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Google Ads Event Streaming

This feature is in Closed Beta

This feature is in Closed Beta and is in active development. Contact your Amplitude Client Success Manager for support with this integration.

Amplitude Data's Google Ads integration enables you to stream your Amplitude event data straight to Google Ads with just a few clicks.

Considerations

  • You must enable this integration in each Amplitude project you want to use it in.
  • Amplitude sends custom events using Amplitude event_type as event name.
  • This integration uses Amplitude's integration uses Google Ads Upload Click Conversions API. This would mean the event payload needs both the Google Click ID (gclid) and the Conversion Date Time properties. Google Ads relies on the gclid parameter to track user interactions with ads and attribute conversions back to specific ad clicks. When a user clicks an ad served through Google Ads, Google Ads generates a unique gclid value and appends it to the URL. This parameter identifies the click, and links it to subsequent conversions. Amplitude drops events without a user property gclid.
  • gclid needs to be valid and not none and Conversion Date Time filed should be of the format yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss with optional micro seconds. For example the event_time that's part of the default mapped property has the format 2024-02-23 19:18:32.712000.

Setup

Amplitude setup

  1. In Amplitude Data, click Catalog and select the Destinations tab.
  2. In the Event Streaming section, click Google Ads.
  3. Enter a sync name, then click Create Sync.

After you create the destination, you must configure the settings.

Configure settings

  1. On the Settings tab, click Edit.
  2. Under Status, click the toggle from Disabled to Enabled.

  3. Upload the Google Cloud Service Account: A Google Cloud Service Account is a special type of Google account used for server-to-server interactions and authentication within Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services. A user who has access to the Google Ads Service Account can create the Google Cloud Service Account. The Google Ads Service Account should have domain wide delegation enabled.

    When you configure the domain-wide delegation, set the OAuth scope to https://www.googleapis.com/auth/adwords. For more information, see Configure the OAuth screen in Google's documentation.

  4. Enter the Google Cloud Service Account User Email: This is the email address of the user who created the Google Cloud Service Account and who has access to the Google Ads Account.

  5. Enter the Google Ads Developer Token: The Google Ads admin needs to apply for a developer token from the Manager account. Each level of the developer token has limits on the number of requests that Amplitude sends.
  6. Enter the Google Ads Customer ID: A Google Ads Customer ID is a unique identifier assigned to each advertiser or business that uses Google Ads. This ID helps Google track and manage accounts, campaigns, and billing information for advertisers. Find the Google Ads Customer ID at top-right when logged into Google Ads. Enter the ID without hyphens.
  7. Enter the Google Ads Conversion Action ID: This is a unique identifier associated with a specific conversion action in Google Ads, and represents a desired action that you want your visitors or users to take. For example, make a purchase, submit a contact form, or sign up for a newsletter. Once the conversion action is visible on Google Ads, click it to visit the details page (path: /conversions/detail). The URL has a parameter ctId=. Copy the value of that parameter as the Conversion Action ID.
  8. Configure Send Events to send events ingested by Amplitude to Google Ads.
    1. To send events, toggle Send Events to Enabled.
    2. Expand the Select and filter events panel, and select which events to send. Amplitude recommends that you send only the events you need in Google Ads, rather than selecting All Events.
  9. Map your Amplitude property to Google Ads property
    1. Map the gclid Amplitude property to the GCLID property in Google Ads
    2. Map the event_time Amplitude property to the Conversion Date Time property in Google Ads
  10. Save when finished.

Setup tracking conversion in Google Ads

  1. In Google Ads, click on Goals.
  2. Click New conversion action.
  3. Click Import data from Google Analytics or another source.
  4. Check Manual import using API or uploads.
  5. Check Track conversions from clicks.
  6. Choose your Goal and action optimization
  7. Enter your Conversion name
  8. Choose the value setting which lets you track how much these conversions are worth to your business.
  9. Select how many conversions to count per click or interaction.
  10. Select your Click-through conversion window
  11. Select your attribution type.

When you configure Tracking Conversions in Google Ads, select the following options:

  1. Import
  2. Manual import using API or uploads
  3. Track conversions from clicks

This enables recording of offline conversions in the Goals section of Google Ads. There may be a delay of up to 60 minutes for metrics to show in Google Ads after they stream from Amplitude.

Common issues

Stuck at the authentication step

If you see ERR_BLOCKED_BY_CLIENT in your browser's console, disable your ad blocker, clear your browser's cache and cookies, and try to add the connection again.

"Error: Invalid Customer ID"

Google Ads requires a Customer ID to configure as an integration with Amplitude. For more information, see Find your Google Ads customer ID in Google's documentation. Keep in mind, Manager Account Customer ID is different from the Customer ID.

Insufficient permissions

Amplitude's Google Ads Event Streaming integration requires that your Google Ads Manager account has administrator privileges. This level of permission allows Amplitude to add and remove users from specific user lists in Google Ads. For Google Ads, Amplitude adds and removes users from a specific user list. As a result, Amplitude needs appropriate permissions to create and delete Google Ads account data. For more information, see About access levels in your Google Ads Account in Google's documentation.

Use cases

  1. Enhanced Conversion Tracking: By linking Amplitude events to Google Ads, you can track conversions more effectively. This is particularly useful for understanding how users who click on your Google Ads interact with your product or service. For instance, if a user clicks an ad and then completes a significant action (like signing up or making a purchase) tracked in Amplitude, this integration allows you to attribute that action back to the specific ad click.
  2. Data-Driven Advertising Decisions: The integration helps in making more informed decisions about your advertising strategies. By analyzing which ads lead to meaningful user actions, you can optimize ad spend, focusing on the most effective campaigns and channels.
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