A Google Ads Conversion Label is a unique identifier associated with a specific Google Ads conversion action. When you use Google Tag Manager for Google Ads conversion tracking, it works with your Conversion ID to identify which conversion action should receive the conversion event.
If you’re setting up Google Ads conversion tracking in Google Tag Manager, you’ll usually need two values: a Conversion ID and a Conversion Label. The ID identifies your Google Ads account, while the label identifies the specific conversion action you’re tracking.
That sounds simple until you open Google Ads and cannot find the label. The problem is that not every conversion setup provides a standalone Conversion Label. This guide explains what the label means, where to find it, how to use it in GTM, and what to do when Google Ads doesn’t show one.
What Is a Google Ads Conversion Label?
A Google Ads Conversion Label is a unique identifier associated with a specific Google Ads conversion action. When you use Google Tag Manager to send a conversion to Google Ads, the Conversion Label works with the Conversion ID to tell Google Ads which conversion action the tag is reporting.
Think of the two values as a pair:
| Value | What it identifies |
|---|---|
| Conversion ID | Your Google Ads account |
| Conversion Label | A specific conversion action |
| Conversion Action | The outcome you want to measure, such as a lead or purchase |
For example, a fictional implementation might look like:
Conversion ID: AW-123456789
Conversion Label: AbCdEfGh123The values above are only examples. Do not copy them into your own Google Tag Manager container.
The important distinction is that one Google Ads account can have multiple conversion actions. Each conversion action can therefore have its own Conversion Label, while the Conversion ID identifies the account. Google explicitly describes the Conversion ID as unique per account and the Conversion Label as unique per conversion action.
If you want the related explanation of the account-level identifier, see this Google Ads Conversion ID guide.
Where to Find Your Google Ads Conversion Label
For a conversion action that is designed for Google Tag Manager, Google currently provides the Conversion ID and Conversion Label through the conversion action’s tag setup.
Follow these steps:
- Sign in to your Google Ads account.
- Open Goals.
- Go to Conversions and open Summary.
- Select the conversion action you want to implement.
- Open the Tag setup section.
- Choose Use Google Tag Manager.
- Copy the displayed Conversion ID and Conversion Label.
- Enter those values into the corresponding Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag in Google Tag Manager.
The exact interface can change over time, so don’t rely on an old screenshot if the menus look different in your account.
A useful rule is to start with the conversion action itself, not the Google Ads account. The label belongs to the specific conversion you are trying to measure.
Conversion ID vs Conversion Label: What’s the Difference?
The easiest way to remember the difference is:
Conversion ID = account. Conversion Label = conversion action.
Suppose a business tracks three outcomes:
- Lead form submissions
- Purchases
- Phone calls
The Google Ads account can use the same Conversion ID across these implementations, while the individual conversion actions can have different Conversion Labels.
This matters when you configure Google Tag Manager. Choosing the correct Conversion ID but the wrong Conversion Label can send the conversion to the wrong conversion action.
That is why you should copy the values from the same conversion action you intend to track rather than mixing values from different setups.
Conversion Label vs Conversion Action
These terms are related, but they are not interchangeable.
A conversion action is the actual measurement configuration in Google Ads. It represents something valuable that you want Google Ads to count, such as a purchase, lead, signup, or other business outcome.
The Conversion Label is an identifier associated with that conversion action and used in certain tagging implementations.
For example:
Conversion action: Lead form submission
Conversion ID:AW-123456789
Conversion Label:AbCdEfGh123
The conversion action describes what you are measuring. The label helps the tracking implementation identify which conversion action should receive the event.
This distinction becomes especially important when troubleshooting a missing or incorrect label.
How to Use a Google Ads Conversion Label in Google Tag Manager
Once you have the correct Conversion ID and Conversion Label, you can configure the Google Ads conversion tracking tag in Google Tag Manager.
Create the Google Ads Conversion Tracking Tag
In your Google Tag Manager container:
- Open the relevant workspace.
- Create a new tag.
- Select Tag Configuration.
- Choose Google Ads.
- Select Google Ads Conversion Tracking.
- Enter the Conversion ID.
- Enter the Conversion Label.
- Add conversion value, transaction ID, or currency information when your implementation requires them.
- Configure the appropriate trigger.
- Save the tag.
- Preview and test the container before publishing.
Google’s current documentation lists the Conversion ID and Conversion Label as required values for this type of Google Ads conversion measurement, while Conversion Value, Transaction ID, and Currency Code are optional fields depending on the implementation.
Choose the Right Trigger
The Conversion Label does not determine when the conversion happens. Your GTM trigger does that.
For example, a lead conversion might fire when:
- A visitor submits a lead form.
- A visitor reaches a confirmation page.
- A website event indicates that the form was successfully submitted.
A purchase conversion might use a purchase event instead.
This is an important distinction: a correct Conversion Label cannot fix an incorrect trigger.
Test Before Publishing
Use Google Tag Manager’s preview and testing tools before publishing changes.
Google also recommends using Tag Assistant to test conversion tracking and verify that tags are firing correctly.
If the tag fires when it should not, or fires multiple times for one action, fix the trigger or implementation before publishing.
Why Can’t I Find My Google Ads Conversion Label?
This is where many Google Ads tutorials become confusing.
If you cannot find a Conversion Label, do not immediately assume that Google Ads is broken.
The first question should be:
How was this conversion action created?
Google’s current documentation says automatically created conversion actions, including certain auto-detected goals and Smart campaign conversions, do not generate a standalone Conversion Label. If you want to use Google Tag Manager for conversion tracking in that situation, Google recommends creating a manual conversion action in Google Ads and selecting the Google Tag Manager setup option.
Your Conversion Was Automatically Created
Google Ads can create certain conversion actions automatically.
Those conversion actions may not provide the Conversion ID and Conversion Label combination you expect to see for a manually implemented GTM conversion.
Google’s troubleshooting documentation specifically says that automatically created goals cannot be mapped to Google Tag Manager conversion tags. Its recommended solution is to create a manual conversion action when a GTM conversion tag requires the ID and label.
Your Conversion Came From Google Analytics
Another source of confusion is a conversion imported from Google Analytics.
If your measurement workflow uses Google Analytics and the conversion is imported into Google Ads, you should not automatically assume that it needs the same standalone Conversion ID + Conversion Label implementation as a manually configured Google Ads website conversion.
This is one reason older tutorials can be misleading: they often assume every Google Ads conversion uses the same tagging path.
You’re Looking at the Wrong Conversion Action
A Google Ads account can contain multiple conversion actions.
If you’re implementing a lead form conversion, for example, make sure you’re opening the lead conversion action rather than a purchase, phone-call, or other conversion.
The Conversion Label is associated with the individual conversion action, so copying the label from another action can create a tracking mismatch.
Your Google Ads Interface Looks Different
Google changes its advertising interface and conversion setup workflows.
Community discussions also show users encountering cases where the expected Use Google Tag Manager option or Conversion ID/Label fields were not visible in their particular conversion setup.
When that happens, look at the conversion action type and setup method before assuming that a missing field is simply hidden somewhere else.
Do You Need a Google Ads Conversion Label?
You need a Conversion Label when your chosen Google Ads conversion tracking implementation requires one, such as a Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag configured in Google Tag Manager. You do not necessarily need a standalone Conversion Label for every type of Google Ads conversion setup.
Google’s current GTM documentation explicitly distinguishes manually configured conversion actions from automatically created conversion actions. Automatically created conversion actions may not generate a standalone Conversion Label.
A useful decision process is:
- Are you implementing a Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag in GTM?
You will generally need the Conversion ID and Conversion Label. - Does Google Ads provide a “Use Google Tag Manager” setup for that conversion action?
Use the values provided there. - Was the conversion automatically created or imported through another measurement workflow?
Don’t assume a standalone label is required. - Does Google Ads say the conversion action cannot be mapped to a GTM conversion tag?
Follow the relevant Google Ads setup path instead of forcing an ID and label into GTM.
The goal is not to obtain a Conversion Label at any cost. The goal is to use the tracking method appropriate for the conversion action.
Google Ads Conversion Label Example
Consider this fictional setup:
Conversion Action: Contact Form Lead
Conversion ID: AW-123456789
Conversion Label: XyZ987AbCThe Conversion ID points to the Google Ads account.
The Conversion Label identifies the specific conversion action for the contact form lead.
If the same account also tracks purchases, it could have another conversion action with a different label.
The important relationship is:
Google Ads Account
↓
Conversion ID
↓
Specific Conversion Action
↓
Conversion Label
↓
GTM Conversion Tag
↓
Trigger
↓
Conversion EventThis model is more useful than memorizing the label as simply “the second code.”
How to Fix a Google Ads Conversion Label That Is Not Working
If you entered a label but Google Ads is not recording conversions, check the complete implementation rather than changing the label randomly.
1. Verify the Conversion ID
Make sure the ID belongs to the Google Ads account you’re currently using.
2. Verify the Conversion Label
Confirm that the label came from the same conversion action as the Conversion ID.
3. Check the Conversion Action
Confirm that the conversion action represents the event you actually want to measure.
4. Check the GTM Trigger
A correctly configured tag will not record the intended conversion if its trigger never fires or fires on the wrong event.
5. Check for Duplicate Tags
Look for multiple tags or implementations that may be reporting the same conversion.
Google’s documentation recommends using a Transaction ID for applicable transaction-based implementations to help avoid duplicate conversions in reporting.
6. Check the Conversion Linker
Google’s troubleshooting guidance recommends confirming that the Conversion Linker is configured correctly when using Google Tag Manager.
7. Test With Tag Assistant
Use Google Tag Assistant to perform a test conversion and verify that the relevant tags fire correctly.
8. Allow for Reporting Delay
A successful test does not necessarily mean the conversion will appear immediately in Google Ads.
Google says conversion reporting can take 3-24 hours to update.
So don’t repeatedly rebuild a working tag simply because the conversion isn’t visible a few minutes after testing.
Google Ads Conversion Label vs Remarketing Label
A Conversion Label should not be confused with a remarketing implementation.
They serve different purposes within Google Ads tagging.
For standard remarketing, Google Tag Manager documentation explains that a Conversion Label is optional in many cases. Google also warns that adding conversion-action-specific labels to a standard remarketing tag can inflate conversion counts.
So if you’re configuring a remarketing tag, don’t automatically copy the Conversion Label from one of your conversion actions simply because you already have it.
Use the tagging instructions for the specific Google Ads feature you’re implementing.
Common Google Ads Conversion Label Mistakes
Using the Conversion ID as the Conversion Label
They are different values with different purposes.
Copying the label from another conversion
A label belongs to a specific conversion action. Always verify the conversion action before copying its values.
Assuming every conversion has a label
Automatically created conversion actions may not generate a standalone Conversion Label.
Creating another conversion only because you cannot find the label
First determine whether your existing conversion type supports the GTM implementation you are attempting.
Using the wrong GTM trigger
A correct ID and label cannot compensate for a trigger that fires at the wrong time.
Publishing without testing
Preview the container and test the conversion before publishing.
Installing multiple tracking implementations
Duplicate Google Ads conversion implementations can produce inaccurate reporting.
Ignoring the Conversion Linker
Google recommends checking the Conversion Linker configuration when troubleshooting GTM conversion tracking.
Google Ads Conversion Label Checklist
Before publishing your conversion tracking setup, verify:
- Correct Google Ads account
- Correct conversion action
- Correct Conversion ID
- Correct Conversion Label
- Correct Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag
- Correct GTM trigger
- Google tag installed correctly
- Conversion Linker configured where required
- No duplicate conversion tags
- GTM Preview test completed
- Tag Assistant test completed
- Conversion reporting checked after the expected processing period
If all of these are correct, you have checked the important parts of the implementation rather than focusing only on the label.
Frequently Asked Questions About Google Ads Conversion Labels
A Google Ads Conversion Label is an identifier associated with a specific conversion action. When using Google Tag Manager’s Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag, it works with the Conversion ID to identify the conversion action that should receive the conversion event. Google states that the Conversion ID is unique per account while the Conversion Label is unique per conversion action.
For a conversion action configured for Google Tag Manager, open Goals > Conversions > Summary, select the conversion action, open Tag setup, and choose Use Google Tag Manager. Google provides the Conversion ID and Conversion Label there when that setup is available.
The Conversion ID identifies the Google Ads account, while the Conversion Label identifies a specific conversion action within that account. A GTM Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag can use both values to associate the reported event with the appropriate conversion action.
Your conversion may have been automatically created, imported from another measurement system, or configured through a method that does not use the standalone Conversion ID and Conversion Label workflow. Google specifically notes that automatically created conversion actions do not generate a standalone Conversion Label for GTM conversion tracking.
Yes. The Conversion ID identifies the Google Ads account, while the Conversion Label identifies the individual conversion action. Therefore, multiple conversion actions within the same account can use the account’s Conversion ID while having their own conversion-specific labels.
If you’re using the Google Ads Conversion Tracking tag in GTM, Google currently lists the Conversion ID and Conversion Label as required fields for that tag. However, not every Google Ads conversion setup uses this implementation, so the absence of a label does not automatically indicate a problem.
Don’t assume that a conversion label belongs in a remarketing tag. Google’s Tag Manager documentation explains that a Conversion Label is optional for standard remarketing in many cases and warns that using conversion-action-specific labels incorrectly can inflate conversion counts.
Use Google Tag Manager Preview and Google Tag Assistant to perform a test conversion. Verify that the correct Google Ads conversion tag fires with the intended trigger. Then allow time for Google Ads reporting to update. Google says conversion reporting can take 3-24 hours.
A mismatch can cause the implementation to report against the wrong conversion action or prevent the intended conversion from being measured correctly. Always obtain both values from the same conversion action and verify the tag configuration before publishing.
Don’t treat the label as a value you should manually modify to make tracking work. If the conversion setup changes, review the conversion action and its current Google Ads tagging instructions, then update the implementation based on the values Google provides.
The Right Way to Think About Google Ads Conversion Labels
A Conversion Label is only one part of a larger conversion-tracking system.
The Conversion ID identifies the Google Ads account. The Conversion Label identifies the specific conversion action. The GTM tag sends the event, and the trigger determines when that event is sent.
So if your conversions are missing, don’t immediately replace the label.
Check the entire chain:
Conversion action → ID and label → GTM tag → trigger → conversion event → Google Ads reporting.
That approach will solve more tracking problems than simply searching for a different label.
For a deeper explanation of the account-level identifier, continue with ScorUp’s Google Ads Conversion ID guide. If you’re evaluating the broader business value of paid search, you can also read whether Google Ads work for small businesses.
Know more:
Google Tag Manager – Google Ads conversions
Google Ads – Troubleshoot conversion tracking status
