Google Ads Conversion Tracking Not Working: 9 Fixes

1. The tag isn't firing at all

Open the page in Google Tag Assistant or the browser network tab and confirm the conversion event actually fires on the thank-you or purchase page. No fire means the tag is missing, blocked by a script error, or firing on the wrong URL. This is the single most common cause of 'zero conversions'.

2. Consent Mode v2 is blocking or modeling everything

Since Consent Mode v2 became required in the EEA/UK, a misconfigured consent banner can stop the tag from writing cookies, so conversions get modeled or dropped. Check that consent is granted (or that basic consent mode is set up correctly) and that your CMP passes the right signals before the tag fires.

3. Conversions are being double-counted

If both a Google Ads native tag and a GA4 import point at the same action, or the tag fires on page load and on a button click, you'll count each conversion twice. Audit for duplicate conversion actions and make sure only one source per action is set to 'primary'.

4. The conversion happens on a different domain

If the click lands on your site but the purchase or booking happens on Stripe, Calendly, Shopify, or a course platform, the click ID is lost across the domain jump. This has its own playbook — see the dedicated guide on tracking conversions across different domains.

5. Count setting is wrong (every vs one)

'Every' counts every conversion after a click (right for ecommerce purchases). 'One' counts a single conversion per click (right for leads). The wrong setting makes lead counts look inflated or purchase counts look low.

6. GA4 import lag is hiding conversions

Conversions imported from GA4 can take hours longer to appear than native Google Ads conversions, and they use GA4's attribution. If today's numbers look empty, check whether you're looking at imported conversions that simply haven't landed yet.

7. Enhanced conversions are misconfigured

Enhanced conversions can silently fail if the hashed customer data isn't being passed, the fields aren't mapped, or the setup wasn't verified. Check the diagnostics in the conversion action — 'recording enhanced conversions' should show as active, not 'needs attention'.

8. Attribution window doesn't match the buying cycle

A 7-day click window on a product with a 30-day consideration cycle will drop conversions that convert late. Match the window to how long people actually take to buy, then judge performance on that basis.

9. You're optimizing toward the wrong action

Sometimes tracking 'works' but points at a micro-conversion — a button click, a page view, a low-quality lead. The platform learns toward that signal and real sales stall. Make sure the primary conversion is the actual business outcome.