Google Ads & GA4 Conversion Attribution Guide

📊 Why Attribution Matters

When you're running ads or automations, it’s critical to understand how conversions are tracked across Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Ads.

✅ Credit Attribution from GA4 Events

• GA4 uses data-driven attribution by default (multi-touch model).
• If you import a conversion into Google Ads from GA4, it won’t follow Google Ads’ model, which can cause differences in reporting.
• Align your attribution model settings across both platforms.

❓ View-through & Cross-device Tracking

• These are not supported when importing GA4 key events into Google Ads.
• Use Google Ads tags directly for these metrics.

⚠️ Primary vs Secondary Conversions

• GA4 conversions imported into Google Ads default to secondary status.
• They won’t be used for bidding unless changed to primary.

🔄 Step-by-Step Setup

1. Install both GA4 and Google Ads tags on your site.
2. Set up conversion events in GA4.
3. Link your GA4 property to your Google Ads account.
4. Import GA4 conversions into Google Ads.
5. Go to Tools > Conversions in Google Ads and mark important conversions as "Primary".
6. Adjust attribution models to match your reporting goals.

💡 Tips and Advice

• Always verify the conversion paths in GA4’s model comparison reports.
• Use conversion lag and path length reports to diagnose funnel gaps.
• If view-through or cross-device attribution matters, stick with native Ads tags.

🔗 Helpful Resources

• GA4 Attribution Documentation
• Conversion Tracking in Google Ads