Using GA4 Key Events in Google Ads Without Double Counting

#01How do you link and import?

1. In GA4 Admin → Product links → Google Ads links, link the Ads account (you need edit rights on both sides).
2. In Google Ads, go to Goals → Conversions → Summary, add a conversion and choose Google Analytics as the source, or create it from the GA4 side.
3. Pick the key events you want. Google notes that choosing a plain event from the Events list will mark it as a key event in GA4.
4. Decide primary or secondary in Google Ads (lesson 3).

#02How do you avoid double counting?

Check the Conversions column per action in the segment "Conversion action" view. If two actions rise and fall together for the same event, one of them should be secondary.

#03Why are the numbers different?

Google Ads attributes a conversion to the date of the ad click by default; GA4 reports it on the date the event happened. Google Ads uses its own attribution model across Google ads, while GA4 credits across all channels. A gap does not mean one tool is wrong. Pick the one that answers the question: Google Ads for bidding, GA4 for cross-channel journeys and AI referral traffic.

Our view: the GA4 link earns its keep through audiences and journey analysis, not as a second set of bid signals.

#04Which conversion source should bid?

The rule that matters: one real-world action, one primary conversion. Everything else is secondary.

#05How do you create conversions from GA4, step by step?

Menu names move, so treat this as the order of work rather than exact labels:

1. Confirm the GA4 property and Google Ads account are linked, with auto-tagging on.
2. In Google Ads, go to Goals → Conversions → Summary, choose to add a conversion and select Google Analytics (GA4) as the source.
3. Select the key events to import. Choosing a plain event marks it as a key event in GA4.
4. Save, then set each new action to primary or secondary in Google Ads, where the goal category and optimisation settings are edited.
5. Wait for data: imported key events can take time to appear, so check again after a day or two before you assume something is broken.

#06Why do GA4 and Google Ads disagree, and which differences are normal?

Compare trends over time, not totals on one day.

#07What are the edge cases?

• Auto-tagging off. GA4 can't attribute Google Ads traffic properly without auto-tagging. Turn it on.
• Several GA4 properties. If two properties track the same site, import from only one.
• Cross-domain journeys. If the form lives on another domain (for example a scheduling tool), GA4 needs cross-domain measurement set up, or the key event loses its source.
• Thank-you page events. A page_view-based key event counts every visit to the thank-you page, including refreshes. Use a form event where you can.

#08Practitioner hacks for the GA4 link

• Use GA4 audiences as observation first. You'll see how engaged non-converters behave in Search before you commit to targeting.
• Keep GA4 key events honest. If GA4 marks every page_view of a thank-you page as a key event, it will look better than the Ads tag. Fix the event, not the report.
• Compare like with like. When reconciling, pick the same date range, one conversion action and one channel, and compare the trend.
• Document which tool owns which number. For example: Google Ads owns bidding conversions; GA4 owns journey analysis; the CRM owns revenue.

Further reading on the GA4 side: GA4 Key Events: What Replaced Conversions and How to Set Them Up and Linking Search Console and Google Ads to GA4.

#09A 30-minute audit for this lesson

1. In GA4, check the Google Ads link exists and the right account is linked.
2. In Google Ads, confirm auto-tagging is on.
3. List GA4 imported actions and their primary/secondary status.
4. Find any real-world action that has both an Ads tag and a GA4 import as primary.
5. Check which GA4 audiences are shared with Google Ads and where they are used.
6. Note the tool that owns each number in your change log.

#10Key terms

#11Worked example: Ledgerline's duplicate leads

Ledgerline is a fictional accounts-payable software company. Details and numbers are illustrative.

Ledgerline saw twice as many conversions in Google Ads as demo requests in its CRM. The cause was a Google Ads tag action and a GA4 generate_lead import, both primary. The team kept the Ads tag action primary, made the GA4 one secondary and used the GA4 link mainly for an audience of pricing-page visitors who had not booked a demo.

Walkthrough: finding the duplicate

1. The team segmented the conversions report by Conversion action and saw "Demo request (Ads tag)" and "generate_lead (GA4)" rising and falling together.
2. Both were primary in the Submit lead form goal, so every demo counted twice in the Conversions column.
3. They set the GA4 action to secondary on a Monday and noted the change in the change log.
4. Reported conversions halved; real demos didn't change. The team told finance in advance so nobody panicked.
5. They kept the GA4 link for audiences and journey analysis, which is where it adds most.

#12Try it yourself

1. In Google Ads, segment conversions by Conversion action for the last 30 days.
2. List any pair of actions that track the same real-world event.
3. For each pair, decide which stays primary using the table above.
4. Check auto-tagging is on and whether any form lives on another domain.

#13Quick quiz

1. Where can you change primary or secondary for a conversion created from GA4?

Answer: Only in Google Ads.

2. Why might Google Ads show a conversion on an earlier date than GA4?

Answer: Google Ads reports conversions by the date of the ad click by default, while GA4 uses the event date.

3. What happens if the same demo is primary in both an Ads tag action and a GA4 import?

Answer: It is counted twice, and Smart Bidding overvalues it.

#14What should you check before the next lesson?

• Confirm GA4 and Google Ads are linked.
• List conversion actions by source and make sure each real action is primary only once.
• Write down which tool your team uses for which question.
• For background, see the live course page analytics basics in GA4 and GA4 Key Events: What Replaced Conversions and How to Set Them Up.

Next: Match types and the search terms report. Or return to the Google Ads for Marketers track.

#15Common questions

Should I use GA4 key events or the Google Ads tag for conversions? Either can work. Use one source per action for bidding. The Google Ads tag with enhanced conversions is usually the primary source; GA4 imports are useful as secondary actions or where you have no Ads tag.

Why do GA4 and Google Ads show different conversion numbers? They use different attribution, counting and date rules. Google Ads reports conversions against the click date by default, while GA4 reports by event date, and the two systems may credit different channels.

Who can import GA4 key events into Google Ads? Google's help page says you need at least Marketer access in the Analytics property, plus a linked Google Ads account.