How do you link GA4 and Google Ads?
The GA4 to Google Ads link is created with admin rights from the Product links section of the GA4 property's Admin menu. Once the link is in place you can import GA4 conversions into Google Ads, share audience lists, and see advertising data in GA4 reports.
Not linking the two accounts means seeing only half of your advertising performance. Without a link, Google Ads traffic appears in GA4 with source information only, and the campaign and keyword breakdown never arrives.
The link is not one-way. Once it is in place, data flows in both directions and that produces two separate benefits.
What the link gives you
Campaign, ad group and keyword breakdowns appear in GA4 reports
Conversions defined in GA4 can be imported into Google Ads and used by the bid strategy
GA4 audiences can be used for remarketing in Google Ads
With auto-tagging, click data matches correctly to the session
The permissions you need
To create the link you need Editor rights on the GA4 property and Admin rights on the Google Ads account. Both permissions have to sit on the same Google account.
If you work with an agency this is the most common sticking point. The agency has Google Ads admin rights but only view access on the GA4 property.
Step by step setup
Open the Admin menu in GA4 and make sure you have selected the right property
Go into the Google Ads links section under Product links
Press Link and choose your Google Ads account from the list
Leave auto-tagging enabled, turning it off lowers data quality
Turn personalized advertising on or off according to your needs
Submit the link and wait for the status to read Linked
What to do after linking
The link alone does not import conversions. If you want to use GA4 conversions in Google Ads, you have to run the import separately.
In Google Ads, on the Conversions screen under Tools, choose Google Analytics 4 as the source when creating a new conversion action and select the events you want to import.
Do not make conversions imported from GA4 and conversions measured by the Google Ads tag primary at the same time. The same sale is counted twice and the bid strategy learns the wrong thing.
Common problems
Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
The Google Ads account is not in the list | No admin rights on the same Google account |
Link created but no data arriving | The 24 to 48 hour first transfer window has not passed |
Campaign name shows as (not set) | Auto-tagging is off or clashing with UTM parameters |
Conversion counts are doubled | Both the GA4 import and the Google Ads tag are primary |
Audience list stays empty | The list size is below the minimum threshold |
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Is linking GA4 and Google Ads free?
Does data arrive retroactively once the link is created?
Should I turn off auto-tagging?
Can I link more than one Google Ads account to the same GA4 property?
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