Why set up Google Ads conversion tracking on WooCommerce?

Setting up Google Ads conversion tracking on WooCommerce is essential if you want to steer your advertising properly. Without tracking there is no way to know whether your ads are actually generating sales. Conversion tracking lets you: measure exactly how many sales come from Google Ads, identify the best-performing campaigns, ad groups and keywords, optimise the advertising budget by concentrating spend on what works, calculate ROAS (return on ad spend) with an advanced dataLayer, and make data-driven decisions rather than relying on intuition. Without conversion tracking you are steering blind and potentially wasting budget on ineffective ads. It is the foundation of any profitable e-commerce Google Ads strategy.

How long does it take to configure Google Ads conversion tracking with GTM?

Configuring Google Ads conversion tracking on WooCommerce with Google Tag Manager takes around 15 minutes if you follow a structured method. Time per step: checking the GTM installation (2 minutes), creating the Google Ads conversion action (2 minutes), creating the conversion tag in GTM (3 minutes), configuring the trigger (2 minutes), creating the 100% test discount code (3 minutes), testing in preview mode (2 minutes), publishing (1 minute). Total: 15 minutes at most. That assumes Google Tag Manager is already installed on your site. If it is not, allow another 5-10 minutes to install the GTM tags in the and of your WordPress site. Once configured, the tracking works automatically for every future order with no further intervention.

What is the difference between Conversion ID and Conversion Label in Google Ads?

The Conversion ID and the Conversion Label are two unique identifiers needed to configure a Google Ads conversion tag in Google Tag Manager. Conversion ID: the unique identifier of your Google Ads account (usually a 9-10 digit number such as 123456789). It is the same for every conversion in your account. Conversion Label: the unique identifier of the specific conversion action you want to track (for example 'AbC-dEfGhIjK' for purchases). Every conversion action (purchase, lead, phone call and so on) has its own unique label. To find them: go to Google Ads > Goals > your conversion action > click 'Use Google Tag Manager' and copy the two values. Together these identifiers tell Google Tag Manager exactly where to send the tracked conversions. Without them, GTM cannot talk to Google Ads. They are essential and must be copied exactly as they are into the GTM tag configuration.

How do I identify the order confirmation page on WooCommerce?

On WooCommerce, the order confirmation page (also called the thank-you page) is generated automatically once a customer completes a purchase. That page has unique characteristics that make it easy to detect for tracking. Identifiable elements: the URL contains 'order-received' (in French: 'commande-recue'), and the URL contains a 'key=' parameter followed by a unique string (the secure order key). A typical URL looks like: https://yoursite.com/checkout/order-received/12345/?key=wc_order_abc123xyz. To identify that URL on your own site: place a test order (use a 100% discount code to avoid paying), and once the order is confirmed look at the URL in the browser address bar and copy the 'order-received' and 'key=' elements. Both should be used in the Google Tag Manager trigger to make sure the conversion fires ONLY on a genuine confirmed order and not on other pages of the site. It is the most reliable way to avoid false positives in tracking.

Why use two conditions (order-received AND key=) in the GTM trigger?

Using two conditions in the Google Tag Manager trigger ('order-received' AND 'key=') is an essential good practice for reliable tracking and for avoiding false positives. Reason 1 - safety: the 'order-received' condition on its own could fire if someone reached the thank-you URL without placing an order (by typing the URL manually, say, or through an old link). The 'key=' condition guarantees a genuine order, because that unique key is only generated on a confirmed purchase. Reason 2 - data reliability: without the double condition you risk counting phantom conversions that would distort your Google Ads statistics and your ROAS. You would think you had 50 sales when you really had 40. Reason 3 - compliance: Google Ads can penalise or suspend your account if you report fraudulent or inaccurate conversions. Precise tracking protects your account. In short: 'order-received' confirms you are on the right page, 'key=' confirms a genuine order was placed. It is the combination of the two that guarantees fully reliable tracking. This method is recommended by Google and considered best practice in e-commerce tracking.

Comment tester le tracking sans payer de vraies commandes ?

To test Google Ads tracking without spending money on real orders, the most effective method is to create a 100% discount code in WooCommerce. Here is how. Step 1 - enable discount codes: go to WooCommerce > Settings and tick 'Enable the use of coupons'. Step 2 - create the code: go to Marketing > Coupons > Add coupon. Set: discount type = percentage, amount = 100, free shipping = yes (if applicable), usage = limited to 1-3 uses (to prevent abuse). Step 3 - configure free shipping: if your site has no free shipping by default, create a specific shipping zone with a test postcode (75000, say) and set up free shipping for that zone. Step 4 - place the test order: add a product to the basket, use your 100% discount code, use the postcode configured for free shipping, and complete the order (you will pay nothing). Step 5 - check the tracking: look at the thank-you page URL (order-received + key=), and check in GTM's Tag Assistant that the Google Ads tag fired. This method lets you test as often as you need at no cost, which is ideal for debugging your setup before putting it into production.

What should I do if conversions are not showing up in Google Ads?

If conversions are not showing up in Google Ads after configuring tracking with Google Tag Manager, here are the checks to make, in order. Check 1 - delay: conversions can take 2 to 4 hours to appear in Google Ads. Wait a few hours before diagnosing a problem. Check 2 - GTM published: make sure you clicked 'Submit' and published your GTM container. In preview mode the tracking works but nothing reaches production if you have not published. Check 3 - GTM tags installed: check that both GTM tags (head and body) are present on every page of your site, including the thank-you page. Use 'Inspect element' in Chrome to verify. Check 4 - Conversion ID and Label: check that you copied the right identifiers from Google Ads into GTM. A single wrong character makes the tracking inoperative. Check 5 - trigger: test with GTM preview mode and check that the Google Ads tag fires on the order-received page with key=. If it does not fire, the problem is the trigger. Check 6 - ad blockers: disable browser extensions (Adblock, uBlock, Privacy Badger) that can block Google tracking. Check 7 - Google Ads: check that the conversion action is active in Google Ads (not paused or deleted). If the problem persists after all these checks, use Chrome's developer console (F12) to see whether JavaScript errors are stopping GTM from working. You can also contact Google Tag Manager support with a screenshot of preview mode.

Does this method let me calculate ROAS (Return On Ad Spend)?

No — the method in this tutorial only counts the number of conversions (sales); it does not yet let you calculate ROAS (Return On Ad Spend) precisely. The current limitation: the tracking you configure tells Google Ads 'a sale happened', but does not pass the value of the sale (the revenue generated by that order). Google Ads therefore counts conversions but cannot calculate the revenue generated. To calculate ROAS you need to: set up an advanced e-commerce dataLayer in Google Tag Manager, configure the dataLayer to capture the transaction value (product prices + quantity - discounts), modify the Google Ads tag in GTM to include the 'transaction_value' or 'purchase_value' variable, and test that the value comes through correctly in Google Ads. A ROAS example: if you spend 1,000 € on Google Ads and generate 5,000 € of sales, your ROAS is 5 (or 500%). Without the sale amounts, that ratio cannot be calculated. Next tutorial: a complete guide to configuring the e-commerce dataLayer, with revenue feeding back and automatic ROAS calculation in Google Ads, will be published soon on Oli-via-net. Subscribe to be notified. In the meantime, the tracking described here remains very useful for: knowing how many sales come from Google Ads, identifying the campaigns that generate conversions, optimising targeting and bids, and justifying the advertising investment.

Does this method work on Shopify too?

Yes — the method in this tutorial transfers perfectly to Shopify, with a few minor adaptations. The principles are the same: install Google Tag Manager on Shopify (through the theme code or an app), create the conversion action in Google Ads, configure the Google Ads tag in GTM with the Conversion ID and Label, and create a trigger based on the URL of the Shopify order confirmation page. Shopify specifics: the order confirmation (thank-you) page on Shopify has a different URL from WooCommerce. It looks like: https://yoursite.com/thank_you or https://yoursite.com/orders/[order_number]/confirmed. The GTM trigger should therefore be configured with: Page URL contains 'thank_you' OR Page URL contains '/orders/' AND Page URL contains 'confirmed'. Both conditions make sure you are on a genuine thank-you page and not on an order in progress. Another difference: on Shopify, Google Tag Manager is installed through the theme code (Theme > Actions > Edit code > theme.liquid) or through a third-party app such as 'Google Tag Manager by Shopify'. The 100% discount code test method works exactly the same way on Shopify: create a 100% discount code and place a free test order. Shopify limitations: some Shopify pages (the checkout in particular) do not allow custom code on the standard plan. For perfect tracking on Shopify it is worth using Shopify Plus, or configuring the tracking through the native Shopify interface at Settings > Analytics > Google Ads pixel. In short: yes, this method works on Shopify with the URL adaptations above.

Google Ads Conversion Tracking in 15 Minutes (WooCommerce)

Setting up reliable conversion tracking is essential if you want to steer your Google Ads campaigns properly.
Without tracking, there is no way to know whether your ads are actually generating sales.

In this article I explain how to configure Google Ads conversion tracking in under 15 minutes, on an e-commerce site, using Google Tag Manager.
The method shown here is simple, quick and perfectly suited to WooCommerce stores (and it transfers to Shopify too).

What this tutorial sets out to do

track every sale made on your e-commerce site
feed those sales back into Google Ads
measure the real performance of your advertising campaigns

⚠️ Important
This tutorial lets you count sales, but it does not yet let you calculate ROAS precisely (return on ad spend).
For that you will need an advanced e-commerce dataLayer, which will be the subject of a future tutorial.

The example used here

To illustrate this guide I am using the Passi’Jardinsite, an e-commerce store built on WordPress with WooCommerce.
The client sells Christmas trees online and wants to know how many sales actually come from his Google Ads campaigns.

Step 1 – Check that Google Tag Manager is installed

First of all, it is essential that Google Tag Manager is correctly installed on your site.

To get the GTM tags:

Go to your Google Tag Manager account
Click on your container ID
Copy the two scripts provided:
- one to place in the <head>
- one to place in the <body>

These tags let you track what users do on your site (page views, clicks, purchases and so on).

👉 On WordPress (and with Divi in particular), the integration is done very simply through the theme settings.

The Google Ads interface showing goals and conversion actions with tracking of purchases, forms and calls

Step 2 – Create the conversion action in Google Ads

Go to Goals
Click on Summary
Find or create the conversion action matching thepurchase

In the example, the conversion starts with a specific ID (“94…”, say).
As long as Google Tag Manager is not installed, the conversion shows as needs attention, which is perfectly normal.

Step 3 – Create the conversion tag in Google Tag Manager

Now go into Google Tag Manager :

What to do:

Click on New tag
Choose Tag configuration
Select Google Ads – Conversion Tracking

You will need to fill in two essential fields:

Conversion ID
Conversion Label

To find them:

Go back into Google Ads
Open the conversion action concerned
Click on Use Google Tag Manager
Copy the two identifiers

Then paste them into the GTM tag configuration.

Once they are filled in, Google Tag Manager automatically recognises the associated Google Ads conversion.

Step 4 – Configure the conversion trigger

A conversion should only fire when a purchase has genuinely been completed.

To do that:

Create a trigger of type Page View
Select Some Page Views

On an e-commerce site, after a purchase the user is redirected to an order confirmation page (a thank-you page). On WooCommerce that page usually contains:

order-received
a unique order parameter (?key=)

Together these confirm with certainty that a purchase has been made.

Step 5 – Test with a real purchase or a discount code

The best solution is still to test a real purchase. To avoid paying for nothing, though, it is worth creating a 100% discount code.

Enabling discount codes in WooCommerce:

Go to WooCommerce settings
Enable the option Enable coupons

Go to the Marketingtab, then click Add coupon :

Percentage discount: 100 %
Free shipping (if available)
Usage limit (1 to 3 tests)

If your site has no free shipping (so you do not pay delivery costs during the test):

Add a shipping zone
Configure free shipping
Tie it to a specific postcode (to be used for your tests)

Step 6 – Identify the order confirmation URL

Place a test order with:

the discount code
the postcode you configured

Once the order is confirmed, look at the page URL. The key elements to note are:

order / order-received
the part of the URL after the ? (the order key)

Example of a WooCommerce order confirmation page with the order-received URL used for Google Ads conversion tracking

Step 7 – Finish the trigger in GTM

In Google Tag Manager, configure the trigger with two conditions :

Page URL contains order-received
Page URL contains key=

This double condition avoids false positives and guarantees that the conversion only fires on a genuine order.

Step 8 – Test with Preview mode

Before publishing:

Click on Preview in GTM
Place another test order
Open Tag Assistant

You should see:

the Google Ads tag fired
both URL conditions met

If so, the tracking is working correctly.

The Google Tag Manager preview tool showing tags and Google Ads conversions firing on an e-commerce site

Step 9 – Publish and check in Google Ads

Once the test passes:

Click Submit in Google Tag Manager
Publish the configuration

All that is left is to generate sales and check that they come through in Google Ads.

A hand putting a coin into a blue piggy bank, representing a low conversion rate and limited profitability.

Conclusion:

In under 15 minutes you can set up reliable conversion tracking for your Google Ads campaigns on WooCommerce. It is an essential step if you want to steer your performance and optimise your advertising spend.

In a future tutorial I will show you how to:

feed back the revenue
calculate a precise ROAS
use an advanced e-commerce dataLayer

It is entirely possible to get excellent scores on Google PageSpeed Insights, even with a site that started out slow.

Written by

Nicolas Peter – founder of the agency Oli-via-net, certified expert in Google Ads, SEO and e-commerce tracking.

How to set up Google Ads conversion tracking in under 15 minutes (WooCommerce & GTM)

What this tutorial sets out to do

The example used here

Step 1 – Check that Google Tag Manager is installed

Step 2 – Create the conversion action in Google Ads

Step 3 – Create the conversion tag in Google Tag Manager

Step 4 – Configure the conversion trigger

Step 5 – Test with a real purchase or a discount code

Step 6 – Identify the order confirmation URL

Step 7 – Finish the trigger in GTM

Step 8 – Test with Preview mode

Step 9 – Publish and check in Google Ads

Conclusion:

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Improving the Google PageSpeed Insights score on a WordPress site with Divi

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What this tutorial sets out to do

The example used here

Step 1 – Check that Google Tag Manager is installed

Step 2 – Create the conversion action in Google Ads

Step 3 – Create the conversion tag in Google Tag Manager

Step 4 – Configure the conversion trigger

Step 5 – Test with a real purchase or a discount code

Step 6 – Identify the order confirmation URL

Step 7 – Finish the trigger in GTM

Step 8 – Test with Preview mode

Step 9 – Publish and check in Google Ads

Conclusion:

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