> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.littledata.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.littledata.io/integrations/google-ads/google-ads-install-guide.md).
# Shopify to Google Ads installation guide
This guide shows you how to connect your Shopify store to the Google Ads destination in the Littledata app. You sign in with Google, choose your Google Ads account and turn on two settings in Google Ads.
### Before you start
* The Littledata app is installed on your Shopify store.
* You can sign in with a Google account that has **Admin** or **Standard** access to the Google Ads account you want to send conversions to. Read-only and Email-only access can't change the settings below.
* You know the customer ID of that Google Ads account (a 10-digit number shown like `123-456-7890` in Google Ads). If you use a manager account (MCC), you need the ID of the individual account, not the manager account.
### Connect Google Ads
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#### Open the Littledata app
In your Shopify admin, go to **Apps** and open **Littledata**.
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#### Add the destination
In the **Destinations** section, click **Add destination**. A list of destinations opens.
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#### Choose Google Ads
Find **Google Ads** in the list and click **Connect** next to it. The setup opens on the **Connect your store to Google Ads** screen. Click **Continue**.
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#### Choose your tracking preferences
On the **Set up your tracking** screen, pick one option and click **Continue**:
* **Use best practices** (recommended): uses the **Shopify order name** as the order identifier and creates all conversion actions. You can change this later.
* **Customize your tracking**: on the next two screens, choose your order identifier, then choose which conversion actions to create. We recommend keeping all of them selected. Click **Continue** on each screen.
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#### Sign in with Google
On **Connect your Google account**, click **Connect**. Google opens in a new tab. Choose the Google account that has access to your Google Ads account.
Google shows the permissions Littledata asks for. If you see checkboxes next to them, tick them all (at least the one to manage your Google Ads campaigns), then continue. If you leave the Google Ads permission unticked, your account list in the Littledata app stays empty. Then go back to the Littledata app tab.
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#### Choose your Google Ads account
You'll see **Choose your account**. Open the account list and select the Google Ads account you want to send conversions to. If it's missing, click **Refresh accounts**. Then click **Continue**.
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**Don't use an MCC ID**
Select the individual Google Ads account ID. Don't select a manager account (MCC) ID, or conversion data will be misrouted.
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### Accept customer data terms and turn on enhanced conversions for leads
Littledata sends hashed customer data with each conversion. So in Google Ads, **Customer data terms** must be accepted and **Enhanced conversions for leads** must be turned on. The Littledata app checks these two settings only. After you choose your account, you'll see the **Enhanced Conversions** screen in the Littledata app.
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#### Open your Google Ads conversion settings
On the **Enhanced Conversions** screen, click the **Google Ads account** link (or **Enable settings** in the red banner). Your Google Ads conversion settings open in a new tab.
You can also get there in Google Ads: in the left menu, click **Goals**, then **Conversions**, then **Settings**.
The **Settings** page lists these rows, in this order: **Customer data terms**, **Enhanced conversions for leads**, **Enhanced conversions**, **Engaged-view conversions** and **App attribution sharing**. You need the first two. Each row opens with the arrow on its right.
{% hint style="warning" %}
Don't use the **Enhanced conversions** row just below **Enhanced conversions for leads**. It's a different setting, and the Littledata app doesn't check it. Turning it on instead of the leads setting leaves the Littledata app showing the red banner.
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#### Accept the customer data terms
Look at the **Customer data terms** row at the top. If it says **Accepted**, go to the next step.
If not, click the row to open it, click **View Terms**, tick **I have read and accept the terms on behalf of my company** and click **Agree**. The row then shows **Accepted**. If you can't see the terms, they must be accepted in the manager account (MCC) that manages this account.
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#### Turn on enhanced conversions for leads
Click the arrow on the right of the **Enhanced conversions for leads** row to open it. Then:
1. Tick **Turn on enhanced conversions for leads**.
2. Under **Choose a method for setting up and managing user-provided data**, open the dropdown and choose **Google tag**. Either option (**Google tag** or **Google Tag Manager**) works for Littledata. Littledata sends the data from its server, so you don't need to change any tags, and you can ignore the instructions box that appears below the dropdown.
3. Click **Save** at the bottom right of the row (not **Cancel** next to it).
{% hint style="info" %}
Google is merging these settings. If your account shows **Customer data use** instead of **Enhanced conversions for leads**, open it, tick **Turn on enhanced conversions** and click **Agree and save**. In some accounts this page is under **Goals** > **Settings**.
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#### Return to the Littledata app
Go back to the Littledata app tab. Littledata checks your settings again when you come back. When it finds them, you'll see that Enhanced Conversions is on. Click **Continue**.
If you still see **We detected that the required settings are not enabled for some accounts**, check that **Customer data terms** shows **Accepted** and that you saved **Enhanced conversions for leads** (not **Enhanced conversions**). Then return to the tab.
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#### Wait while tracking is added
You'll see **Adding tracking** while Littledata sets up tracking on your store and creates the conversion actions in Google Ads. When it's done, you'll see **You're connected! Here's where to go next.** The Google Ads connection is now live.
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For more about why these settings are needed, see [how the Google Ads connection works](https://help.littledata.io/integrations/google-ads/google-ads-how-it-works).
### Check your purchase conversions in Google Ads
Littledata creates **Purchase - Littledata** as a primary action, so you don't need to change it. If you kept them selected, **New Customer Purchase - Littledata** and **Returning Customer Purchase - Littledata** are created as secondary actions.
To avoid counting purchases twice, switch your other purchase conversions to secondary.
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#### Open your conversion goals
In Google Ads, in the left menu, click **Goals**, then **Conversions**, then **Summary**.
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#### Edit the purchase goal
Find your **Purchase** goal and click **Edit goal**. Make sure **Use as an account goal** is ticked, so your campaigns bid on this goal.
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#### Check the Littledata action
Check that **Purchase - Littledata** is set to **Primary**.
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#### Set other purchase actions to secondary
For every other purchase conversion action in the goal, choose **Secondary (observe only)**. This includes actions created by Shopify's Google & YouTube app or by a Google tag you added yourself.
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#### Save
Click **Save changes**.
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Primary actions are used for bidding and optimization. Secondary actions are tracked for reporting only.
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### Check that it works
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#### Check the destination card
In the Littledata app, find the Google Ads card in **Destinations**. It shows a green **Connected** badge.
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#### Check the conversion actions in Google Ads
In Google Ads, go to **Goals** > **Conversions** > **Summary**. You'll see **Purchase - Littledata** in the list (and the New and Returning Customer actions, if you kept them). Until the first order is sent, the status can show **No recent conversions**. Conversions start to show after your next orders. Google Ads can take a few hours to report them.
{% hint style="info" %}
New conversion actions often show fewer conversions in the first days or weeks. See [Google Ads troubleshooting guide](https://help.littledata.io/integrations/google-ads/google-ads-troubleshooting-guide#fewer-conversions-in-the-first-days-or-weeks).
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### Related articles
* [How the Google Ads connection works](https://help.littledata.io/integrations/google-ads/google-ads-how-it-works)
* [Google Ads FAQ](https://help.littledata.io/integrations/google-ads/frequently-asked-questions)
* [Google Ads troubleshooting guide](https://help.littledata.io/integrations/google-ads/google-ads-troubleshooting-guide)
* [New and Returning Customer Purchase event in Google Ads](https://help.littledata.io/integrations/google-ads/new-and-returning-customer-purchase-in-google-ads)
