Google Ads Integration - ElasticFunnels.io Documentation

Overview

The Google Ads integration syncs ad spend into ElasticFunnels and sends conversion events back to Google. Use it to compare campaign cost with funnel revenue and feed better conversion data to Google Ads.

What This Integration Provides

Conversion Tracking

Automatically send conversion postbacks using Google Click ID (gclid) for accurate attribution

Ad Spend Syncing

Automatically import your daily ad spend, clicks, and impressions for accurate ROI reporting

Campaign Management

Sync campaign data, update status, and manage budgets directly from ElasticFunnels

Tracking Link Builder

Generate UTM parameters with Google Ads format for proper attribution

Setup Guide

Step 1: Connect Your Google Ads Account

Navigate to Settings → Integrations → Advertising
Find Google Ads and click “New integration” or “Manage integrations”
Click “Connect your Google Ads Account”
You’ll be redirected to Google to authorize access
Sign in with the Google account that has access to your Google Ads account
On the permission screen, leave every box ticked, including the Google Ads box

Do not untick the Google Ads permission. Google’s consent screen lets you approve the sign-in while refusing the Google Ads permission, and the connection still completes. It looks connected, but no ad accounts can be read and no spend imports. See Connection and Permissions for how to spot and fix this.

You’ll need admin access to your Google Ads account to complete the authorization. A Google Ads Developer Token must be configured at the application level (contact support if needed).

Step 2: Select Your Ad Account

After authorization, you’ll see a list of all Google Ads accounts you have access to:

Review the available accounts (shown with account ID and name)
Select the account you want to track
The selected account will be saved to your integration

If you manage multiple businesses, you can create separate integrations for each Google Ads account to keep reporting organized.

If the list comes back empty or shows a red error box, the connection has a problem that selecting an account will not fix. Read When No Ad Accounts Appear.

Step 3: Configure Conversion Tracking (Required for Postbacks)

To enable conversion postbacks (highly recommended):

Enter your Conversion Action ID
- Find it in Google Ads → Tools & Settings → Conversions
- Create a new conversion action if you don’t have one
- Copy the Conversion Action ID (numeric value)
Enable Conversion Postbacks
- Check the box to enable automatic postback sending
- This sends purchase data back to Google Ads when customers complete orders
Click “Update Integration” to save

Conversion postbacks require a valid Conversion Action ID. If you enable postbacks without a Conversion Action ID, the system will warn you. The postback will only fire when conversions have a valid gclid (Google Click ID) parameter.

Connection and Permissions

Which Google Account Is Connected

The integration stores credentials for one Google account, and that account is not always the person who set it up. An agency staffer, a former employee, or a personal Gmail can end up holding the connection. Open the integration and look at the Connected Google Account card at the top. It shows:

The email address of the Google account that authorized the connection
The account name, when Google returns one different from the email
The date the connection was made

Check this card first whenever spend stops importing. If the email is not the account you expect, the connection is reading a different set of Google Ads accounts than you think.

If the card says the account has not been recorded yet, the integration was connected before this was tracked. Click Reconnect and the email will be filled in.

The Google Ads Permission

The connection asks Google for three things: your email, your basic profile, and access to Google Ads. Only the third one lets ElasticFunnels read campaigns and spend. Google’s consent screen shows these as separate tick boxes. Approving the sign-in while unticking the Google Ads box produces a working set of credentials with no Google Ads access. The connection saves and reports success. Every later request to Google Ads is refused. When this happens the integration shows a red banner:

Google Ads permission was not granted. This account is signed in, but it did not approve access to Google Ads, so no ad accounts can be read and spend will not import. Reconnect and leave the Google Ads box ticked on the consent screen.

The fix is to reconnect and approve the Google Ads permission.

Reconnecting an Integration

Use the Reconnect button on the integration you want to fix, not the generic connect button on the Advertising tab. The Reconnect button names the integration it belongs to, so the new credentials replace that integration’s credentials. Starting a fresh connect flow on a brand that already has several Google Ads integrations can write the new credentials onto a different one.

Reconnecting always shows Google’s permission screen again, even for an account you have already approved. This is deliberate. It is the only way to grant a permission you previously refused.

Reconnecting keeps your selected ad account, Conversion Action ID, and postback settings. It replaces only the credentials.

When No Ad Accounts Appear

An empty ad account list is a symptom, not a cause. The integration reports what Google actually said, so read the message shown in the red box rather than guessing.

What the integration shows	What it means	What to do
No Google account is connected	The integration row exists but no connect flow ever finished.	Click Connect your Google Ads Account.
Google refused access to Google Ads for this account	The credentials are valid, but they lack the Google Ads permission.	Reconnect and leave the Google Ads box ticked.
Access to this Google account was revoked	Someone removed ElasticFunnels in their Google account security settings, or the password changed.	Reconnect.
Could not sign in to Google with the stored credentials	Google rejected the stored credentials when refreshing them.	Reconnect.
Google rejected the stored credentials	The credentials are no longer accepted.	Reconnect.
The Google Ads API version in use has been retired	A platform-level problem, not an account problem.	Contact support. Reconnecting will not help.
No ad accounts found with no error	Google answered normally and the account genuinely has no Google Ads accounts.	Confirm the connected email has access to a Google Ads account.

The most common cause of a silently broken Google Ads integration is the refused Google Ads permission. It is easy to miss because the connection reports success, the integration looks configured, and the only symptom is that no data ever arrives.

Understanding Google Click ID (gclid)

How It Works

Google Ads uses gclid (Google Click ID) to track which clicks lead to conversions:

When someone clicks your Google Ads link, Google adds a gclid parameter to the URL
ElasticFunnels automatically captures this gclid in the click tracking data
When a conversion occurs, we send the gclid back to Google Ads
Google Ads attributes the conversion to the original click

Why This Matters

Example: Conversion Attribution

User clicks Google Ad → URL includes gclid=abc123
User visits your funnel → gclid is captured
User makes purchase → Conversion postback sent with gclid=abc123
Google Ads → Attributes conversion to original click

The gclid is automatically captured when users click Google Ads links. You don’t need to manually configure anything - just ensure you’re using Google Ads tracking links.

Ad Spend Syncing

Automatic Sync Schedule

Your ad spend data syncs automatically on a regular schedule. This includes:

Daily spend amounts
Click counts
Impression counts
Campaign names
Ad group information

Historical data is available immediately after connecting. Future data syncs automatically without any action needed.

Viewing Your Ad Data

After your first sync completes, you can view your ad performance:

Go to Analytics → Ad Spend Reports
Select your date range
View spend, clicks, and ROI metrics
Filter by campaign, ad group, or specific ads

Conversion Postbacks

What Are Conversion Postbacks?

Conversion postbacks send purchase information back to Google Ads when a customer completes an order. This helps Google Ads:

Optimize your campaigns for conversions (not just clicks)
Improve audience targeting based on who actually buys
Provide accurate attribution data
Enable features like automated bidding

What Data is Sent

When a conversion occurs, we send:

Purchase event
Order value and currency
Order ID
Google Click ID (gclid)
Conversion Action ID

All customer data is handled according to Google’s privacy requirements. Conversion data is sent securely to Google Ads.

When Postbacks Are Triggered

Postbacks fire automatically when:

✅ Customer clicked a Google Ad (gclid present in click data)
✅ Customer completed a purchase
✅ Integration has postbacks enabled
✅ Conversion Action ID is configured

If a conversion doesn’t have a gclid (e.g., user didn’t come from Google Ads), no postback will be sent. This is expected behavior.

Tracking Link Builder Integration

The Tracking Link Builder automatically generates the correct UTM parameters for Google Ads: Google Ads Template:

utm_source=google
utm_medium=cpc
utm_campaign={campaignid}
utm_term={keyword}
utm_content={creative}
adid=ga_{creative}_{campaignid}

Access the Tracking Link Builder from Tools → Tracking → Tracking Link Builder or from the Pages/Funnels list dropdown menu.

Campaign Management

Go to Reports → Ad Campaigns in the sidebar and pick your Google Ads integration to browse the account:

Campaigns, with spend, clicks, and impressions for a date range you choose
Ad groups inside each campaign
Ads inside each ad group, including headlines and descriptions
Funnel revenue and profit next to the ad metrics, when your tracking links carry the right parameters

The status column accounts for parents. An ad group that is enabled inside a paused campaign reads as Active but campaign paused, so you can tell the difference between an ad group you paused and one that cannot deliver because of the campaign above it. See the Campaigns Management guide for the full interface, metric definitions, and the tracking link requirements that make funnel metrics appear.

Managing Multiple Integrations

If you manage multiple businesses or clients, you can create multiple Google Ads integrations:

When to Create Multiple Integrations

Managing different client accounts (agencies)
Separate businesses with different Google Ads accounts
Different brands under one ElasticFunnels account
Testing vs. production campaigns

How It Works

Each integration is independent:

Has its own Google Ads account
Has its own Conversion Action ID
Has its own postback settings
Syncs separately

Name each integration clearly (e.g., “Client A - Supplements”, “Client B - Software”) to keep them organized.

Troubleshooting

No Data Appearing After Setup

Possible Causes:

The Google Ads permission was refused on the consent screen (most common)
First sync hasn’t run yet
No ad spend in the selected date range
Ad account has no active campaigns

Solution: Open the integration and check the Connected Google Account card. If a red permission banner is showing, reconnect and leave the Google Ads box ticked. Otherwise wait for the first sync, or contact support to trigger a manual sync.

Ad Account List Is Empty

Cause: Almost always a credentials or permission problem rather than a missing account.Solution: Read the message in the red box on the integration and match it against the table in When No Ad Accounts Appear. Most cases are fixed by reconnecting.

Wrong Google Account Is Connected

Cause: The connection was made by someone else, or with a different Google login than intended. Agencies hit this when a staff member connects with their own account.Solution: Check the email on the Connected Google Account card. Click Reconnect, sign in as the correct Google account, and approve the Google Ads permission. Your ad account selection and postback settings are kept.

Session Expired / Connection Error

Cause: The stored Google credentials stopped working. This happens when the permission is removed in the Google account’s security settings, when the password changes, or when Google revokes access.Solution: Click Reconnect on your integration and approve the Google Ads permission again.

An Ad Group or Ad Shows Active but Gets No Traffic

Cause: A parent is paused. An enabled ad group inside a paused campaign cannot deliver, and neither can an enabled ad inside a paused ad group.Solution: The status column names the reason, for example Active but campaign paused. Activate the parent, or accept that the child will not run until you do.

Conversions Not Showing in Google Ads

Possible Causes:

Postbacks not enabled
No Conversion Action ID configured
Customer didn’t click a Google Ad (no gclid)
gclid expired (Google Ads has a 90-day attribution window)

Solution:

Verify Conversion Action ID is entered correctly
Check “Enable Conversion Postbacks” is checked
Ensure customers are clicking Google Ads links (gclid must be present)

What is a Developer Token?

Answer: A Developer Token is required for Google Ads API access. It’s configured at the application level by ElasticFunnels support, not per integration. If you see errors about Developer Token, contact support.

Best Practices

Set Up Conversion Postbacks

Always enable postbacks to help Google Ads optimize your campaigns for actual purchases, not just clicks.

Use Tracking Link Builder

Always use the Tracking Link Builder when creating Google Ads links to ensure proper gclid tracking and UTM parameters.

Configure Conversion Action

Set up a conversion action in Google Ads before enabling postbacks. Use a meaningful name like “Purchase” or “Lead Form Submission”.

Monitor Postback Success

Check your integration status regularly to ensure postbacks are being sent successfully.

Required Information

Google Ads account access with admin permissions
A Google login that approves the Google Ads permission during authorization
Conversion Action ID (created in Google Ads)
Google Ads Developer Token (configured at application level)

Benefits of Integration

Conversion Tracking: Measure which keywords and ads drive conversions
Smart Bidding: Use conversion data for automated bidding strategies
Audience Insights: Better understand your converting audience
ROI Measurement: Calculate exact return on ad spend
Campaign Optimization: Google Ads uses conversion data to improve targeting

Next Steps

View Ad Reports

See your ad performance and ROI metrics

Meta Ads Integration

Connect Meta Ads for complete cross-platform tracking

Tracking Link Builder

Create properly formatted tracking URLs

Analytics Dashboard

Unified view of all your marketing metrics

​Overview

​What This Integration Provides

Conversion Tracking

Ad Spend Syncing

Campaign Management

Tracking Link Builder

​Setup Guide

​Step 1: Connect Your Google Ads Account

​Step 2: Select Your Ad Account

​Step 3: Configure Conversion Tracking (Required for Postbacks)

​Connection and Permissions

​Which Google Account Is Connected

​The Google Ads Permission

​Reconnecting an Integration

​When No Ad Accounts Appear

​Understanding Google Click ID (gclid)

​How It Works

​Why This Matters

​Ad Spend Syncing

​Automatic Sync Schedule

​Viewing Your Ad Data

​Conversion Postbacks

​What Are Conversion Postbacks?

​What Data is Sent

​When Postbacks Are Triggered

​Tracking Link Builder Integration

​Campaign Management

​Managing Multiple Integrations

​When to Create Multiple Integrations

​How It Works

​Troubleshooting

​Best Practices

​Required Information

​Benefits of Integration

​Next Steps

View Ad Reports

Meta Ads Integration

Tracking Link Builder

Analytics Dashboard

Overview

What This Integration Provides

Setup Guide

Step 1: Connect Your Google Ads Account

Step 2: Select Your Ad Account

Step 3: Configure Conversion Tracking (Required for Postbacks)

Connection and Permissions

Which Google Account Is Connected

The Google Ads Permission

Reconnecting an Integration

When No Ad Accounts Appear

Understanding Google Click ID (gclid)

How It Works

Why This Matters

Ad Spend Syncing

Automatic Sync Schedule

Viewing Your Ad Data

Conversion Postbacks

What Are Conversion Postbacks?

What Data is Sent

When Postbacks Are Triggered

Tracking Link Builder Integration

Campaign Management

Managing Multiple Integrations

When to Create Multiple Integrations

How It Works

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

Required Information

Benefits of Integration

Next Steps