Google Ads

How to integrate Google Ads with Webflow

Google Ads conversion tracking measures which campaigns drive leads, sales, and signups on your Webflow site. Accurate tracking improves campaign optimization and reduces wasted ad spend.

Webflow offers several integration methods. This includes the Google Ads for Webflow app for Performance Max campaign management, direct tag implementation for simple tracking setup, Google Tag Manager for flexible conversion tracking and custom events, URL-based conversion tracking without installing any tags, and the Google Ads API for automated campaign management and programmatic reporting.

Before you start

Determine which prerequisites apply to your implementation.

• Using GCLID parameters for attribution? Disable Webflow's native Google Analytics integration in Site settings > Integrations, as it can interfere with GCLID parameter handling. Implement all tracking through Google Tag Manager instead.
• Targeting users in EEA, UK, or Switzerland? Implement Google Consent Mode v2, which became mandatory in March 2024 for GDPR and DMA compliance. Use a certified Consent Management Platform like Cookiebot, CookieYes, or the Webflow Consent Pro app.
• Using Enhanced Conversions? Update your privacy policy to disclose that hashed user data may be transmitted to Google for advertising purposes.
• Most other implementations? You can proceed with basic GTM setup and a thank-you page approach.

Webflow form limitation: Webflow uses AJAX for form submissions without page reloads, which prevents standard conversion tags from firing. All form-based conversion tracking requires either configuring form redirects to thank-you pages or implementing custom GTM triggers with JavaScript.

Use the Google Ads for Webflow app

The Google Ads for Webflow (Beta) app brings Performance Max campaign management directly into your Webflow workspace. The app allows you to create campaigns, track performance metrics like clicks, impressions, conversions, and costs, and optimize ads without switching between platforms. As a Beta integration, it may not yet offer full feature parity with standalone Google Ads management.

The app connects your Google Ads account to Webflow sites through a guided setup wizard. Navigate to the app marketplace, authorize your Google Ads account, and select which sites to connect. The app automatically inserts and configures the Google Tag (gtag) and supports Enhanced Conversions and Google Analytics event tracking setup.

The app provides the following campaign management capabilities:

• Create Performance Max campaigns using Webflow's asset library for images and videos
• Track clicks, impressions, conversions, and cost metrics in the Webflow dashboard
• Pause and enable campaigns directly from the workspace
• Monitor campaign budgets within the dashboard
• Access campaigns and performance data without switching to the Google Ads interface

The app also handles automated tracking setup:

• Automatic Google Tag integration without custom code
• Event snippet configuration for conversion tracking
• Enhanced Conversions support for improved attribution accuracy
• Google Analytics 4 event tracking integration

The Beta designation indicates active development. Test thoroughly before deploying to production campaigns with substantial budgets.

Direct Google tag embed

Place the Google Ads conversion tracking tag directly in Webflow's custom code sections for direct implementation. This method requires careful configuration and has important limitations. For most implementations, using Google Tag Manager instead of direct code is recommended for better tracking accuracy and easier management.

Navigate to your Google Ads conversion actions and copy the gtag.js snippet containing your conversion ID (format: AW-XXXXXXXXXX). In Webflow, open site settings by clicking the three-dot icon and selecting Settings. Under Custom Code, paste the global site tag in the Head code section. This loads the tag on every page before other content executes.

Requirement: You need a paid Webflow plan (Basic, CMS, or Business) to access custom code embed functionality. Free plans cannot implement tag-based Google Ads tracking.

Place conversion event snippets on specific pages where conversions occur. For form submissions, create a thank-you page and add the conversion snippet to that page's Custom Code section under Page settings. Configure your Webflow form to redirect to the thank-you page after submission using the form settings redirect option. The conversion snippet should be placed in the page's Footer code section to ensure it fires after the page loads.

Also, enable auto-tagging in Google Ads settings to append GCLID parameters automatically.

Google Tag Manager integration

Google Tag Manager provides flexible tracking implementation with visual tag management and custom event configuration. GTM allows tag updates without modifying website code directly.

Install via marketplace app

The Google Site Tools app offers a guided installation method for Google Tag Manager on Webflow sites. This app handles the technical setup through a visual interface, removing the need for manual code placement. After adding the app from the Webflow marketplace and authorizing your Google account, select your GTM container from dropdown menus. The app automatically inserts the required GTM code snippets in the correct locations. The app also supports Google Analytics 4 and Search Console connections within the same workflow.

Manual GTM installation

For greater control, manually install GTM using container code snippets. Create a web container in Google Tag Manager and copy both code snippets provided. Navigate to Webflow's Site settings > Custom Code and paste the first snippet into Head code and the second into Footer code.

Publish your Webflow site to activate the container. Use GTM Preview Mode to verify tags load correctly and fire on expected pages before publishing the GTM container to production. After publishing both your Webflow site and GTM container, account for cache clearing and server propagation delays. Conversions may take several hours to appear as the system processes data.

Configure conversion tracking in GTM

Set up the Conversion Linker tag first. This stores first-party cookies that preserve GCLID parameters across page navigation. Create a new tag in GTM, select Conversion Linker as the tag type, and set the trigger to All Pages. This tag must fire before any conversion tags execute.

Create a Google Ads conversion tag with your conversion ID and label from Google Ads. For Webflow implementations, the thank-you page method is the most reliable approach.

Thank-you page method (recommended for Webflow):

1. Create a thank-you page that displays after conversions occur
2. Place your Google Ads conversion code in the page's Custom Code section
3. Configure forms to redirect to this thank-you page on submission
4. Google Ads will count visits to this page URL as conversions

URL-based conversion tracking

Track conversions without installing any tags using URL-based conversion tracking in Google Ads. This method works entirely through the Google Ads interface. Specify your thank-you page URL and Google Ads will automatically count visits to that page as conversions, with no tag installation required on your Webflow site. This method works on all Webflow plans, including free plans.

Create a thank-you page in Webflow that displays only after conversion events. In Google Ads, navigate to Tools & Settings > Conversions and create a new conversion action. Select Website conversion using a URL as the tracking method and enter your Webflow thank-you page URL. Configure forms to redirect to this page on submission, and enable auto-tagging in your Google Ads account for proper attribution through GCLID parameters.

Configure conversion value, category, counting preferences, and attribution model.

Build with Webflow and Google Ads API

The Google Ads API supports campaign management through poll-based data access using GoogleAdsService.Search for on-demand queries.

For Webflow users seeking bidirectional automation without managing raw API polling, the official Google Ads for Webflow app (currently in Beta) enables campaign creation, budget management, and conversion tracking directly within the Webflow interface. Webflow's product feed integration with Google Merchant Center provides automatic synchronization for ecommerce campaigns without custom API implementation.

For an introduction to working with APIs in Webflow, see Intro to the Webflow APIs or the developer REST API documentation.

Automated campaign management

Create, update, and delete campaigns programmatically using GoogleAdsService mutations for bulk updates to campaign settings, ad groups, keywords, and creative assets.

Configure automated bid adjustments based on Webflow ecommerce data by querying inventory levels from Webflow API webhooks, calculating target ROAS thresholds, and updating campaign bid strategies through the Google Ads API.

Conversion data synchronization

Send offline conversion data from Webflow form submissions to Google Ads using offline conversion uploads. Capture GCLID parameters in hidden form fields using JavaScript via custom code embed, store values in localStorage across page navigation, and transmit using a backend service.

Webflow uses AJAX for form submissions, which doesn't reload pages. Configure forms to redirect to a thank-you page on submission, or use Google Tag Manager with custom form submission triggers for reliable tracking. Google Ads matches GCLID values to original ad clicks, bypassing browser-based tracking limitations.

Customer list management

Build Google Ads remarketing audiences from Webflow form submissions and CMS data. Extract email addresses, hash using SHA256, and upload to Customer Match lists via the API. For CMS-based audience building, use polling workflows since the Google Ads API doesn't support webhooks. Segmentation happens in Google Ads after data upload.

Performance reporting dashboards

Pull campaign metrics using the GoogleAdsService.Search API for impressions, clicks, conversions, and cost data. This requires a backend service, serverless function, or integration platform. Map query results to Webflow CMS fields via the Webflow API and render on password-protected pages using collection lists.

Implement polling with 15-30 minute intervals using the ChangeStatus resource to detect modified campaigns. Note the 3-minute operational delay before changes reflect, and that the resource returns only the latest change per resource within the queried period.

What you can build

Integrating Google Ads with Webflow enables conversion tracking systems, campaign creation workflows, customer remarketing through automated list management, and performance dashboards. Implementation requires a paid Webflow plan for tag-based methods and attention to platform-specific limitations like AJAX form submission handling.

• Lead generation funnels with conversion tracking: Create Webflow landing pages with forms that redirect to thank-you pages, configure URL-based conversion tracking in Google Ads, and measure which keywords and ads drive qualified leads without complex tag implementation
• Dynamic remarketing campaigns from ecommerce catalogs: Sync Webflow ecommerce products to Google Merchant Center using Webflow's native product feed integration, create Performance Max campaigns with the Google Ads for Webflow app, and retarget visitors who viewed specific products
• Client reporting dashboards with campaign metrics: Use integration platforms like Make or Zapier to pull Google Ads performance data, populate Webflow CMS collections with impressions, clicks, conversions, and cost data, and render dashboards on password-protected pages
• Automated audience segmentation via integration platforms: Connect Webflow form submissions to Google Ads Customer Match lists through Zapier or Make, automatically adding users who complete form submissions, content downloads, or membership registrations to remarketing audiences