Conversion action
A conversion action is a specific result you tell Google Ads to count, such as a purchase, lead form or call. Bidding and reports depend on it.
In the platformMeasurement
Conversion action
A conversion action is a specific result you tell Google Ads to count, such as a purchase, lead form or call. Bidding and reports depend on it.
Each action's settings change what you see and what Smart Bidding aims for: Primary (counted in Conversions and used for bidding) or Secondary (observed only), counting every conversion or one per click, its value, and its conversion window. If the actions are wrong, every CPA and ROAS figure in the account is wrong too.
Where you'll see it
In Google Ads, go to Goals > Conversions > Summary to see every action, its source (website, app, import, calls), status (such as "Active", "No recent conversions" or "Inactive") and whether it is Primary. Click an action to edit its count, value, windows and attribution model. In Meta Events Manager, the equivalent is the standard or custom events on your dataset (pixel and Conversions API); in TikTok, events in Events Manager.
Worked exampleA lead form set to count “Every”
Many people submit the form twice. Spend: $2,000.
| Conversions | CPA | |
|---|---|---|
| Recorded in Google Ads | 80 | $25 |
| Unique leads in the CRM | 50 | $40 |
Switching to count "One" per click brings reported CPA closer to $40. The campaign didn't get worse; measurement got more accurate, and Smart Bidding now aims at real leads.
Check your actions
- Only real results are Primary, not page views or button clicks.
- Leads count "One"; "Every" fits purchases.
- No purchase is tracked twice as Primary, for example by a Google tag and a GA4 import.
- Actions in "No recent conversions" don't hide a broken tag.