Conversion lag reporting (also known as "conversion delay") is a feature in Google Ads that shows conversion delay information on key metrics, such as cost-per-acquisition (CPA) or return-on-ad-spend (ROAS). These are used to predict how actual CPA or ROAS values may change once adjusted for conversion lag.
How it works
Conversion lag refers to the delay when people click an ad and when they perform a specific conversion action (for example with, install, purchase, add-to-basket, etc.). Because Google Ads reports conversions by query date, you may not always see the most updated conversion numbers. They can sometimes cause CPA to look inflated and ROAS to look deflated.
Conversion lag reporting can help you better understand the behaviour of your campaigns through hover cards and forecasted conversion information. Several campaign types are eligible for reporting, which are outlined below.
Campaign types eligible for conversion lag reporting
- App campaigns for install
- App campaigns for engagement
- Search campaigns
- Performance Max campaigns
