Stape
SearchTry for free

Server-side conversion tracking in Google Ads (Adwords)

Ira Holubovska

Ira Holubovska

Author
Updated
May 28, 2025
Published
Jan 22, 2021
Also available in

Server-side Tag Manager allows you to move your Google Ads conversion tracking tags from the webpage to the server-side, which will help improve page load time and increase your ads conversion tracking accuracy. Moving Ad tags onto server-side tagging will also reduce the amount of code that needs to run on the webpages and aid with performance issues for slower internet connections!

In this article, we’ll show you how to set up Google Ads (AdWords) conversion tracking using Google Ads tag for the Google Tag Manager server container.

What is Google Ads (Adwords) conversion tracking?

Google Ads conversion tracking is a tool that measures what happens after a user interacts with your ad - such as completing a purchase, submitting a form, or adding a product to their cart. This data helps you evaluate ad performance and powers Smart Bidding, allowing Google to target users more likely to convert based on your defined business goals.

By tracking both primary and micro-conversions, you gain insights into which campaigns, keywords, and ads drive results. It also helps optimize ROAS, lower cost per conversion, and adjust values post-conversion if needed (e.g., for returns), making your ad strategy more effective and data-driven.

Here is the official documentation on Google Ads and server-side tracking: Google Ads conversions (Google).

How to set up Google Ads server-side tracking

Google released Google Ads Conversion tracking and Conversion linker tags for the Google Tag Manager server container in July 2021. With the new change to GTM server-side tracking, you can now get more out of your Ads account. This means that you will have access to more reliable server tracking, making conversion data accurate!

Google Ads conversion tracking works only based on the Google Analytics 4 tag, meaning that if you want to set up Google Ads tracking yourself, you should configure server-side GA4. Unlike Facebook, Google Ads do not support deduplication, so you should use either web or server-side conversion tracking.

Follow the steps below to set up Google Ads server-side tracking.

Step 1. Create and set up a Google Tag Manager server container

This guide explains how to set up and host a server container. We also have an article which covers the steps for sending data from the web to the server container.

Step 2. Set up server-side Google Analytics 4

The next thing you need to do is configure the server-side Google Analytics 4.

We have a detailed user manual on how to set up server-side Google Analytics 4 in our blog post.

Step 3. Set up the Conversion Linker tag inside the server GTM container

In the Server container, set up the Conversion Linker tag. This tag should trigger on all pageviews. 

Conversion Linker tag Google Ads
Conversion Linker tag Google Ads

Step 4. Create a new Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag inside the server GTM container

Create a new Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag in the Server container → add Conversion ID and Conversion Label similar to the web Ads tag setup.

Then, you can add Product and User Data (it looks very similar to how Facebook's conversion API works). If you send user and product data from the web to the server, you can enable these checkboxes and select event data as a data source. Our Ads server conversion triggers on the purchase event. 

Google Ads server - see Purchase tag
Google Ads server - see Purchase tag

That’s it for the server container. But Google also added a bonus to the web Google Ads tag.

How to set up Enhanced Conversions for Google Ads on server-side

You can set up enhanced conversion tracking in the server-side Google Ads conversion tag. This means that it's possible to send user data to Google Ads. 

Why set enhanced conversion up?

  • It improves the accuracy of conversion tracking and bidding.
  • Ensures data security using Google’s SHA-256 Algorithm.
  • Collects first-party data (name/email address combo and other personal information like home addresses, phone numbers, etc.).

Step 1. Turn on Enhanced Conversions in Google Ads

Log in to your Google Ads account → Tools & Settings → Conversions → check Turn on enhanced conversions.

Step 2. Create a User-Provided Data variable inside the web GTM container

In web GTM, go to “Variables” → in the section “User-Defined Variables” → click “New” → add the following settings:

  • Variable Type - User-Provided Data
  • Type - click on “Manual Configuration”
  • Add to the parameters variables as shown in the screenshot below
User-Provided Data variable in web GTM
User-Provided Data variable in web GTM

Step 3. Add User-Provided Data variable to GA4 tag settings

Go to the “Tags” section and find the GA4 tag or create it (click “New” → Tag Type: Google Analytics: GA4 Event).

Add the user-provided data using the user_data parameter, as shown in the screenshot below. Select the variable you created in Step 2 in the “User Data” section.

User_data parameter
User_data parameter

Step 4. Set Up Conversion Tracking Tag

In the server GTM container, go to Tags → New → Tag configuration “Google Ads Conversion Tracking”.

Add triggers based on needed conversion events. The tag will automatically process user data from GA4 requests.

Google Ads configuration tag
Google Ads configuration tag

How to set up Google ads product remarketing

Server Google ads product remarketing tag works based on the Google Analytics 4 product data.

Step 1. Enable Send dynamic remarketing event data inside server GTM container

Open the Google Ads Remarketing tag inside the server Google Tag Manager container and enable Send dynamic remarketing event data.

Google Ads product remarketing
Google Ads product remarketing

Step 2. Configure product data inside the web GTM container

To make dynamic product remarketing work, make sure that in the web Google Tag Manager, you've configured product data inside the Google Analytics 4 tags

Configure product data inside the web GTM container
Configure product data inside the web GTM container

How to test Google Ads server-side tracking

First, test that the Google Ads Conversion tag was triggered in the server container and that the request it sent was correct.

Test Google Ads server-side tracking
Test Google Ads server-side tracking

Check that the FPGCLAW cookie was added. It will work if you add the gclid parameter to the URL.

Google Ads server-side cookies
Google Ads server-side cookies

Conclusion

Setting up server-side tracking in Google Ads is not difficult, but it does take some time. You can set up this type of tracking by using the Google Ads tag for the server container or server-side Google Analytics.

If you need help setting up either one, don’t hesitate to submit a help request. We have experience with both methods and would happily estimate the cost if you are interested in our services.

Do any of these sound like they could work for you? Let us know which method sounds best from the ones discussed today, or let us know what your needs are so we can find the right solution for you.

author

Ira Holubovska

Author

Ira has 10+ years of digital marketing experience, with the last 5 focused on server-side tracking. She understands how and when it works across various digital marketing scenarios.

Comments

Try Stape for all things server-sideright now!