Google Ads

Google Ads

Google Ads setup for Enhanced Conversions for web plus offline conversion imports, with gclid-based attribution and support for gbraid / wbraid on iOS 14.5+ traffic.

Google Ads is less forgiving than browser-only pixels because the identifiers, customer account, conversion action, and auth flow all need to line up. This guide focuses on the minimum TrackLayer configuration that works reliably in production.

Setup

1. In Google Ads, identify the destination customer account and the exact Conversion Action you want TrackLayer to upload against. Copy the Customer ID and the conversion action identifier your team uses for imports. Confirm the conversion action is active and intended for the event you plan to send, such as purchase or lead.

2. Prepare authentication for the Ads API. Depending on your existing setup, this is either the OAuth credentials TrackLayer needs for uploads or the API credential path your team has approved. The account used for auth must have permission to upload conversions to the target customer.

3. In TrackLayer, open Platforms and connect Google Ads. Enter the Customer ID, Conversion Action details, and the auth credentials. Save the platform and resolve any validation errors before sending traffic.

4. Fire a test conversion from a session that includes a real Google click identifier when possible. gclid is the default path for web attribution. For iOS 14.5+ traffic and some app-to-web flows, TrackLayer should also preserve gbraid or wbraid if those identifiers are present instead.

5. Validate the upload in your Google Ads diagnostics or reporting workflow. Depending on your account, imported conversions may not appear instantly in the main reporting UI, so start with the connector response and any upload-status tools your team already uses.

How the event flows

Landing page with gclid / gbraid / wbraid
  -> TrackLayer /ingest
  -> normalize conversion payload
  -> server-side Google Ads upload
  -> Google Ads conversion action

TrackLayer maps the event you send into the Google Ads upload shape. That includes the click identifier path, conversion time, value, currency, and conversion action mapping. You do not need separate application logic for web and offline imports if the source event schema already contains the needed fields.

What we handle for you

TrackLayer takes care of the pieces that tend to break when teams hand-roll Google Ads uploads:

• preserving and routing the correct click identifier path for gclid, gbraid, and wbraid
• shaping Enhanced Conversions and offline conversion import payloads from one normalized event
• keeping the upload contract stable when Google changes API versions
• reducing duplicate conversion uploads by carrying a stable event or order identifier through the pipeline

Your responsibility is still to capture the identifiers at the edge and choose the correct conversion action. TrackLayer handles the delivery contract once the event reaches us.

Data to send

For most web flows, gclid is the primary attribution key. Do not strip it from landing URLs, redirects, or checkout handoffs. For privacy-constrained Apple traffic, gbraid and wbraid can be the identifiers Google expects instead. Preserve all three when present and let TrackLayer pick the usable path.

You should also send a stable order ID or lead ID, conversion timestamp, value, and currency. If you are using Enhanced Conversions with user-provided data, normalize email and phone before they reach TrackLayer. Google is strict about the account and action mapping, so keep a clear internal record of which event type maps to which conversion action.

If your event is delayed, Google can still accept it as an offline import, but delayed uploads are only useful if the click identifier is still attached and the conversion time is accurate. Avoid reconstructing identifiers after the fact.

Troubleshooting

No conversions appearing

Check the Customer ID and Conversion Action first. A valid auth token does not help if you are uploading to the wrong account or wrong action. Then confirm the source event carried a usable gclid, gbraid, or wbraid.

Low attribution or missing matches

This usually means click identifiers were lost before conversion. Review landing pages, redirect chains, consent banners, and checkout domain hops. If identifiers disappear between the ad click and TrackLayer ingest, Google cannot match the conversion reliably.

OAuth or credential failures

If uploads worked and then stopped, the usual cause is revoked OAuth consent, expired refresh-token access, or a permission change on the Ads account. Re-authorize with a user that still has conversion-upload access and verify the same customer account remains selected.

After the first successful test upload, monitor imported conversion counts for a full reporting cycle before removing any legacy upload path.

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