> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.upstackdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Google Ads

> Forward purchase conversions to Google Ads via server-side API with Enhanced Conversions match keys — improving Smart Bidding signal, attribution accuracy, and Performance Max optimization.

<Note>
  **Data direction:** This is a **destination** — Upstack sends event and conversion data **out** to this platform via server-side APIs.
</Note>

## What it does

Google Ads relies on conversion signal to power Smart Bidding, Performance Max, and any campaign that optimizes toward purchases. Upstack Signal forwards every Shopify purchase to your Google Ads account server-side, attached to a dedicated Upstack conversion goal that Google's bidder can optimize against.

Server-side delivery means conversions reach Google even when the browser-side gtag is blocked by ad blockers, ITP, or cookie restrictions. Each event carries the original click identifier (`gclid` or `gbraid`/`wbraid`) plus hashed customer data, so Google can match the conversion back to the ad interaction that drove it.

The result is more complete conversion data inside Google Ads, sharper Smart Bidding decisions, and reporting that reflects the conversions your campaigns actually produced.

## How it works

Google Ads uses a primary/secondary conversion goal architecture. Primary goals drive bidding — Smart Bidding optimizes toward whatever is marked primary. Secondary goals are observation-only: they appear in reports but do not influence the bidder. Upstack creates its own purchase goal in your account so you can compare it side-by-side with your existing goal before promoting it to primary.

Upstack hashes customer data — `email`, `phone`, `first_name`, `last_name`, `city`, `state`, `zip`, `country` — with SHA-256 before sending it to Google's API. Google uses these match keys the same way Enhanced Conversions does, so you get equivalent match-rate uplift without enabling Enhanced Conversions on the destination itself.

## Primary vs secondary conversion rollout

When Upstack creates a conversion action in your Google Ads account, don't immediately make it your primary goal. Start it as a **secondary** conversion (reporting only) and run it alongside your existing setup for **7–14 days**.

Compare purchase counts during this window — Upstack should track equal or higher volume due to enhanced identity matching. Once validated, promote the Upstack conversion to **primary** and demote the old one. This protects your Smart Bidding from disruption during the transition and gives the bidder a clean signal to retrain against.

<Tip>
  Smaller accounts may need longer than 14 days to accumulate enough conversions for Smart Bidding to retrain confidently. Wait until the Upstack goal has logged conversions across a full bidding window before promoting it.
</Tip>

## Setup guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Onboarding guide" icon="route" href="/guides/google-ads/complete-how-to-guide-for-onboarding-google-ads-in-upstack-data">
    End-to-end walkthrough for connecting Google Ads to Upstack Data.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configure destination" icon="sliders" href="/guides/google-ads/how-to-configure-google-ads-destination-in-upstack-data">
    Configure the Google Ads destination inside Upstack Data.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Find conversion ID and label" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/guides/google-ads/how-to-get-your-google-ads-conversion-id-and-label">
    Locate the conversion ID and label values Upstack needs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create purchase goal" icon="bullseye" href="/guides/google-ads/how-to-create-a-new-upstack-data-purchase-goal-in-google-ads">
    Create the dedicated Upstack purchase conversion goal in Google Ads.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Enable primary goal" icon="circle-check" href="/guides/google-ads/how-to-enable-the-google-ads-upstack-purchase-goal-and-switch-to-primary-optimization-goal">
    Promote the Upstack goal to primary so Smart Bidding optimizes against it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Connect Google Ads account (source)" icon="plug" href="/guides/integrations/how-to-connect-your-google-ads-account-in-upstack-data-integrations">
    Connect Google Ads as a campaign data source for attribution reporting.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What's the difference between primary and secondary conversion goals?">
    Primary goals drive Smart Bidding — Google optimizes toward them. Secondary goals are observation-only and appear in reports but do not influence the bidder. New Upstack goals start as secondary so you can compare their volume and quality against your existing goal before switching them to primary.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why does Upstack create a new conversion goal instead of using my existing one?">
    Pointing Upstack at your existing goal would mix Upstack's server-side conversions with whatever source is already firing into it (gtag, Shopify's native tag, GTM), which makes deduplication and quality comparison impossible. A dedicated Upstack goal keeps the data clean and lets you A/B the two goals before promoting Upstack to primary.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I migrate from a manual conversion goal to Upstack?">
    Run both goals in parallel for at least one full conversion window. Keep your existing goal as primary and Upstack as secondary, confirm the volume and value reconcile, then follow the "Enable primary goal" guide to swap them. After the swap, demote your old goal to secondary so it stops influencing Smart Bidding.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why doesn't Upstack support Enhanced Conversions directly?">
    Upstack already sends the same hashed match keys Enhanced Conversions uses (`email`, `phone`, name, address) on every server-side event, so Google's match-rate logic applies automatically. Enabling Enhanced Conversions on top of the Upstack goal would not add data, and on the wrong goal it can cause duplicate or conflicting match logic.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When should I switch the Upstack goal to primary?">
    Once the Upstack goal has logged conversions across a full bidding window (typically 7–14 days) and the volume and value reconcile within a few percent of your existing goal, it is safe to promote Upstack to primary. Smaller accounts may need longer to accumulate enough signal for Smart Bidding to retrain.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Conversion API forwarding" icon="lightbulb" href="/concepts/conversion-api-forwarding">
    How Upstack Signal forwards events to ad platforms via server-to-server APIs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Attribution and reporting" icon="chart-line" href="/concepts/attribution-and-reporting">
    How Upstack attributes conversions back to the campaigns that drove them.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Events not reaching destination" icon="wrench" href="/troubleshooting/events-not-reaching-destination">
    End-to-end diagnostic guide when events aren't arriving at any destination.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>