[GAds] Checkbox "Include user-provided data” is no longer available in server-side Google Ads conversion tag in sGTM

As of 12 June 2024 we’ve noticed that the checkbox "include user-provided data" is no longer available in the settings of the Google Ads conversion tag inside the server-side Google Tag Manager container and this lead us to exploring even more changes that Google made that relates to User-provided data (UPD) in GA4 and gAds (both web and sGTM container). These are the main takeaways:

1. The checkbox "include user-provided data" is no longer available in the settings of the Google Ads conversion tag inside the server-side Google Tag Manager container.

2. The new gAds tag type was added to sGTM - Google Ads User-provided Data Event, similar to the one in web GTM. 

3. Google removed the limitation that enabling UPD would disable user ID exports to BigQuery. It means that if UPD is enabled it won’t affect user or event data export in BigQuery.

4. Previously, it was necessary to create a user-provided data variable in web GTM and enable the checkbox "Include user-provided data from your website" in the Google Ads server-side conversion tag.

Now, instead of using that checkbox, pass user-provided data using the user_data parameter, as shown in the screenshot below. This ensures your user data is properly included in server-side Google Ads conversions.

When properly structured user data reaches the sGTM container, it will be available as part of the Event Data and GA4 tag will automatically parse it, hash PII and send to Google.

1. Enable Enhanced Conversions in Google Ads.

Log in to your Google Ads account, navigate to Tools & Settings → Conversions → check Turn on Enhanced Conversions.

2. Configure User-Provided Data variable in web GTM and add it to GA4 tag settings. 

In web GTM, create a Data Layer Variable to capture user data (such as email, phone number, and address). Then, create a User-Provided Data Variable and associate it with the captured data​.

3. Set Up Conversion Tracking Tag.

 In the GTM server container, create a new Google Ads Conversions Tracking tag, and trigger it based on the desired conversion events​. Tag will automatically parse user data form GA4 requests. 

And that’s it! No additional changes or modifications were made to the Google Ads Conversion Tracking setup.