Google Ads Tracking Broken? Here's How to Check in 10 Seconds
You're seeing this because your Google Ads dashboard shows zero conversions, or the numbers look completely wrong. Your ads are spending money. Traffic is coming in. But Google isn't tracking what actually matters—conversions.
This feels like throwing money into a black hole. You're running campaigns, but you can't tell if they're working. The scary part? Your setup might look perfectly fine—codes installed, tags firing, everything seems correct—but consent and tracking signals are silently breaking your measurement.
The good news: You can find out exactly what's broken in the next 10 seconds.
Run a Free Scan Now
Paste your website URL below and see exactly what's breaking your Google Ads conversion tracking.
Run Free Scan →What You're Seeing in Google Ads (The Symptoms)
When Google Ads tracking breaks, you see it in your dashboard, but it's not always obvious what's wrong. Here are the telltale signs:
- Zero conversions despite traffic and visible form submissions or purchases
- Incomplete conversion data—some conversions record, others don't
- Delayed or missing conversion reports that never show up in your dashboard
- Audiences not populating because conversion data isn't flowing
- Optimization warnings saying Google doesn't have enough conversion data
You might think: "The code is installed. I see gtag calls in the network tab. Everything looks fine." But looks can be deceiving. Consent management, GDPR compliance, and tracking script timing can silently break conversion measurement even when everything appears to work.
Why Consent Breaks Google Ads Tracking
Here's what most people don't realize: Google Ads tracking isn't just about having the right code installed. It's about when that code fires and what permissions it has.
When a user visits your site, consent banners and cookie policies control what tracking scripts can run. If your tracking scripts fire before the user grants consent, GDPR and privacy regulations require those scripts to be blocked or restricted.
Even worse: Many sites have consent banners that look compliant, but the tracking scripts fire anyway. This creates a scenario where:
- Scripts run before consent is granted (breaking privacy rules)
- Consent Mode v2 isn't properly configured (breaking measurement modeling)
- Conversion events fire before consent is accepted (being blocked or ignored)
- Cookies are set before consent (invalidating the consent entirely)
Google's Consent Mode v2 is supposed to fix this by allowing Google to model conversion data even when consent isn't granted. But if Consent Mode isn't configured correctly, or if your scripts fire too early, Google can't do that modeling—and you lose conversion data entirely.
What Most Sites Get Wrong (Common Mistakes)
After scanning thousands of websites, we see the same mistakes over and over. Here's what breaks Google Ads tracking:
Mistake #1: Tracking Scripts Fire Before Consent
Google Tag Manager or gtag.js loads immediately when the page loads, firing tracking requests before the user even sees the consent banner. These requests get blocked, and Google never receives the conversion signals.
Mistake #2: Consent Mode v2 Not Configured
Even if consent is managed correctly, if Consent Mode v2 isn't set up properly, Google can't model conversions. Most sites think they have it because they use Google Tag Manager, but they're missing the critical consent state declarations.
Mistake #3: Conversion Events Fire Before Consent
Conversion tracking code runs on the thank-you page or checkout completion, but it executes before the user has accepted cookies. The conversion event gets blocked, and Google Ads never sees it.
Mistake #4: Cookies Set Before Consent
Non-essential cookies (like _ga, _gcl_au, _fbp) are set immediately when the page loads, before consent is granted. This invalidates the consent banner and can cause tracking to be blocked entirely.
Mistake #5: Reject Button Doesn't Actually Block
Many consent banners have a "reject" button, but clicking it doesn't actually prevent tracking scripts from running. This creates a compliance nightmare and breaks measurement because tracking is partially blocked.
How to Check If Your Site Is Broken (Run the Scan)
The fastest way to know if consent is breaking your Google Ads tracking is to run a diagnostic scan. Our tool checks your site exactly like a new visitor would: loading the page, seeing what scripts fire, and testing what happens with and without consent.
The scan takes about 10 seconds and shows you:
- Which tracking scripts fire before consent (breaking the rules)
- Whether Consent Mode v2 is configured correctly
- If cookies are set before consent is granted
- Whether conversion tracking will actually work after consent
- Exact fixes you can apply to restore tracking
💡 No signup required. Just paste your URL and get instant results.
Run Free Scan →What FAIL / PARTIAL / PASS Mean (Understanding Your Results)
After scanning your site, you'll get one of three verdicts. Here's what each means:
❌ FAIL — Conversion Measurement Is Likely Broken
This means critical consent or tracking issues are preventing Google Ads from receiving conversion data reliably. Your ads may be running, but Google is optimizing on incomplete or missing information.
Impact: Google Ads may optimize poorly, conversion reporting will be inaccurate, and retargeting audiences won't populate correctly.
⚠️ PARTIAL — Measurement May Be Degraded
Consent and tracking are partially aligned, but there are issues that may cause incomplete conversion data. This is common on sites with Consent Mode v2 configured but scripts firing early, or cookie consent banners that work but have timing issues.
Impact: Google Ads may still optimize, but measurement may be incomplete. Some conversions may be missed.
✅ PASS — No Critical Issues Detected
Tracking and consent signals are aligned correctly. Google Ads conversion measurement should work as expected. Minor deviations may exist but are unlikely to affect measurement significantly.
Impact: Your consent implementation is working correctly, and Google Ads should receive conversion data reliably.
Most sites get PARTIAL or FAIL on their first scan. This is normal—consent and tracking integration is complex, and small configuration issues can break everything. The good news is that fixes are usually straightforward once you know what's broken.
Why This Matters for Your Ad Spend
If Google Ads isn't tracking conversions correctly, you're flying blind. Google optimizes campaigns based on conversion data. Without accurate data, it can't:
- Optimize bid strategies effectively (you might be overbidding or missing opportunities)
- Build accurate retargeting audiences (missing people who actually converted)
- Provide reliable conversion reporting (you can't tell what's actually working)
- Model conversions through Consent Mode (losing data even when users don't consent)
This isn't just about data accuracy—it's about money. Poor optimization means wasted ad spend. Missing conversion data means you can't scale what works. And incomplete audiences mean you're leaving revenue on the table.
The fix is usually quick—often just configuration changes to Consent Mode v2 or adjusting when tracking scripts load. But you can't fix what you can't see. That's why running a diagnostic scan is the first step.
Next Steps: Fix Your Tracking
If your scan shows FAIL or PARTIAL, the full report includes exact fixes you can apply. These aren't generic tutorials—they're specific code snippets and configuration changes tailored to what your scan found.
Ready to Find Out What's Broken?
Run a free scan right now. It takes 10 seconds and shows you exactly what's preventing Google Ads from tracking your conversions.
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