Beta Destination Overview

This beta destination is only available to those using Elevar's server. If using your own GTM server container for server-side tracking, please migrate to using Elevar's server in order to access the new Google Ads destination.

Enhanced Conversions: This server-side destination sends email address & phone number data with events if it's available. So it partially sends enhanced conversion data. We're working towards how to send address information in the future.

Prerequisites

Before you can enable your Google Ads Server-Side Destination, you will need to:

• Install the Shopify Source on your store. Follow your guide on How to Install the Shopify Source

Step 1: Add Elevar to your Google Ads Account

In order for this destination to work, Google requires that the party sending the server data (Elevar) have access to the destination it's going to (your Google Ads Account).

Email [email protected] with your Google Ads Account's ID and ask Elevar to send an access request to your account. Expect a response from our team within 24 business hours!

Step 2: Update To Our Shopify Source

Upgrade to our Shopify Source if you haven't already. This ensures your datalayer has the new logic to capture Google Ads click IDs (gclid, wbraid & gbraid) & send them to Google Ads server-side.

Step 3: Ensure Session Enrichment is Maximized

While it's not a requirement, for best results, we'll want Elevar's Session Enrichment Feature is functioning to its fullest. Session Enrichment allows Elevar to listen for email signups, connect those email addresses to a unique user id for identity tracking, and send future server events with that email address for that user.

This will allow Google Ads to better match conversions to users.

By default we support Klaviyo, Attentive, Postscript, and Shopify popups.

To ensure this is working to it's fullest, test signing up for your marketing emails on your website. After you sign up, if you see a dl_subscribe event being sent to Elevar in your developer console's network tab, then you know it's working:

Don't see it firing? Ask your development team to build the dl_subscribe event for you, and/or ask email signup software provider to connect with Elevar's Product team by emailing [email protected] to learn about Elevar's integration requirements.

Step 4: Create New Secondary Conversion Actions

Why Secondary Conversions? When testing this beta integration, we want to test on secondary conversion actions only. After you've run the integration in parallel with standard client-side tracking and are seeing the server events perform better, then change so that the server conversion actions are primary and you client-side conversion actions are secondary.

Why do we need two secondary purchase conversion actions? We'll be setting up two conversion actions per event we want to track. Server-side tracking cannot track view-through conversions. For this reason, we want to have a server-side purchase + a client-side tag (that only fires if the Google Ads click ID is not present) running in parallel. The goal of this configuration is to get the order accuracy value + site speed value of server-side, but also be able to report/retarget based on view-through conversions.

Navigate to Conversions

In Google Ads, Click Tools & Settings > Measurement > Conversions

Select Add New Conversion Action

Create an Import Conversion Action

Click Import > Other data sources or CRMs > Track Conversions from clicks

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If you select "other data sources or CRMs" and end up seeing the below:

Then change your option to "Manual import using API or uploads" instead.

Configure Conversion Action Settings

If you're setting up a purchase conversion, mirror the below setup. Be sure to select "secondary" as the optimization option.

If you're setting up a non-purchase conversion, choose the appropriate Goal Category instead.

Naming convention is "event name (elevar server-side clicks)" examples below:

• Purchase (elevar server-side clicks)
• Begin Checkout (elevar server-side clicks)
• Add to Cart (elevar server-side clicks)

Select Create and continue

Finish your Conversion

No need to add touch the "Import offline conversions" section at the end. If you see the screen below select "Finish"!

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If you are prompted with the below questions, keep "Turn on enhanced conversions for leads" blank and set "import offline conversions" to "API".

Set up your View Through Conversion Action

Select to add another conversion action. This time, make the type "website" instead of "import.

If you are prompted to scan you site, enter you website and click scan.

After the scan is complete you may not see all these sections as shown below. This will vary depending on your existing Google Ads setup.

If you see this message select "Use Google Ads Only"

If you see this "Add conversion action" section underneath the Create conversion actions from website events, then click Cancel.

Then, click + Add conversion action manually in the section as shown below.

Mirror the below setting configuration: [Note: The full conversion name in the below screenshot is "Purchase (elevar view-through client-side -- combine with server-side clicks)"]

Click Done if, prompted with "Activate measurement with a Google tag"

Set up Non-Purchase Conversion Actions

If you plan to set up more tracking for more than just the purchase events (our integration current allows to you send the following events server-side: pageview, view item, add to cart, & begin checkout), repeat the above steps making an Import & a Website conversion action per each event you want to track.

Step 5: Configure Google Ads Server Destination

In My Tracking > Click Add Destination > Find and select Google Ads

You'll be taken to an overview screen, go ahead and press Get Started.

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Reminder:

If you haven't already emailed [email protected] for us to request access to your Google Ads Account as Step 1 instructs, then all the Google Ads events will return an error.

Select Events

By default, the purchase event is enabled.

To enable more events, choose I want to customize manually > select the checkbox by your desired events.

Enter the CTID per each server event [ How do I find that? ] > press Save & Continue

If applicable, Enable Consent Mode

If consent is required, follow these steps to enable consent mode & select your consent categories.

If consent is not required, select Save & Continue.

Select Transaction Identifier

Order ID is almost always used as the primary transaction identifier in Google Ads integrations, but you can override this if needed.

Select Product Identifier

Product ID is almost always used as the primary product identifier in Google Ads integrations, but you can override this if needed. You'll want to match the product identifier used in your Google Ads tracking to match the product identifier you use in your Google Merchant Catalog.

Block Transactions

This step allows you to control exactly what purchase events are sent to Google Ads. You can block orders based on Source Channel Name, Order Tag or Order Gateway.

The most common scenario where retailers may want to block or send orders is with offline orders. Learn how to block these orders in this guide.

Not sure if you need to block orders? Look at what Sales Channels you have in Shopify!

Configure Subscription Settings

Do you sell subscription products? If you do, you can choose to send first-time orders only or first time + recurring orders to your marketing destination.

Add in Google Ads Details

Add in your Google Merchant ID [How to find this?] & your Customer ID [How to find this?] > Press Save & Continue.

Note: These values are not the conversion label or conversion ID.

Web Container Setup

As shared, server-side tracking cannot track view through conversions. For this reason, we'll be setting up a client-side tag in Google Tag Manager that only fires on view-through conversions.

The goal of this configuration is to get the order accuracy value + site speed value of server-side, but also be able to report/retarget based on view-through conversions.

Download the Pre-Built Web Tags

Import the tag to Google Tag Manager [How do I do that?]

Add Conversion Label & Conversion ID

You've imported a tag titled "Google Ads Conversion - Purchase - View Through Only". In this tag, input the Conversion Label & Conversion ID of the secondary conversion action "Purchase (elevar view-through client-side - combine with server-side clicks)" you created in Step 4 (Set up your View Through Conversion Action).

If you're setting up non-purchase events, duplicate this tag, reconfigure the duplicate to fire on your desired action, and update the variables to pass the appropriate data.

Publish Changes

Press Go Live

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Conversions cannot be imported to a conversion action create less than 6 hours before going live. No need to wait to Go Live, but you may experience errors in the first 6 hours. These will resolve once your actions are able to accept your conversions.

Step 7: Analyze Results

Let the tracking run for at least 2 weeks. If you're seeing the combined server + view-through Conversion Actions outperform your standard client-side tracking, update the Conversion Actions so that the server + view-through tracking are primary and the client-side tracking is secondary. [How to analyze the results]

If you have post-purchase upsells configured in Shopify, you'll likely start seeing an impact more immediately. You are welcome to switch the primary conversion actions sooner.

Step 8: Remove Previous Tracking

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Only complete this step if you have completed Step 7 and changed your server-side conversion actions to primary

Remove your previous google ads conversion tracking. Your tags may be added via Google Tag Manager(GTM, hardcoded in your theme, or added through the Google Shopping Channel in Shopify. If added via the shopping channel, follow this guide to remove.

FAQs

Why are some events ignored rather than sent to Google Ads?

• Reason 1: They don't have a Google Ads Click ID. Google Ads requires that all events sent include a click ID.
• Reason 2: User opted out of consent. If you've enabled consent mode for Google Ads and the user has opted out of tracking, those events will be ignored instead of sent to Google Ads.

I see error messages for Google Ads in Channel Accuracy

If you're seeing error messages in Channel Accuracy or the Server Events Log, here are common reasons why:

• Reason 1: The Conversion Action was created less than 6 hours ago. - Conversions cannot be imported to a conversion action created less than 6 hours before going live. This means you may experience errors in the first 6 hours. These will resolve once your actions are able to accept your conversions.
• Reason 2: Elevar is not added as a user to the Google Ads Account. - Google requires that the party sending the server data (Elevar) have access to the destination it's going to (your Google Ads Account).
• Reason 3: There are multiple Google Ads accounts sending data to your website. - If you have another Google Ads account sending traffic to your website (perhaps by an Ads Agency), then when Elevar sends the event with the click ID to your Google Ads Account, Google will give an error because that click ID is associated with a different Ads Account. To solve this, you'll want to 1) Set up a Shared Conversion with both Google Ads Accounts and 2) Make sure Elevar has access to the MCC only.