Setting up conversions is the job with the most consequences and the fewest tutorials. This one walks through the whole screen, option by option, and ends with two templates (lead generation and ecommerce) so you can leave an account properly measured in an hour.
The screen: Goals → Conversions → Summary
At the top, the goals (groups of actions by category: Purchases, Leads, Sign-ups, Contact…); under each one, its actions with their status, type (primary/secondary), counting and window. On the right, "Diagnostics". Each action is edited by clicking on it.
Creating an action: the types
+ New conversion action → choose the source:
| Source | For | Set up with |
|---|---|---|
| Website | Forms, purchases, clicks | Google tag + event (GTM, direct, or imported from GA4) |
| Phone calls | From ads / from the website / clicks | Tutorials 1-2 |
| Import | Offline (GCLID / EC leads), GA4, third-party apps | Tutorials 3-4; scheduled upload |
| App | Installs and in-app actions | Firebase / partners |
| Local (store visits) | Store visits and sales | Business Profile; sales data |
The settings of each action
| Setting | What it is | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Name | How it appears in reports | Descriptive: "Quote form", "Purchase", "Web call > 60 s" |
| Category | Purchase, lead, sign-up, contact, add to cart… | The real one: Google groups by category into goals |
| Value | Same value for all / different values (dynamic) / no value | Always a value; dynamic in ecommerce; fixed per type in lead generation |
| Counting | Every / One | One for leads; every for purchases |
| Click-through window | 1-90 days | Depending on the cycle (conversion delay) |
| Engaged-view / view-through window | Video / Display | Short (1-3 days) |
| Attribution | Data-driven / last click | Data-driven |
| Enhanced conversions | Send hashed user data | Switch it on (web and leads) |
| Primary / secondary | Whether it optimises and counts in "Conversions" | Primary only for what you would pay for |
| Include in "Conversions" | Tied to primary | — |
Standard and custom goals
Google creates standard goals by category: every action in the "Purchase" category makes up the Purchases goal, and so on. Every campaign uses the account's standard goals by default: if you have Purchases and Leads, one campaign optimises towards both.
- Custom goals: sets of actions you define yourself (e.g. "Sale and qualified only") to assign to particular campaigns.
- Assigning per campaign: campaign Settings → Conversion goals → "Use the account goals" or "Use campaign-specific goals" → tick the ones you want. That way the catalogue PMax optimises towards Purchases and the lead generation one towards Leads, without either chasing the other's conversions.
Template · Lead generation (services)
| Action | Source | Category | Value | Counting | Window | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form submitted | Web (thank you page) | Lead | €30 (or the rating) | One | 30 d | Secondary (or primary if you bid on value with the rating) |
| Call from ad > 60 s | Calls | Contact | €40 | One | 30 d | Primary |
| Call from website > 60 s | Calls | Contact | €40 | One | 30 d | Primary |
| Qualified lead | Import (offline) | Qualified lead | €120 | One | 60 d | Primary |
| Sale | Import (offline) | Purchase / converted lead | Order amount | One | 90 d | Primary |
| Click to call | Web (event) | Contact | €5 | One | 7 d | Secondary |
| Web (event) | Contact | €10 | One | 7 d | Secondary |
Goal per campaign: lead generation → "Qualified + Sale + Calls" (custom); brand → the account ones.
Template · Ecommerce
| Action | Source | Category | Value | Counting | Window | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase | Web (purchase event) | Purchase | Dynamic, excluding VAT | Every | 30 d | Primary |
| Purchase (adjustments) | Import (adjustments) | — | Refunds | — | — | — |
| Add to cart | Web / GA4 | Add to cart | €2 | Every | 7 d | Secondary |
| Begin checkout | Web / GA4 | Begin checkout | €5 | One | 7 d | Secondary |
| Sign-up / newsletter | Web | Sign-up | €3 | One | 30 d | Secondary |
| New customer purchase | Customer data | Purchase | Dynamic | Every | 30 d | Primary if you bid for new customers |
Goal per campaign: Shopping/PMax → "Purchases"; remarketing → "Purchases"; newsletter acquisition (if it exists) → its own custom goal.
Final verification
- Each action: status "Recording conversions" within 48 h; a real test.
- Diagnostics with no warnings (tag, consent, duplicates).
- Each campaign with its correct goal (not "all" by default in the ones that shouldn't have it).
- The "Conversions" and "Conv. value" columns show primary actions only.
- A one-page document: the conversion map (module 8 of the Intermediate level).
Common mistakes
- New actions that are born primary by default and nobody reviews.
- Category "Other" on everything: the goals don't group properly.
- Ecommerce with values including VAT and no refund adjustments.
- Campaigns on "account goals" chasing add-to-carts.
- Enhanced conversions never switched on.
💡 Ninja trick: the Agent audits this screen every night across all accounts (primary actions, categories, values, goals per campaign, status) and Lead Rating creates and feeds the three import actions in the lead generation template. This tutorial is what you have to do once, properly; keeping watch that it stays that way is what gets automated.
What you should remember
- Each action: source, the real category, value, counting, windows, data-driven attribution, enhanced conversions, primary only for what you would pay for.
- Custom goals and per-campaign assignment so each campaign chases its own thing.
- Templates: lead generation (calls + qualified + sale as primary) and ecommerce (dynamic purchase excluding VAT + adjustments; cart as secondary).
- Verification: status, diagnostics, goals per campaign, a real test.