If Google Ads already counted a spam lead, first identify the original conversion and decide whether it met that action’s definition. Retract a confirmed invalid conversion when the source supports adjustments. Restate the value when a legitimate conversion still counts but its value changed, such as after a partial refund.
Suppose an action measures accepted enquiries. An enquiry can meet that definition even when sales later decides it is a poor fit. Keep the enquiry and use a separate qualified-lead action if that is the outcome you want to measure. If the original action measured qualified leads and received an event that never qualified, review that exact conversion for retraction.
Which conversions should you retract?
| Evidence | Decision | Expected reporting effect |
|---|---|---|
| A confirmed invalid event was counted in an eligible action | Review the exact original record for retraction. | Its conversion count and attributed value are removed once the retraction is processed. |
| A genuine purchase fell from 150 USD to 90 USD after a partial refund | Restate to 90 USD, the remaining value. | The purchase still counts. Its value decreases by 60 USD. |
| A real enquiry failed later sales qualification | Check what the action was meant to measure. Record qualification separately if the enquiry itself was valid. | A separate qualified-lead action can represent the next milestone. |
| A tag fired, but the original conversion cannot be found | Investigate the original delivery and report before preparing an adjustment. | Keep the event unresolved until you can identify the recorded conversion. |
Check the value before approving a restatement. Google treats a restatement to zero like a retraction and ignores subsequent adjustments to that conversion. Escalate mistaken retractions to the account owner before considering any replacement event.
Google Ads Help on restatements and retractions.
Match the conversion by account, action and original ID
- Start with one business record and the evidence for the decision. Keep confirmed spam, duplicates, rejected requests and poor-fit enquiries distinct.
- Find the account that owns the original action. When a manager account tracks the conversions, Google’s upload instructions direct the adjustment to that manager account.
- Copy the exact original action and order or transaction ID from the source record. Website conversions require the transaction ID. Use the original order ID if it was present on the upload. The same ID may appear under more than one action, so check each destination separately.
- For eligible offline conversions originally recorded without an order ID, Google documents the original GCLID and conversion timestamp as an alternative. Preserve the timestamp and offset. Google requires the order ID for GBRAID and lists WBRAID as unsupported for this API adjustment path.
Keep the conversion timestamp and the adjustment timestamp in separate fields. If you lack the supported key, trace the original export or tag record. A GCLID in a form submission alone cannot identify the conversion row you intend to adjust.
Google Ads upload instructions and Google Ads API adjustment requirements.
Use the current template and verify one row
- Open Google’s current adjustment instructions for your upload route and action type. For a file upload, download the official adjustment template and keep it separate from new-conversion uploads.
- Record the original identity, adjustment time and decision in your internal worksheet. For a value correction, record the corrected total and its currency. Get the business decision checked before preparing an irreversible retraction.
- Review the original event’s age and when it was first recorded. Google’s file instructions recommend waiting at least 24 hours after the original conversion to avoid matching errors. They distinguish a seven-day window for autobidding to read the adjustment from the longer reporting window. Check the current limits for the specific route before relying on a deadline.
- Use the authorized upload workflow for the account and inspect each row result. For API integrations, inspect partial failures against the original row positions. For a missing original, reconcile the exact action, key, timestamp and source. Follow the offline import diagnostic if processing or reporting is still unresolved.
- After processing, revisit the same action and date scope. Use the Conversion adjustment segment to compare original and adjusted count and value. Record the row result separately from the change you actually see in reports.
Check bidding and billing separately
Google applies different timing rules to reporting and autobidding. A change in a conversion report does not tell you which future clicks Smart Bidding will buy. Reconcile any advertising charge or credit in the billing records.
Upload timing and preparation and Google Ads reporting segments for adjustments.
Fix the signal the campaign receives next
Trace what fires the original action. If a button tap or rejected form is counted, repair the form acceptance and delivery path. If several sources measure one purchase, use the duplicate-action diagnostic. Preserve the business outcome and its stable ID before testing a new sender.
Use the sample below or paste an export from the read-only conversion-action script. The browser audit reviews exported settings. Check each affected campaign’s selected goals, including custom goals, in Google Ads. A secondary action can still be used for bidding when the campaign selects a custom goal that includes it.
Runs in this browser. Your action names and settings stay here.
Check campaign goals to confirm bidding eligibility. Custom goals can include secondary actions. Match transaction or lead IDs to verify repeated events.
Google Ads campaign-specific and custom goal behavior.
Keep a conversion adjustment review record
Download the review worksheet. Use it to keep the original event, evidence, decision, row result and report check together. Store actual identifiers in your own system and use Google’s current template for an upload.
Preview the worksheet
GOOGLE ADS CONVERSION ADJUSTMENT REVIEW
Internal investigation record. Use Google's current adjustment
template or authorized integration for uploads. Keep real identifiers
and customer records in your own system.
Business record and reviewer:
Original event definition and evidence that it counted:
Decision evidence (invalid event, valid enquiry, value change, unresolved):
Conversion-owning account and exact destination action:
Original order or transaction ID, if supplied:
Eligible alternative matching key and original event time with offset:
First recorded time, original value and currency:
Decision (keep, investigate, retract, restate):
Corrected total and currency, if restating:
Adjustment time with offset, route and age limit checked:
Business approval and original evidence retained:
Upload reference and individual row outcome:
Report date basis, range and action segment:
Original and adjusted conversion count and value observed:
Campaign goals, custom goal membership and timing reviewed:
Future signal fix and owner:AdProtektor helps inspect observed website traffic and apply configured protection. For future events, review where ConversionOS participates in your supported delivery path and where your CRM decides whether a lead is qualified.
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