Simple setup guide

Set up Google Ads

Bring your campaign spend, clicks and conversions into Plotline to see what is working and what to improve.

Before you start: A Google account with access to your business’s Google Ads account. Running ads costs money; connecting Plotline does not launch ads.

Already using Google Ads?

Use your existing advertising account, not a new duplicate. Make sure the Google account you connect to Plotline has access, then go straight to step 4.

  1. Open your Google Ads account

    Sign in to Google Ads. If you are new, follow Google’s account setup and look for the option to create an account without a campaign if offered. Do not publish a campaign just to connect Plotline. If you do not run ads, you can leave this source unconnected.

    Open Google Ads

  2. Check the right account has access

    Find your business’s 10-digit customer ID in Google Ads. If someone else manages the account, ask an administrator to invite your Google email under Admin → Access and security. Read-only access is enough for viewing reports. Accept the invitation before connecting.

  3. Check what counts as a conversion

    If you already run campaigns, open Goals → Conversions and check that your important actions, such as leads or purchases, are tracked. If not, follow Google’s website conversion setup or import relevant GA4 key events. This is optional for connecting, but needed to judge leads and sales accurately.

    Conversion tracking help

  4. Connect it to Plotline

    Open Connections in Plotline and click Connect Google. Use the Google account with access to your ads and allow Google Ads access. If already connected, use Edit Access if needed, then Setup Google Data. Select the advertising account that owns your campaigns and click Import and start asking.

What to expect

An account with no campaign activity has no performance history to analyze. Reporting and conversions can arrive later or change as Google processes them. Plotline never creates campaigns, changes budgets or edits your Google Ads account.

Connect in Plotline

Sign in or create a Plotline account if prompted. Plotline only reads your Google data.

Need a hand?

My account is missing or the numbers are empty

Compare the customer ID in Google Ads with your selected account in Plotline. Confirm the Google email shown in Connections accepted its invitation. Select the client account with actual campaign activity, rather than an empty manager account, then run Setup Google Data again.

Analytics and Ads are under different emails

Plotline currently connects one Google account per workspace. Ask the owners of the other sources to give that same Google email access. You do not need to move ownership or share passwords.

Google’s official setup guide