How to Set Up Enhanced Conversions in Google Ads
Enhanced conversions recover conversions lost to cookie restrictions by sending hashed customer data to Google. Here's how to set them up for websites and for leads.
Key takeaways
- Enhanced conversions send hashed first-party data (such as email or phone) with conversions so Google can match more of them to ad clicks.
- There are two types: enhanced conversions for web (online purchases or sign-ups) and for leads (sales that close offline).
- You can set them up through the Google tag, Google Tag Manager or the Google Ads API.
- Data is hashed with SHA-256 before it is sent. Make sure your privacy policy covers it.
Cookie restrictions and privacy features mean Google Ads can’t always connect a conversion back to the ad click that caused it. Enhanced conversions improve that match by sending hashed customer information (such as the email address entered on your form or checkout) along with the conversion. Better measurement means better Smart Bidding.
The two types
| Type | Use it when | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced conversions for web | Conversions happen on your website (purchases, sign-ups) | Hashed data from the conversion page is sent with the conversion tag |
| Enhanced conversions for leads | Leads come in online but sales close offline (calls, meetings) | Hashed data from the lead form is captured, then matched when you upload offline conversions |
Before you start
- Conversion tracking already works with the Google tag or Google Tag Manager
- Your forms or checkout collect email and/or phone number
- You’ve accepted the customer data terms in Google Ads
- Your privacy policy mentions sharing hashed data with Google for advertising measurement
Step 1: Turn on enhanced conversions in Google Ads
- In Google Ads, go to Goals → Conversions → Settings.
- Expand Enhanced conversions and turn it on for web (and/or leads).
- Accept the customer data terms if prompted.
- Choose your setup method: Google tag, Google Tag Manager or the Google Ads API.
Step 2a: Set up with the Google tag
If you use the Google tag directly, you can let it detect fields automatically, or specify CSS selectors or JavaScript variables for the email, phone, name and address fields on your conversion page. Specifying the fields is more reliable than automatic detection.
Step 2b: Set up with Google Tag Manager
- Open your Google Ads conversion tracking tag in GTM.
- Tick Include user-provided data from your website.
- Create a User-provided data variable: choose automatic collection, CSS selectors, or a code/data layer option.
- Map the email (and other) fields.
- Publish, and test in Tag Assistant to confirm user-provided data is included.
The data layer method, where your developer pushes the customer’s email into the data layer on the confirmation page, is the most robust.
Step 3: Enhanced conversions for leads
- Turn on enhanced conversions for leads in conversion settings.
- Capture hashed lead details when the form is submitted, using the same tag setup as above.
- When a lead becomes a customer, upload the conversion with the same email or phone, either manually, on a schedule, or through a CRM integration.
Step 4: Check it’s working
- In Goals → Conversions, open the conversion action and check the enhanced conversions diagnostics. It can take a few days for status to update.
- In Tag Assistant, submit a test form and confirm user-provided data is sent with the conversion.
Common mistakes
- Automatic detection grabbing the wrong field (such as a newsletter box instead of the checkout email)
- Phone numbers without country codes (use +92 format for Pakistan)
- Firing the conversion on page load rather than after a successful submission
- Forgetting consent requirements for EEA or UK visitors (see Consent Mode v2)
For a full measurement check across GA4, Google Ads and Meta, use our tracking audit.