How to See Google Ads Data in Google Analytics 4

Connecting your Google Ads and Google Analytics 4 accounts is one of the most powerful steps you can take to understand your marketing performance. It transforms your analytics from a simple traffic report into a full story of how ad clicks lead to new customers. This guide will walk you through exactly how to link the two platforms, where to find your ad data in GA4, and how to use that information to make smarter decisions.

Why You Absolutely Should Link Google Ads to GA4

If you're spending money on Google Ads, you need to see what happens after someone clicks. Simply tracking impressions and clicks within the Google Ads platform isn’t enough. Linking to Google Analytics 4 gives you the complete picture by revealing post-click user behavior.

Here are the primary benefits:

• See the Full Customer Journey: Go beyond surface-level ad metrics like CTR and CPC. See how visitors from your campaigns interact with your site: which pages they visit, how long they stay, and whether they complete important actions like filling out a form or making a purchase.
• Unlock Better Ad Targeting: By linking the accounts, you can build powerful remarketing audiences in GA4 based on specific website behaviors. For example, you can create a list of users who added an item to their cart but didn't check out and then target them with a specific ad in Google Ads.
• Smarter Bidding with GA4 Conversions: Import your GA4 conversion events (like 'purchase' or 'generate_lead') directly into Google Ads. This allows you to use stronger, more accurate conversion data to optimize your bidding strategies for what truly matters to your business.
• Automated Data Flow: The linking process enables auto-tagging, which automatically adds tracking parameters to your ad URLs. This is crucial for GA4 to correctly identify and report on your Google Ads traffic without you having to manually add UTM codes to every single ad.

Before You Begin: Linking Requirements

The process is straightforward, but you need to have the right permissions squared away first. Make sure you have the following:

• Admin access on the Google Ads account you want to link.
• Editor role (or higher) on the Google Analytics 4 property.

Crucially, you need to be using the same Google user account (email address) for both platforms to access these permission levels. If you manage multiple accounts, double-check that you're signed into the correct one before you start.

How to Link Google Ads and Google Analytics 4: A Step-by-Step Guide

The easiest way to connect your accounts is by starting from within Google Analytics. It only takes a couple of minutes.

Step 1: Navigate to the Admin Panel in GA4

Log in to your Google Analytics 4 account. In the bottom-left corner of the screen, click on the Admin gear icon.

Step 2: Find Google Ads Links

You’ll now see three columns: Account, Property, and Data Display. Look under the Property column for a section called Product Links. Click on Google Ads Links.

Step 3: Start the Linking Process

On the Google Ads Links screen, click the blue Link button located in the top-right corner.

Step 4: Choose Your Google Ads Account

Next, click on Choose Google Ads accounts. GA4 will display a list of all the Google Ads accounts where you have Admin access. Check the box next to the account(s) you want to link to this property. Once selected, click the Confirm button in the top right.

Step 5: Configure Your Settings

This is an important step. You'll be presented with a couple of key configuration options:

• Enable Personalized Advertising: This setting allows you to use your GA4 audiences for remarketing in Google Ads. Leaving this enabled is highly recommended if you plan on running any kind of retargeting campaigns. It's one of the main benefits of linking the accounts.
• Enable Auto-Tagging: When you click 'Next,' you'll see a setting for auto-tagging. It should be enabled by default, and you should absolutely leave it that way. Auto-tagging automatically appends a unique parameter (the GCLID, or "Google Click Identifier") to your ad URLs. This is how Google Analytics knows for certain that traffic is coming from a specific Google Ads campaign, ad group, and keyword.

After reviewing these settings, click Next.

Step 6: Review and Submit

The final screen shows a summary of your selections: the Google Ads account(s) you're linking and the settings you've configured. Give it a quick once-over, and if everything looks correct, click the Submit button.

That's it! You’ll see a "Link created" confirmation message. Keep in mind that it can take 24 to 48 hours for data to start populating in your GA4 reports.

Where to Find Your Google Ads Data in Google Analytics 4

Now that your accounts are connected, where do you actually go to analyze your campaign performance? Your Google Ads data will primarily surface in two key areas within the GA4 interface: the Acquisition reports and the Advertising workspace.

Using the Acquisition Reports

The Acquisition reports are the best place to start. They provide a clear breakdown of where your website traffic is coming from.

In the left-hand navigation menu, go to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition.

By default, this report shows data grouped by the 'Session default channel group'. You'll see high-level channels like Organic Search, Direct, Referral, and, of course, Paid Search.

To dig deeper into your Google Ads performance, you need to change the primary dimension:

1. Click the dropdown arrow above the first column of the table (it will likely say 'Session default channel group').
2. In the search box that appears, type "campaign" and select Session campaign.

The report will reload to show performance data for each of your campaigns, including both Google Ads and any other campaigns you're running with UTM tags. Now you can see how users from specific Google Ads campaigns are engaging with your site, how many are converting, and the total revenue they generate.

To filter this report to show only Google Ads traffic, search for and select Session source / medium as your primary dimension. You can then use the search bar above the table to filter for "google / cpc".

Using Secondary Dimensions for Deeper Insights

The real power comes from adding a secondary dimension. To do this, click the blue "+" icon next to the primary dimension dropdown. A menu will appear where you can select another dimension to add to your report. For Google Ads, some of the most useful secondary dimensions are:

• Google Ads ad group name: To analyze performance at the ad group level.
• Google Ads keyword text: To see which search keywords are driving the most valuable traffic.
• Google Ads query: To see the actual search terms users typed into Google that triggered your ads.

For example, setting your primary dimension to Session campaign and your secondary dimension to Google Ads keyword text allows you to see exactly which keywords are performing best within each campaign, all married with GA4's on-site engagement and conversion data.

Leveraging the Advertising Workspace

While the Acquisition reports focus on traffic sources, the Advertising workspace is designed specifically for evaluating a channel's contribution to conversions.

In the left-hand navigation, go to Advertising.

Here you'll find reports that are much more focused on attribution, such as:

• Model comparison: This report lets you compare a 'last click' attribution model to other models, like 'data-driven' or 'linear'. This helps you understand how Google Ads contributes to conversions earlier in the customer journey, not just right at the end.
• Conversion paths: This report visualizes the series of touchpoints users have leading up to a conversion. You can see how often Paid Search appears at the beginning, middle, or end of a customer's path, providing a much richer view of its impact.

Common Problems and Quick Fixes

Sometimes things don't go perfectly. Here are a few common hiccups and how to troubleshoot them.

Data Mismatch Between Platforms

You might notice that the number of Clicks in Google Ads doesn't perfectly match the number of Sessions in GA4. This is normal. A single user can click an ad twice in 30 minutes, which counts as two clicks but only one session. Additionally, the platforms count conversions at slightly different times, which can lead to minor discrepancies. Don't worry about perfect parity, focus on the trends.

"(not set)" Appears in Your Reports

If you see a lot of "(not set)" data in your campaign reports, the most likely culprit is an issue with auto-tagging. Go back to the Admin settings in GA4 (specifically the Google Ads Links section) and ensure auto-tagging is enabled for your linked account. Another common cause is URL redirects on your website that strip out the GCLID parameter before the GA4 tag can fire.

No Google Ads Data is Appearing

If you've waited 48 hours and still see no data, a few things could be wrong. First, go back to the Google Ads Links admin screen and confirm that the link status shows as "Linked." Also, make sure you've linked the correct Google Ads account to the correct GA4 property. It's an easy mistake to make if you manage multiple sites or accounts.

Final Thoughts

Linking Google Ads to Google Analytics 4 is no longer a "nice to have" - it's an essential task for any serious marketer. Doing so unlocks the crucial data you need to see what happens after the click, allowing you to optimize your campaigns based on user behavior and real business outcomes, not just clicks and impressions.

Once you’ve connected your Google tools, you start getting a clearer picture. But what about understanding your entire marketing and sales funnel? At Graphed , we help you connect all your various data sources - from Google Ads and GA4 to Shopify, Salesforce, and Facebook Ads - in just a few clicks. Instead of spending hours jumping between platforms to pull data, you can simply ask a question in plain English, like "Show me a dashboard of my marketing channels driving the most Shopify sales for last month," and get an instant, real-time dashboard you can use immediately.