When I first started running Google Ads for my Shopify store, I made a classic mistake:
I launched campaigns before conversion tracking was properly set up.The ads were spending money, traffic was coming in, but I had no reliable way to tell:

  • Which campaign was driving real purchases
  • Whether Smart Bidding was learning correctly
  • Or if Google Ads was even tracking the right events

After fixing this a few times for different Shopify stores, I realized that Google Ads conversion tracking on Shopify is simple in theory, but easy to mess up in practice. This post shares what actually worked for me.

Why Conversion Tracking Matters More Than You Think

Google Ads doesn’t optimize for traffic — it optimizes for conversion signals.If your Shopify store isn’t sending clean and accurate purchase data back to Google:

  • Smart bidding strategies (tCPA / tROAS) won’t work properly
  • Performance Max campaigns will struggle to learn
  • You’ll end up optimizing based on clicks, not revenue

In short: bad tracking = bad ad decisions.

The Two Common Ways to Track Conversions on Shopify

From my experience, most Shopify stores use one of these two approaches:

Manual Google Ads Tag / Google Tag Manager (More Control, More Risk)

I’ll walk through both, and explain when I’d choose one over the other.

Option 1: Using Shopify’s Google & YouTube Channel (My Default Choice)

If you want stable tracking with minimal setup, this is the method I use most often.

What This Method Does Well

  • Automatically installs Google Ads conversion tracking
  • Tracks purchases without touching code
  • Works well with Performance Max and Shopping campaigns

How I Set It Up

  1. In Shopify Admin, go to Apps and sales channels
  2. Add Google & YouTube
  3. Connect the Google account that owns your Google Ads account
  4. Follow the setup flow and enable conversion tracking

That’s it.After setup, I always check Google Ads → Tools → Conversions to confirm:

  • A “Purchase” conversion action exists
  • The source shows “Website (Google hosted)” or Shopify-related integration

My Honest Take

For 90% of Shopify stores, this setup is enough.Where people get into trouble is:

  • Installing the Google channel and manual tags at the same time
  • Forgetting they already had GTM running

Duplicate tracking is one of the most common reasons for inflated conversion numbers.

Option 2: Manual Google Ads Conversion Tracking (When I Need Full Control)

I only use this approach when:

  • The store has a complex tracking setup
  • We need custom events beyond purchases
  • GTM is already deeply integrated

The Basic Flow

  1. Create a conversion action in Google Ads (Website → Purchase)
  2. Get:
    1. Conversion ID
    2. Conversion Label
  3. Add:
    1. Global site tag in theme.liquid
    2. Event snippet on the order status / thank-you page

In Shopify:

  • Go to Settings → Checkout
  • Scroll to Additional scripts
  • Paste the purchase event snippet there

This ensures the tag only fires after a successful checkout.

What Can Go Wrong Here

Based on real cases I’ve seen:

  • Tags firing on page reloads
  • Event snippet added in the wrong place
  • Thank-you page logic changed after Shopify checkout updates

If you go manual, test everything with Google Tag Assistant.

About Google Tag Manager (GTM)

GTM is powerful, but it’s not “set and forget”.I usually recommend GTM only if:

  • You already understand event-based tracking
  • You need add-to-cart, view-item, and purchase tracking together
  • You want flexibility across multiple platforms

Otherwise, Shopify’s native Google integration is safer and more stable.

GA4 + Google Ads: Should You Import Conversions?

I’ve tested both approaches:

  • Google Ads native conversions
  • Imported GA4 purchase events

My experience:

  • Native Google Ads tracking is more reliable for bidding
  • GA4 is better for analysis, not optimization

If you import GA4 conversions, make sure:

  • You don’t double-count purchases
  • Attribution models align between platforms

How I Verify Everything Is Working

Before scaling ad spend, I always check:

  • Conversion status in Google Ads (should move from “No recent conversions” to active)
  • Test purchase with Tag Assistant
  • Compare Shopify order count vs Google Ads conversions (they won’t be identical, but should be reasonable)

I usually wait 24–48 hours before making conclusions.

Final Thoughts

If you’re running Google Ads for a Shopify store, conversion tracking is not optional.My general rule:

  • Simple store → Shopify Google & YouTube channel
  • Complex tracking needs → Manual tags or GTM
  • Never mix multiple tracking methods unless you know exactly why

Once tracking is clean, everything else — bidding, scaling, ROAS optimization — becomes much easier.