To set up Google Ads conversion tracking in Google Tag Manager, create a conversion action in Google Ads with the code option and copy its Conversion ID and Conversion Label into a Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag that fires when a lead is sent, next to a Google tag and a Conversion Linker that run on every page. Then test it in Preview, publish the container and read the action's status in Google Ads.
In Google Ads
Check 1: Is the conversion action set up for code, not a URL?
Check 2: Does the action count one lead per click, with a value?
Check 3: Do you have the Conversion ID and Conversion Label?
In Google Tag Manager
Check 4: Do a Google tag and a Conversion Linker run on every page?
Check 5: Is the conversion tag filled in?
Check 6: Does the tag send the value?
USD. Left empty or undefined, the value field makes Tag Manager send 0.Check 7: Does the trigger fire only after a lead is sent?
Page URL contains /thank-you, using your own path (trigger filters). Without one, choose Form Submission, tick Wait for Tags and Check Validation, and limit it with Some Forms (form trigger).Test and publish
Check 8: Does the tag fire once in Preview?
Check 9: Is the container published?
Check 10: Does Google Ads see the action?
After the first lead records
A form conversion tells Google Ads that someone sent the form, not that they became a customer. To bid on the leads that closed, send outcomes back from your CRM; enhanced conversions for leads vs offline conversion import compares the two ways. Tying those outcomes to spend is the marketing analytics work I do.
Tags
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Google tag in GTM if I already have the Conversion Linker and the conversion tag?
Yes. Google's Tag Assistant help says that if you manage conversion tags in Google Tag Manager, you need the Google tag in GTM for all ads products, in addition to the Conversion Linker and the Google Ads conversion tags. Tag Assistant and Tag Diagnostics show implementation warnings when an event goes to a Google product without its Google tag firing first.
Why does my Google Ads conversion tag in Google Tag Manager send a value of 0?
Google Tag Manager sends the value as 0 when the Conversion Value field is empty or its variable is undefined when the tag fires. Type a fixed number into the field, or check in Preview that your data layer variable holds a number at the moment the tag fires.
Should the Google Ads conversion tag fire on form submit or on the thank-you page?
If the form sends people to a thank-you page with its own URL, fire on a Page View trigger limited to that page. If it does not, use a Form Submission trigger with Check Validation on, so attempts that fail do not count. If that trigger never fires, the form may override the browser's submit event and needs a Custom Event trigger on a data layer event.
Why does Google Ads count each form lead twice after I set up GTM?
One cause is two installs reporting the same lead: the GTM conversion tag plus the action's event snippet in the site code or a CMS plugin, which Google warns can cause duplicate conversion reporting. Another cause is a GA4 import of the same form set to primary next to the GTM action. Keep one install and one primary action.