Google Ads Conversion ID: How to Find and Use It

A Google Ads Conversion ID is the identifier that connects your website’s Google Ads tracking tag to your Google Ads account. It commonly appears as an AW- value, such as AW-123456789. The Conversion Label is different: it identifies a specific conversion action. You usually need the Conversion ID and, for standard conversion tracking, the matching Conversion Label when setting up Google Tag Manager.

If you are setting up Google Ads conversion tracking, the Conversion ID is one of the first values you will need. The problem is that Google Ads uses several different identifiers, and confusing the Conversion ID with the Customer ID or Conversion Label can lead to an incorrect tag setup.

This guide explains what the conversion ID Google Ads uses means, where to find it, how to use it in Google Tag Manager, how it works for remarketing, and what to check when tracking does not work.

What Is a Conversion ID in Google Ads?

A Google Ads Conversion ID is an identifier associated with your Google Ads account and used by Google tags to send conversion or remarketing data to the appropriate Google Ads destination. Google shows the ID in an AW- format in many implementations, although some interfaces or tools may display the numeric portion separately.

For example, a tag may contain:

AW-123456789

Here, AW-123456789 represents the Google Ads Conversion ID.

The ID tells the Google tagging system which Google Ads account the tracking data belongs to. The Conversion Label then provides the additional information needed to associate a standard conversion event with a particular conversion action.

What the AW- prefix means

The AW- prefix is commonly used for Google Ads conversion and Google tag identifiers. Google’s own documentation uses examples such as AW-123456789 when showing how the Google tag is configured.

Do not copy the example value into your website. Your account has its own ID.

A useful rule is:

AW-XXXXXXXXX = Google Ads Conversion ID

Conversion Label = identifier for a particular conversion action

That distinction becomes especially important when you configure multiple conversions in Google Tag Manager.

Conversion ID vs Conversion Label

The two values work together, but they are not interchangeable.

Identifier	What it identifies	Typical example
Conversion ID	Google Ads account/tag destination	AW-123456789
Conversion Label	Specific conversion action	AbCdEfGhIjKlMn
Customer ID	Google Ads account used for account management	123-456-7890

Google’s documentation specifically distinguishes the Conversion ID from the Conversion Label. For standard Google Ads conversion tracking in Google Tag Manager, Google provides both values for the conversion action setup.

Conversion ID vs Google Ads Customer ID

This is one of the easiest mistakes to make.

Your Google Ads Customer ID is the account number used to identify your Google Ads account in the Ads interface. It normally appears in a format such as 123-456-7890.

Your Conversion ID is used for Google Ads tagging and commonly appears as an AW- identifier.

They serve different purposes. If a plugin or Google Tag Manager asks specifically for a Conversion ID, do not automatically paste your Google Ads Customer ID.

How to Find Your Google Ads Conversion ID

The most reliable approach is to retrieve the value from the Google Ads tagging setup rather than guessing from another Google product.

Google’s current Google Tag Manager documentation directs users through the conversion action’s setup area to obtain the Conversion ID and Conversion Label.

Find the ID from a conversion action

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
2. Open Goals.
3. Select Conversions and then Summary.
4. Select the conversion action you want to configure.
5. Open the Tag setup area.
6. Select Use Google Tag Manager.
7. Copy the Conversion ID and the Conversion Label shown for that conversion action.

Google’s current interface and documentation use the Goals and Conversions workflow, so older tutorials that tell you to follow only the previous Tools and Settings path may not match what you see today.

What if you see an AW- value?

If Google gives you something similar to:

AW-123456789

that is the type of identifier you are looking for.

However, always use the value supplied by your own Google Ads account. The numbers shown in Google’s documentation are examples.

What if you need the Conversion ID for another conversion action?

You may notice that different conversion actions have different labels. That is expected.

The important distinction is that the Conversion ID can be shared across conversion actions within the same account, while the Conversion Label distinguishes individual conversion actions. Google’s current documentation describes the Conversion ID as the account-level identifier and the label as specific to the conversion action.

That means you should not assume that every conversion action needs a completely different Conversion ID.

How to Use a Conversion ID in Google Tag Manager

If you are using Google Tag Manager, the Conversion ID belongs in the Google Ads conversion tag configuration.

For a standard Google Ads conversion setup, Google instructs you to create the appropriate Google Ads conversion tag and provide the Conversion ID and Conversion Label supplied by Google Ads.

Create the Google Ads conversion tag

In Google Tag Manager:

1. Open your website’s container.
2. Create a new tag.
3. Select the Google Ads conversion tracking tag type.
4. Enter the Conversion ID.
5. Enter the Conversion Label.
6. Configure the appropriate conversion trigger.
7. Save the tag.
8. Use Preview to test it.
9. Publish the container after confirming that the tag behaves correctly.

The important part is not simply entering a valid-looking ID. The tag must also fire at the correct moment.

For example, a lead conversion might fire after a successful form submission. A purchase conversion might fire after a completed transaction.

Why the trigger matters as much as the ID

A correct Conversion ID cannot compensate for a bad trigger.

Imagine that your Google Ads conversion tag contains the correct ID and label but fires on every page view. Google may receive events that do not represent the conversion you intended to measure.

The reverse can also happen. Your tag may be perfectly configured but never fire because its trigger does not match the actual conversion event.

This is why testing the complete tag and trigger combination is more important than simply checking whether the ID looks correct.

What about the Google tag?

Google recommends having the associated Google tag properly implemented with Google Tag Manager setups. Its documentation also recommends previewing and testing changes before publishing.

For many modern implementations, the Google tag provides the base measurement infrastructure while conversion events identify specific actions.

What Conversion ID Do You Use for Google Ads Remarketing?

The Google Ads remarketing Conversion ID comes from your Google Ads remarketing tag setup.

Google’s current Tag Manager documentation says that a Google Ads remarketing tag requires the Google Ads Conversion ID, while the Conversion Label is optional and is only needed in certain tag-based remarketing-list configurations.

To find the remarketing ID, Google currently directs users through the Google Ads audience and Google Ads tag settings:

1. Sign in to Google Ads.
2. Open Tools.
3. Under Shared Library, select Audience Manager.
4. Open Audience Sources.
5. Find the Google Ads tag.
6. Open its details or setup area.
7. Choose the Tag Manager setup option.
8. Copy the Conversion ID.

Does Google Ads remarketing need a Conversion Label?

Not always.

Google states that the Conversion Label is optional for the standard Google Ads remarketing tag. It should be used when required for a tag-based remarketing list rather than simply copying a conversion action’s label into the remarketing configuration.

This distinction matters because a conversion label belongs to a specific conversion action. Treating every label as a generic Google Ads tracking identifier can produce a confusing implementation.

Google also warns that adding conversion-action-specific labels to a remarketing tag can inflate conversion counts.

Remarketing ID vs conversion tracking ID

Both may use an AW- style identifier, which is why they are easy to confuse.

The difference is the purpose of the tag.

A conversion tag measures an action such as:

• Purchase
• Lead submission
• Sign-up
• Phone call

A remarketing tag helps build audiences from website or app visitors so those audiences can later be used for advertising. Google describes remarketing as a way to re-engage people who previously interacted with a website or app.

The same underlying Google Ads account can therefore be involved in both activities without making the two tags conceptually identical.

How to Check Whether Your Conversion ID Is Working

Finding the correct ID is only the first step. You also need to verify that the tag actually fires and that Google Ads receives the expected data.

Check the Google Tag Manager configuration

Open the relevant tag in Google Tag Manager and confirm:

• The Conversion ID matches the value supplied by Google Ads.
• The Conversion Label belongs to the intended conversion action.
• The tag type is correct.
• The trigger matches the real conversion event.
• No blocking trigger prevents the tag from firing.

Then use Preview in Google Tag Manager before publishing.

Google recommends previewing and testing Tag Manager changes before deployment.

Use Tag Assistant

Google Tag Assistant can help you inspect how Google tags behave on your website.

For a conversion test, perform the actual action that should trigger the tag. For example, submit a test lead form or complete an appropriate test purchase flow.

The goal is to confirm the complete chain:

User action → trigger → Google Ads tag → conversion event

Checking only whether the tag exists is not enough.

Check Google Ads conversion status

After implementation, Google Ads may not immediately display a final status.

Google says conversion tracking status can take up to 48 hours to update after implementation or corrections.

That means a newly installed tag should not automatically be considered broken just because the Google Ads interface has not updated immediately.

If the status remains incorrect beyond the expected processing period, then investigate the implementation.

7 Common Google Ads Conversion ID Mistakes

1. Using the Customer ID instead of the Conversion ID

A Google Ads Customer ID and Conversion ID are different identifiers.

If a setup field specifically requests the Conversion ID, use the AW- identifier supplied for Google Ads tagging rather than the account number displayed in the Ads interface.

2. Putting the Conversion Label in the ID field

The Conversion Label is not a replacement for the Conversion ID.

A standard conversion implementation may need both values, with each placed in its corresponding field.

3. Using the wrong conversion action

A valid Conversion ID does not guarantee that the conversion is attributed to the action you intended.

Check the label and conversion action together before publishing.

4. Treating a remarketing tag like a conversion tag

Remarketing and conversion tracking have different purposes.

Do not automatically copy a conversion-action label into a remarketing tag. Google specifically warns about conversion-count inflation from inappropriate conversion-action labels in remarketing implementations.

5. Using the correct ID with the wrong trigger

This is a particularly subtle error.

The ID can be completely correct while the tag still measures the wrong event.

Always test when and where the tag fires.

6. Publishing without testing

A saved GTM tag is not necessarily a working GTM tag.

Use Preview and perform the relevant action before publishing.

7. Creating unnecessary duplicate tags

Multiple tags measuring the same conversion can create duplicate measurement.

Before creating another Google Ads conversion tag, check whether an existing tag already measures the same action.

What to Do If You Cannot Find the Conversion ID

Sometimes the problem is not that the Conversion ID is missing. The problem is that the Google Ads setup you are viewing does not expose the values in the way an older tutorial describes.

The Tag setup option looks different

Google changes its Ads interface over time. Current documentation places conversion setup under the Goals and Conversions workflow, so instructions written for an older Google Ads interface may use different menu names.

Use Google’s current interface rather than following an old screenshot step by step.

The conversion action was automatically created

This is an important edge case.

Google’s current Tag Manager documentation notes that automatically created conversion actions may not generate a standalone Conversion Label. When a GTM-specific Conversion ID and Conversion Label are required, Google recommends creating a manual conversion action where appropriate.

Do not invent a label or copy one from an unrelated conversion.

You found the ID but the conversion is not recording

Work through the setup in this order:

1. Confirm the Conversion ID.
2. Confirm the Conversion Label.
3. Confirm the conversion action.
4. Confirm the GTM tag type.
5. Confirm the trigger.
6. Preview the container.
7. Perform a real test action.
8. Check the tag firing behavior.
9. Check Google Ads after allowing reasonable processing time.

This sequence is more useful than repeatedly replacing the Conversion ID.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google Ads Conversion IDs

Use the Right ID Before You Publish Your Tag

The key to working with a conversion id Google Ads setup is knowing which identifier does what. Your Conversion ID connects the Google Ads tag to the appropriate account, while the Conversion Label identifies the particular conversion action when standard conversion tracking requires it.

Before publishing, check the ID, label, conversion action and trigger as one system. For remarketing, use the remarketing setup rather than assuming that every conversion label belongs there. That simple distinction can prevent many tracking problems before they reach your reporting.

If your Google Ads tracking is already installed, the best next step is to open Google Tag Manager in Preview mode and verify the complete conversion path before trusting the reported data.

If you need Google Ads conversion tracking service, you can get a free consultation from Scorup today.