March 17, 2025
Cannot See the Google Tag Manager Option in Google Ads Conversion?
Updated: March 17th, 2025
With Google Tag Manager, you can install various tracking codes (tags) on a website. One of them is the Google Ads conversion tag.
If you followed this guide (or a similar one), you were probably expecting to see this in the interface of Google Ads:
But for some reason, it’s missing. In this blog post, I will explain what to do. Google keeps changing the conversion setup process way too often, in my opinion.
#1. Google Ads requires you to install Google Tag, first
Previously, it felt like Google Tag with the “AW-” ID in it was highly recommended by Google. Now, they require you to have it. Even if you plan to use the native Google Ads conversion tag template in Google Tag Manager, you will still need to have a Google Tag fire before it.
As a result, Google changed the entire workflow of how conversions are set up, thus it’s a bit more difficult to find the “Google Tag Manager” option. But it’s still possible.
By now, you should already know the beginning of the process of how to create a conversion. In Google Ads, you go to Goals > Conversions > Summary > Create conversion action.
Then, you are asked what kind of conversion you want to track. And that’s where the rest of the flow looks different.
Select Conversions on a website. If you haven’t installed the Google Tag yet, click “Edit”.
Then, enter the URL of the website where you want to track the conversions and click Scan.
If Google Tag is not installed, you will see a warning that looks like this. Click Set up.
This will open the code of the Google Tag. In this context, we plan to install the tag with Google Tag Manager, thus we will need only one part of the code, the ID that starts with AW-.
To install it, go to Google Tag Manager > Tags > New > Google Ads > Google Tag and paste the ID. Fire this tag on Initialization – all pages (or some other trigger that makes sense in your setup). What’s important is that this tag fires before the Google Ads Conversion Tag.
After you create the tag and make sure that it fires on a page, publish the container. This tag must actually be live on your website for Google Ads verification to see it.
Once the tag is live, click “Test installation” (in Google Ads).
If “Test installation” does not work, your website might be cached. Talk to the site’s developers and ask them to clear the cache. It might take some time, but eventually, you should see that the tag is installed. Click “Done” (don’t select Google Analytics 4).
You will be redirected back to the first step of the conversion creation flow. Click Continue.
Then select the category of your conversion. If you don’t see any relevant category, click “See all”. Let’s say that I will be tracking form submissions, thus I select “Submit lead form”.
The next step is to select a Conversion source. This is the event that you will send to Google Ads when the form is submitted. Click “Set up”.
Then select “Create a manual event” and enter an event name. It can be any name, e.g. “form_submission”. It does NOT matter what event name you use elsewhere (e.g. in GA4). Click Use event.
Then click “Save and continue” and you should see the window with instructions on how to configure the event in your tracking code or with Google Tag Manager.
This is where you will see the “Use Google Tag Manager” option. Once you click it, you will find the “Conversion ID” and “Conversion Label”.
#2. Still don’t see the option? Try implementing the remarketing tag
In many cases, the steps I described above should be enough to find the “Use Google Tag Manager” option. But if you still don’t see it, try this.
In Google Ads, go to Tools > Shared Library > Audience Manager > Your data sources. Click “Details” next to the Google Ads tag.
Then go to the “Tag Setup” section and click “Use Google Tag Manager”. Here, you will see the “Conversion ID”; copy it.
Now, go to Google Tag Manager > Tags > New > Google Ads > Google Ads remarketing. Paste the Conversion ID there and fire the tag on all pages (e.g. on “Initialization – All pages” or “All Pages”. Publish the tag.
Let this tag collect some data. But you don’t have to wait very long. If your site gets some traffic, it’s enough to wait 1 hour. After your Google Ads tag collects some data, repeat the process explained in Chapter #1 of this article. See if that helps.
#3. Unlinking Google Ads from Google Analytics 4
The credit for this tip goes to our reader, Naveen. He shared his frustration that Google (trying to simplify/optimize things) sometimes makes our lives more difficult. Naveen discovered that one of the reasons why “Google Tag Manager” option is missing is because GA4 is connected to Google Ads.
Here are the steps that worked for him:
- Step 1: Go to Tools & Settings in Google Ads and click on Linked Accounts.
- Step 2: Unlink all the Google Analytics (GA4 Included) from your Google Ads account.
- Step 3: Go to Settings & Tools again and click on conversions; find your existing “Conversion Action” (where the GTM option is missing) and delete it (You might miss some past data, though.)
- Step 4: Hard refresh (e.g., on Windows, it’s CTRL + F5) your Google ads account and start creating a new Conversion Action.
- Step 5: Once your latest conversion action is set, you will find the Google Tag Manager option to find the Conversion ID and Conversion label.
After that, you can link Google Ads to your Google Analytics 4 again.
If none of these tips worked for you and eventually you found another workaround, please let us know in the comments. This will help many people to solve the issue.
41 COMMENTS
Thanks for this timely article; however, there is no slash and nothing after the Conversion ID in my instance.
Update: I found it! For some reason, I had to trouble shoot the conversion from the Google Ads interface and when it failed, it showed me the Conversion Label. I added the label to the GTM tag and tried again and it worked.
Hello,
I am facing the same issue. I only have the id available. How did you find the label?
I can't find it either
Can you show a screenshot of what you see?
Same issue here. I do see the Conversion ID but not the Conversion Label
Can you share a screenshot?
Hi Julius,
You have already helped me via email.
The way I managed. (manually)
1. Enter website domain.
2. Hit ‘Cancel’ in the 'Create conversion actions from website events' section.
3. Press ‘Add a conversion action manually’.
4. Fill in all the details.
5. Press 'Done'.
6. Thereafter 'Save and Continue'.
7. Choose ‘Use Google Tag Manager’
8. Here you will find the Conversion ID under Conversion ID (No jokes) and the Conversion Label under the Tag Name.
I hope this helps.
Hello I have the same issue I don't have the ID can you help me with that?
And my issue is that everybody here in the comments keeps asking for help and nobody actually provides useful information to troubleshoot (e.g. screenshots, etc.)
A screen recording of how you create/configure the conversion in Google Ads would be even better.
Hi Julius. It looks like the confusion is to do with where the tag information is being grabbed from.
... I think there is confusion between the types of tracking install. Your example above is from: Google Ads / Tools and Settings / Measurement / Conversions.
'If; you go via: Google Ads / Tools and Settings / Set-up / "Google tag", then click on : "Installation instructions" and "Install manually", Google is presenting the account's AW code.
(not sure how I add a screenshot to this comment section but have grabbed one if to upload if you tell me how)
Upload the screenshot somewhere and add the link here in the comments
Google Ads interface changed. To create conversions, you must now to go Goals > Conversions. I updated the blog post to reflect this.
I think this 'might' be the confusion for some people; the information provided for the initial installation versus subsequent conversion tag information. Hope it helps.
https://infinityonline.co.uk/AW-tag.jpg
Hi Julius,
I'm facing the same issue and have been going in circles for hours. Unfortunately the workaround you describe here doesn't work for me as I'm unable to scroll down further down and see an event snippet.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Screenshots attached below:
https://i.imgur.com/j7TCdlg.png
https://i.imgur.com/QdmoAQx.png
This is not a conversion code. This is a general Google Tag (GTAG). Keep looking. I don't have the exact instructions because I cannot replicate what you see.
I had the same problem
to fix it - do the following*
You need google tag assistant for this*
1. Google ads
2. measure
3. Conversions
4. Add conversion
5. Complete
6. Test with tag assistant
7. Error 'not connected' (makes sense because no tag was created in GTM yet
8. Shows conversion ID & Conversion label (seriously)
9. go to google tag manager and create a tag with the ID and label u saw
10. Voilá
You only have that option (use tag manager) if you choose to create a manual conversion action, not a web/app based event (option 1).
Solution that worked for me. Check if You have GM tag jest implemented properly to Your website. For example I had only one part of the code (This one connected to head section). After I implemented the second part of the code it worked
Hi there. I have the Google Tag correctly installed via GTM on my wix website. I'm trying to create a conversion in Google Ads and I do not see the google tag manager option. When pressing 'add to website code' option, there is no snippet whatsoever. I'm losing my mind here.
@Jan Yes, same here. I literally cannot figure it out (I'm using unbounce and literally cannot get the Google Tag Manager option to show up)
even I am facing the same issue. Please let me know if you have a solution.
Hi Julius and others!
I've ran into this issue and sadly the suggestions above didn't help me. I don't see the Google Tag Manager option, and when I try to install it manually my snippet looks like this: https://postimg.cc/gallery/9QDKQ3q so not much there to move forward.
I also tried to create a conversion with GA4, but it doesn't fire on Google Ads and I keep seeing the "Your Google Tag is not found on your site" even though we have Google Tag Manager and Google Tag installed on the WordPress Site, and I can see the conversion firing in debug in Google Tag Manager and GA4, but not in Google Ads.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Yep! Me too, seems like the tutorials need to be updated as I'm getting the same as you and everyone else.
No option to use GTM. I tried to set it up by importing the conversion event from GA4 (which fires ok on GA4 so in theory this should be working) however Google Ads is saying 'Inactive conversion tracking'
One idea I had, was that because it is a completely new Ads account could it be that the G-Tag (NOT GTM) isn't installed? i.e does G Tag need to be on the site before it will allow you to install Conversions using GTM as per the tutorial?
The only thing with this option, is that surely this would mean everything would be double counted? i.e there are two tags GTM and G-Tag?
Maybe I could try installing G-Tag see if the GTM option then appears, and then remove the G-Tag tag from the website code?
Any help would be appreciated, as something at Google Ads has changed!
Hi,
I cracked the code! Or at least in my case. Happy-dance :)
The issue is that in the past, I linked my Google Ads and Google Analytics already.
So now, when I create a new conversion and, as in your guide, go through the steps, it creates a conversion with "conversion source = GA4).
In that scenario, you don't get the option of "GTM," and in the "install your tag yourself" you don't see any of the numbers needed.
So if you want to set it up as in the guide here, you first need to UNLINK your GA4 and GAds. At that moment, your previously created conversion won't magically have the GTM option. You need to re-create the conversion from scratch.
Hope this helps everyone!
Cannot See the Google Tag Manager option in Google Ads Conversion?
SOLVED:
Its very wired that google is optimising to many thing but making the users life much more difficult.
I have been facing this problem for a very long time now, But today i got too luck enough.
Follow my steps and reply to the comment, If you have queries.
Step 1: Got to Tools & Settings in Google Ads and click on Linked Accounts.
Step 2: Unlink all the Google Analytics (GA4 Included) from your Google Ads account.
Step 3: Go to Setting & Tools again and click on conversions, Find your existing "Conversion Action" and delete it (You might miss some past data, But future is important.)
Step 5: Hard refresh your Google ads account and starting creating a new Conversion Action.
Step 6: Once your latest conversion action is setup, You will find Google Tag Manager option to find Conversion ID and Conversion label.
I wish your issue is resolved, Good Day!
Thank you very much! I will include these steps in the blog post if you don't mind (for better visibility). Of course, all credit goes to you here.
Hi, thanks a lot, I owe you a beer or two! I also could not find a way to use Google Tag to measure conversions and unlinking GA4 solved the issue.
Note for other users: Not sure GoogleAds interface changed again since Feb. 14, but STEP 1 in my case is: Admin icon > Linked Accounts, STEP 3: Goals icon > Conversions
Hello all,
As I see it, it is not necessary to disconnect your GA4 account from your Ads. Luc's comment on May 22 says the same thing without having to disconnect your entire account. After entering your web domain. Choose not to measure in Google Analytics. This is before you start and create an conversion. Otherwise the conversion is set through Analytics and you can't add the code manually.
Option #3 did it for me...
@ Naveen Srinivas You are a lifesaver my friend!
It worked! Thanks so much for sharing the knowledge. Presumably GA4 doesn't need to be linked to the ads account in this way, since we are linking GA4 via GTM?
Julius - This is definitely the solution, I tried everything and this was the cause. GA4 was set up before the Conversion Tag
Linking Google Ads and Google Analytics 4 is working fine; you can link them again later.
For option #3: Unlinking Google Ads from Google Analytics 4.
This option works for me but ...
Will I lose all the audiences that are sent from google analytics to google ads by doing that ?
Yes, removing the GA4 link worked. I now have GTM as a choice for "Install the Google Ads conversion tracking tag". This is definitely the best site for explaining what Google does not.
Just wanted to share my solution.
After entering the website URL and pressing the 'Scan' button I noticed this little notification under the previously mentioned area:
"Google Analytics will measure conversions that you create or import for this website domain. New conversions will also be available to use in Google Ads.
[Use Google Ads only]"
When pressing this link the pages refreshes and you can add the conversions manually. For implementation it will show you the option for GTM.
I deactivated the Google Analytics link and it worked!
Thanks!
Hi Guys,
I had the same issue of "Use Google Tag Manager" option missing under Tag Set up.
I solved it via the following steps:
Goals -> Conversions -> Settings -> Enhansed conversions drop down -> change method from Google Tag to Google Tag Manager.
After I done this, the "Use Google Tag Manager" set up option appeared in conversion goal's settings.
Hi,
Thank you very much for this post and the comments which have proved very helpful! I was losing my mind over this issue… Option #4 worked for me.
One question if I may though:
Is it even necessary to unlink GA4 and Google Ads?
I have GA4 conversion tags which I have set up in GTM and that get fired this way. The conversions appear in Google Analytics.
Now I would also like to track the same conversions but when they come from ads, and that the two correctly get distinguished whether they’re from ads or regular traffic.
If my GA4 and Google Ads are linked, I can import my existing GA4 conversion events in Ads. In that case I don’t have the option to use GTM, but I assume Google will automatically identify where the traffic is coming from and increment the corresponding source (+1 conversion from ads if there’s a GCLID, or +1 conversion from regular traffic without GCLID). Am I correct in this assumption?
Or would I still need to manually set up my conversions in Google Ads and then set up the corresponding GTM tags for Google Ads, in addition to my already existing GA4 tags?
Appreciate your help and input on this.
Apart from confirmed call tracking, I import all my key events from GA4. So usually I don't need to send anything directly to Google ads or use the conversion tag.
I manage audiences, user provided data, and consent mode tracking all in GA4
Is there anything wrong with doing it this way?
Hi,
Thanks for the article. I am struggling to make this work. I have a client who set up Google Analytics GA4 and GTM. They also created Google Ads account and gave access to us. Here is the situation. In GTM, I see that there is a Google Tag which is in Google Analytics also. Google Analytics and Google Ads are connected via Product Links.
I imported GA4 events that I created through GTM into Google Ads, but I also want to create conversions on Google Ads. However, Google Ads say that Google Tag is not installed (the one you describe in step 1). What should we do in this case? Why are there two different tags? If we combine them, will it be fine? I feel like there is no Google Ads code in the website, but I cannot add two Google Tags on GTM, right?
It is all messed up. :) Please help.