Google Ads Setup
Connect Google Ads to your first-party setup without giving us any access to your Google Ads account. Under 5 minutes, mostly on a short screen-share.
We set up Google Ads conversion tracking without any access to your Google Ads account. You approve one link from your Google Analytics 4 property, create your conversion actions with us on a short screen-share, and send us two codes. Your budgets, spend, billing and leads stay completely private.
Nothing in Google Ads is shared with us
We are never added as a user and never linked as a manager account. We don't see your campaigns, budgets, spend, billing or the leads from your lead forms.
Your part
- Approve our Google Analytics 4 link request
- Create your conversion actions with us on a short screen-share
- Send us the conversion ID and label
- Confirm on the call that conversions arrive
Our part
- Send the GA4 link request from your GA4 property
- Build the server-side Google Ads tag from your two codes
- Set up enhanced conversions and consent signals in your server container
- Run test conversions with you and confirm when tracking is live
Before you start
- Complete the Google Analytics 4 guide first. We send the link request from your GA4 property, using the Editor access you give us there.
- You'll need Admin access to your Google Ads account to approve the link and create conversion actions.
- Book a short screen-share with your onboarding manager for Step 2. We'll guide every click.
Your steps
Step 1 (you): Approve our Google Analytics link request
We'll send a request from your GA4 property to link it with your Google Ads account. Google emails your account's admins when the request arrives.
To approve it, sign in to Google Ads and go to Tools › Data manager. Open Google Analytics (GA4) & Firebase, find the pending request from your GA4 property and click Approve. You can also approve it from Google's email.
Linking lets Google Ads use your GA4 key events and audiences. It doesn't give us, or anyone else, access to your Google Ads account.
Step 2 (you): Create your conversion actions on a screen-share
On a short call, we'll guide you through creating the conversion actions your business needs, usually a purchase or a lead:
- In Google Ads, go to Goals › Conversions › Summary and click + New conversion action.
- Choose Website, enter your website address and choose to add a conversion action manually.
- Pick the category (for example Purchase or Submit lead form), set the value and counting options we agree, then click Done and Save and continue.
- Choose Use Google Tag Manager. Google shows a Conversion ID and a Conversion label.
If you'd also like to import GA4 key events as conversions, we'll do that on the same call: + New conversion action, then Import, then Google Analytics 4 properties.
We'll also check enhanced conversions is switched on in Goals › Settings, set to use Google Tag Manager.
Menus can vary slightly between accounts, so follow along with your onboarding manager.
Step 3 (you): Send us the conversion ID and label
Send the Conversion ID and Conversion label for each conversion action to your onboarding manager. These two codes identify where conversions are sent. They don't give anyone access to your account.
Step 4 (you): Confirm conversions arrive
Once we've built your server-side tag, we'll run test conversions together. On a short call, open Goals › Conversions › Summary and check the status of each conversion action, or share your screen so we can confirm it with you.
What we see, and what we don't
| Area | Do we see it? | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion ID and label | Yes, you send them | Used to build the server-side Google Ads tag in your container. |
| Your GA4 property | Editor | We send the link request from GA4 and check key events. See the GA4 guide. |
| Campaigns, ads and keywords | No | We have no access to your Google Ads account. |
| Budgets, spend and billing | No | Stays fully private. |
| Leads from lead forms | No | Stays fully private. |
| Users and account settings | No | We're never added as a user or manager. |
What happens next
Once you've finished, our implementation team will:
- Add the Google Ads conversion tag and conversion linker to your server-side container, using your conversion ID and label
- Send hashed customer details for enhanced conversions, only where consent allows
- Check Google consent mode signals are passed with every conversion
- Confirm with you when tracking is live
Good to know
You're always in control
You can remove the GA4 link at any time from Tools › Data manager in Google Ads, or from Admin › Product links › Google Ads links in GA4.
Want us to manage your campaigns?
If you'd like TDS to run your Google Ads campaigns as well, that's a separate service with different access. Ask your onboarding manager, who will explain how to link your account to our manager account, Lupe | TDS Manager Account (921-213-2498).