Google Ads offline conversions for trades: track won jobs
Tell Google Ads which clicks became leads and paid jobs with the GCLID and offline conversion import. Set-up, scheduled uploads and common mistakes.
RoughFigure3 min read
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Google Ads offline conversion import lets you tell Google which ad clicks turned into leads and which turned into won jobs, even when the sale happened on the phone or on site days later. You save the click’s GCLID with the lead, then upload it with the conversion name, time and value. Google reports real jobs per campaign and keyword, and Smart Bidding can aim for customers rather than clicks.
Why form fills aren’t enough
A lead form conversion counts every enquiry the same: the customer who wanted a £150 hedge trim and the one who booked a £9,000 roof. If you bid for “conversions”, Google gets you more of whatever is cheapest to get. Feeding back won jobs, with their value, changes what it optimises for.
Step 1: keep auto-tagging on and capture the click ID
With auto-tagging on (Admin → Account settings), Google adds gclid to the address of every ad click. On iPhones you may see gbraid or wbraid instead. Your website needs to:
- Read
gclid,gbraidorwbraidfrom the landing page address. - Keep it while the customer browses (a first-party cookie for up to 90 days is common).
- Save it with the lead when they enquire.
No click ID, no offline conversion. It’s the single most common reason imports match nothing.
Step 2: create two conversion actions
In Google Ads, Goals → Conversions → New conversion action → Import → Other data sources or CRMs → Track conversions from clicks. Create:
- Lead: value can be the middle of the estimate the customer saw.
- Won job: value is what the job was worth.
Mark Won job as primary if you want bidding to use it, and Lead as secondary once you have enough won jobs.
Step 3: upload on a schedule
The upload is a simple table. Google accepts files by hand, from Google Sheets, or from an HTTPS link it fetches on a schedule:
Parameters:TimeZone=Europe/London
Google Click ID,Conversion Name,Conversion Time,Conversion Value,Conversion Currency
Cj0KCQiA…,Lead,2026-11-03 14:12:00,1150,GBP
Cj0KCQiA…,Won job,2026-11-09 09:30:00,1320,GBPSet it up under Goals → Uploads → Schedules, pick HTTPS, paste the link and choose daily. Conversion names must match exactly, capitals included.
Common mistakes
- Clicks older than 90 days are refused. Upload regularly, not once a quarter.
- A conversion time before the click is refused. Check your time zone line.
- Changing the conversion name in Google Ads without updating the file.
- Expecting instant results. Imported conversions can take a day or so to appear in reports.
Doing it in RoughFigure
In RoughFigure we’ve built Google Ads conversions in. The estimator saves gclid, gbraid and wbraid with each lead (for customers who agree), and under Integrations → Ads and analytics → Google Ads we give you a private HTTPS link with your leads and won jobs from the last 90 days. Paste it into a Google Ads upload schedule once, type in your two conversion names, and it updates itself daily. Read the set-up guide, and see GA4 lead tracking for the analytics side.
Questions
Do I need enhanced conversions as well?
Enhanced conversions for leads match on hashed email or phone instead of the GCLID. They help when click IDs are lost. GCLID import is the simplest place to start.
Can I upload conversions for calls?
Yes, if the call came from a tracked number that records the click. Calls to your normal number have no click ID to match.
How long before Smart Bidding uses won jobs?
It needs a steady flow of conversions to learn from. Low-volume businesses often keep bidding on leads and use won jobs for reporting until volumes grow.
