Tag Archives: analyticsapi

Google Ads API support for importing and editing conversions from Google Analytics

What's changing
Starting October 9, 2023, the Google Ads API will allow the following types of mutate operations for a ConversionAction imported from a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) property:
  1. An update that modifies status, primary_for_goal, category, name, or value_settings.
  2. A remove that removes the conversion action.
Why this is important
For many Google Ads users, the conversions they import from Google Analytics are a critical component of bidding and reporting. Until now, you could use the Google Analytics Admin API to create a link between your Google Analytics and Ads accounts, but you could not use the Google Ads API to complete the following remaining steps in the linking process: With this change, the Google Ads API supports both of these steps and provides a complete API-based solution for linking your Google Analytics 4 property to your Google Ads account.

In addition to the attributes needed for proper configuration of conversion goals, you can now modify the following attributes of an imported GA4 ConversionAction:
  • name
  • value_settings
Requests that attempt to modify any other attributes of an imported GA4 ConversionAction will continue to fail, as will requests that attempt to remove or update a ConversionAction imported from a Universal Analytics (UA) property.

What you should do
Modify any code in your integration that depends on the Google Ads API rejecting a ConversionActionOperation with a MUTATE_NOT_ALLOWED error if it attempts to update or remove an imported GA4 conversion. For example, if your integration relies on this behavior to detect if a conversion action is an imported GA4 conversion, modify it to instead check if the type of the ConversionAction is either GOOGLE_ANALYTICS_4_CUSTOM or GOOGLE_ANALYTICS_4_PURCHASE.

In addition, if you currently complete the process of linking Google Analytics to Google Ads accounts using the UI, consider whether switching to an API-based solution is appropriate for your use case.

How to get help
If you have any questions or need help, check out the Google Ads API support page for options.
- Josh Radcliff, Google Analytics and Google Ads API Team

Upcoming changes to Google Analytics audiences and conversions in Google Ads

What's changing

Starting in April 2023, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will automatically set up a basic GA4 property linked to your Google Ads account if the Google Ads account still uses Universal Analyticsconversions and/or audiences.

During this process, GA4 will configure corresponding conversions and/or audiences in GA4 and apply them in your Google Ads account. This will happen even if you already have a GA4 property but still use Universal Analytics conversions and/or audiences in Google Ads.

Options for handling these changes

The configuration created by GA4 may not be set up to meet your specific business goals or capture all the historical data you need, so we recommend you start manually moving your conversions and/or audiences to GA4 now.

If you don’t want the GA4 Setup Assistant to make these changes, you may opt out by the end of April.

If you don’t want an automatically set up GA4 property at all, you can also opt out of the entire process.

What you should know

Universal Analytics standard properties will stop processing new data from July 1, 2023 onwards. GA4, our next-generation measurement solution, will become the sole Google Analytics standard property type.

This impacts Universal Analytics conversions, audiences, and site stats currently used in your Google Ads campaigns. We recommend that you switch to GA4 now to ensure your campaigns and ad groups are effectively moved to GA4 conversions, site stats, and audiences. If you’re unsure whether a GA4 property has been created, please contact the admin user for your Universal Analytics property in Google Analytics to verify.

Resources to help you migrate to Google Analytics 4

For an overview of functionality and features in UA and GA4, including APIs, check out the Universal Analytics to GA4 migration reference.

For API integrations:

  • If you previously used the Google Analytics Management API v3 to manage your Universal Analytics properties, migrate to the Admin API v1.
  • If you previously used the Google Analytics Reporting API v4 to run reports in your Universal Analytics properties, migrate to the Data API v1.

How to get help


- Josh Radcliff, Google Analytics and Google Ads API Team