account to Merchant Center
• Product linking: Link Google Marketing Platform and Google Ads
• Product Linking: Linking Google Play and Google Ads accounts
• Product Linking: Link Search Console and Google Ads
• Product Linking: Link YouTube channels and Google Ads accounts

Google Partners

• Product Linking: Link Customer Match partners and Google Ads
• Product Linking: Link to Hubspot via Zapier
• Product Linking: Link Salesforce and Google Ads accounts
• Product Linking: Link Shopify to Google Ads
• Product Linking: Link Zapier and Google Ads
• Product Linking: Link Zapier during campaign creation