My conversion tracking is gaslighting me.

[UnoMaconheiro]

Conversion tracking feels broken because most setups rely on the browser to report events. That means ad blockers, iOS updates, or cookie banners can silently drop conversions. First step is to test all your key flows in debug mode and make sure events actually fire. Server side tracking helps capture everything that browser scripts miss. Tools like JTracking can setup sever side tracking and map sign ups, add to cart events and purchases automatically. GA4, Google Ads, and Meta Ads then actually line up. Some people also toss in Clearsale or Signifyd for extra verification if needed.

[DRXAgent]

Conversion tracking is broken on purpose sometimes. Fix one thing and watch another die. You just have to roll with it and check things in small batches. Nothing else will save your weekend.

[ppcwithyrv]

What does your ecommerce platform say? As in Shopify or Kajabi.

[welcometosilentchill]

Attribution will never be perfect, which is something I have to constantly remind myself of.

I got tired of trying to solve this problem across multiple platforms, so generally I just choose which platform is historically most consistent and closest to actuals. Then I figure out the % of conv -> actual events (leads or jobs) and operate off of that. I use the other platforms for sanity checks, but rely on one for ongoing optimization and performance projections. Not perfect, certainly not bullet proof, but it works for almost all of my accounts. At the end of the day, conversions are numbers but as marketers we’re meant to manage expectations and produce reliably results based on those expectations — and that’s doable with *mostly* accurate attribution.

Anecdotally, I have noticed considerable delays in conversion reporting across all platforms over the last few months. No real idea why (I have crackpot theories), but it’s definitely a notable trend across my accounts — regardless of platform and attribution tracking.

[ppcbetter_says]

You have to server side tracking or you lose 20-60% of your data.

The best part is you never know which day is 20% which day is 60%, or which direction the errors are in.

We have a massive under adoption of server side tracking in the market due to advertisers and agencies having no clue what their data actually says.

They just run whatever report they know how to find then make up stories about what the clicks are doing.

[QuantumWolf99]

Conversion tracking discrepancies are normal now because every platform uses different attribution windows and iOS privacy changes mean like 30-40% of conversions just don’t get tracked properly on the platform side anymore… this isn’t something you can fix by debugging GTM endlessly.

The solution is picking one source of truth… usually GA4 for total conversions… and then using platform reporting for optimization decisions not accuracy.

Meta and Google don’t need perfect tracking to optimize, they need directional signal. I manage accounts spending six figures monthly and we stopped trying to reconcile platform numbers years ago because it’s impossible with current privacy restrictions.

[TTFV]

It’s not easy. With respect to different systems you need to prime your clients about what they are likely to see. For example, Meta Ads often over reports conversions.. it’s helpful to separate out view through from click through although that’s still only half the battle.

Next, ensure as best you can that you activate every possible feature for Google Ads and Analytics tracking. This includes enhanced tracking as well as Tag Gateway.

Ideally you should also set up server side tracking, but of course that’s complicated and clients will have to pay hosting and ongoing maintenance which many simply won’t agree to.

One thing you can consider doing for reporting is standardizing on one system, often that ends up being GA4.

But you still need native data to support bidding and optimization.

It’s a real rat race!