Google Ads FAQ and discrepancies

Troubleshoot common issues and understand expected discrepancies between Google Ads and Linkrunner

Google Ads and Linkrunner rarely show identical numbers. Check your integration first, then compare the same date range, time zone, and conversion actions.

For setup instructions, see the Google Ads integration guide.

Google publishes its own explanation of the unavoidable differences: Discrepancies in App Conversion Attribution.

Google Ads FAQ

Installs aren't showing up in Google Ads

Walk through this checklist.

Confirm the Google Ads integration is active in Linkrunner

Open Integrations → Google Ads, open the three-dot menu on the Google Ads row, choose Setup Link IDs, and verify the link ID is saved for the correct platform (Android or iOS).

Import first_open in Google Ads

In Linkrunner, open Google Ads → Event Mapping → App Event Mapping. Under Google app conversion goals, select the account and platform and check the first_open action. If it is hidden, follow Manage Google conversion actions to import it. Import opens the editor and does not save the change until you confirm. An already enabled action does not need importing again.

If it was previously deleted, follow Re-enabling Previously Deleted Events.

Check MCC vs. sub-account responsibility

If you run from an MCC (manager account) with sub-accounts, either:

• The MCC imports first_open on behalf of all linked sub-accounts, or
• The MCC shares the Link ID with the sub-account, and the sub-account imports first_open itself.

Wait for activation

Google processing time varies after you create or update a Link ID. There is no fixed activation-time guarantee. Confirm the account and platform, then use Refresh goals to check conversion-action discovery. Discovery does not confirm receipt or attribution of an individual event.

first_open conversions are missing in Google Ads

Check whether first_open is pending discovery, hidden, or already enabled in Google app conversion goals. Follow Manage Google conversion actions to refresh discovery or import a hidden action. Google may automatically enable an action as Secondary. An enabled action alone does not confirm individual event receipt or campaign bidding eligibility. Review Action optimization and Account default goal through Edit goal, and check campaign-specific goal selection in Google Ads.

In-app events aren't appearing in the Google Ads dashboard

Verify events reach Linkrunner

Trigger the event in your app (on iOS, allow tracking so the IDFA is available) and confirm it appears in your Linkrunner dashboard.

Verify postbacks to Google Ads are enabled

In the Linkrunner Google Ads integration tab, confirm the event is mapped and postbacks are enabled.

Import the event in Google Ads

In Linkrunner's App Event Mapping, find Google app conversion goals, select the account and platform, and click Refresh goals. Check the exact mapped event name. If the action is hidden, click Import, review the goal settings, and set Import conversion action to Import and enable. Click Save changes, review the Confirm Google Ads account changes dialog, then click Confirm and save. The action is imported only after the save succeeds. Choose Keep hidden if you do not want to import it.

For an enabled action, use Edit goal instead. See Manage Google conversion actions for the settings and their account-level scope. Campaign-specific selection remains in Google Ads.

Event receipt, conversion-action discovery, import, and reporting are separate. Google processing time varies, with no fixed guarantee. A discovered or enabled action does not prove that Google received or attributed a particular event.

Do I need to import session_start?

It depends on the campaign type.

• User acquisition campaigns: Not mandatory.
• Re-engagement campaigns: Recommended. Import session_start to measure engagements.

Using multiple Google Ads accounts

Linkrunner works with a single Link ID per platform. Generate one Link ID in Google Ads and share it across the relevant accounts. See Google's documentation on sharing Link IDs.

MCC-level vs. account-level Link IDs

Both are supported. Work with your Google Ads representative to confirm the account structure, especially if multiple teams or agencies manage the same ad accounts.

How Android and iOS attribution differs

Google is a Self-Reporting Network (SRN), so Google Ads reports its own attributed installs and events back to Linkrunner through its API.

• Android: Requires GAID collection. The Linkrunner SDK captures GAID automatically when the user has not opted out.
• iOS: Measurement happens via SKAdNetwork (SKAN). Google Ads sends SKAN postbacks to Linkrunner, and installs with did_win=TRUE are counted. Deterministic SDK attribution only works when the user grants ATT and the IDFA is available. See SKAdNetwork integration and iOS Campaign Data Limitations.
• iOS without ATT consent: Integrated Conversion Measurement can attribute installs even when ATT is denied and no IDFA is available. It complements SKAN rather than replacing it, and needs setup in your iOS app. Google keeps it inactive for users in the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland.

See the Google Ads integration guide for full setup on each platform.

What causes discrepancies

The differences fall into three groups.

Timing

Google Ads dates conversions to the ad click. Linkrunner dates them to the first app open (or the event itself). A Jan 5 conversion in Linkrunner can show on Jan 1 in Google Ads if the click happened then.

Counting

As an SRN, Google attributes every install that follows any Google Ads engagement within its window. Linkrunner uses last-click attribution, deduplicates across networks, and counts one install per user.

iOS (SKAN)

On iOS, Linkrunner counts only SKAN postbacks with did_win=TRUE. Google Ads treats all SKAN events the same, so its dashboard typically reports more iOS installs. Integrated Conversion Measurement narrows this gap for users who declined ATT.

Row-by-row comparison

Area	Google Ads	Linkrunner
Install record time	Click time	First app open (Android) or SKAN postback time (iOS)
In-app event record time	Click time	Dashboard views: install time. Raw data: actual event time
Attribution window	30 days for installs, 90 days for in-app events	Uses Google's API defaults; configurable per project
Time zones	Account local time	Project time zone
View-through conversions	Shown in All conversions column, not Conversions column by default	Click-through and view-through surfaced separately when Google provides them
Assisted installs	Every install following any engagement within the window is credited	Last-click attribution; earlier engagements are assists
Reinstalls	Reported as session_start conversions	Surfaced as re-attributions in the remarketing view
Count setting	"Every" conversion counted	One install per user; multiple occurrences of the same in-app event
Processing delay	Varies by processing stage; no fixed guarantee	Near real time
Deduplication	Reports all claims, including overlap with other networks	Credits a single source per user
SKAN installs (iOS)	Counts postbacks with did_win=TRUE and did_win=NULL together	Counts only did_win=TRUE

Web-to-App is a Linkrunner-specific case. When a Google Ads click originates from a web page that carries gad_campaignid in its referrer URL, Linkrunner attributes the resulting install to the original SEARCH campaign from the referrer rather than the App Campaign returned by Google's API. This keeps the real source intact across the web → install handoff. Google Ads will still report the install under the App Campaign, which produces a predictable per-campaign discrepancy.

Troubleshooting checklist

If the gap is much bigger than expected:

• Conversion action is enabled in the correct Google Ads account, either through import or automatic enablement. For bidding, also check Action optimization, Account default goal, and campaign-specific selection in Google Ads.
• Event is mapped and enabled in the Linkrunner → Google Ads integration.
• The correct Link ID is saved in Linkrunner and shared with the right MCC sub-account.
• iOS: SKAdNetwork is configured and you're running App Campaigns. See SKAdNetwork integration.
• Android: cross-check the re-install rate in the Google Play Developer Console to rule out measurement-model differences.

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