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Google Ads Zapier integrationAutomate Google Ads with Zapier.

The Google Ads Zapier integration gives you 2 triggers, 10 actions and 3 searches. It picks up new campaigns and lead form entries, feeds customer lists, sends offline conversions, sets campaign status and builds reports, from the free plan up.

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Overview

What the Google Ads Zapier integration is good for

Plugging Google Ads into Zapier means building a Zap: an automation that starts on one event and then runs one or more steps for you. Here, the events are a new campaign or a new lead form entry, and the steps work on your audiences, your conversions, your campaigns and your reporting.

Three results people build with it. Leads that reach sales on their own: New Lead Form Entry hands each form entry to Zapier, so it can land in your CRM or a customer list. Audiences that stay current: the customer list actions add, remove and create Customer Match lists from what other tools know, and Find Customer List (Data Manager) finds the right list first. Ads credited for sales that happen offline: Send Offline Conversion pushes a deal closed by phone or in store back to Google Ads, so your campaigns are tied to what happens offline.

What Zapier does not do: neither trigger is instant, so a lead waits for the next check. There is no action to write ads, change bids or edit keywords, and no trigger on spend or performance. Create Report pulls data on demand, but nothing alerts you by itself. The customer list actions rely on an interface Google is still beta testing. API Request (Beta) covers the rest, for someone fluent in the app's interface.

For the same app on other tools, read the Google Ads n8n integration and the Google Ads Make integration.

Vocabulary

Zapier terms, in plain English

Eight words do the heavy lifting on this page. One line each, then we move on.

Zap
The automation you build: one trigger, then one or more actions that run each time the trigger event happens.
Trigger
The event in an app that starts the Zap. Once the Zap is on, Zapier waits for it without you doing anything.
Action
What the Zap does after it starts: the step that adds, sends or changes something in an app for you.
Task
The unit Zapier bills. One action that completes successfully is one task, and plans are counted in tasks.
Polling vs instant
A polling trigger is checked by Zapier on a timer; an instant one is pushed by the app straight away. Both Google Ads triggers poll.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap go on only when what arrived meets your condition, and stops the run otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up something already in an app, so the steps that follow can use what it found.
Connection
Your Google Ads account linked to Zapier once, then reused by every Google Ads step in every Zap you build.
Cost

What a Google Ads Zap really costs

Google Ads is not a premium app on Zapier, so it works on the free plan. The bill is in tasks, and the triggers never add to it.

  • New Campaign or New Lead Form Entry0 tasks
  • Each action that succeeds1 task
  • Free plan100 tasks a month, two-step Zaps
  • Premium appNo

Every action that completes costs one task: a contact added, a conversion sent, a report created. A failed action is not counted, and Zapier checking for new leads is free. The free plan stops at two steps, one trigger and one action. A filter, a second action or one of the three searches makes the Zap multi-step, which needs a paid plan. Both triggers poll, so the grid below decides how long a lead waits before the Zap picks it up.

Connect

Connect Google Ads to Zapier in three steps

  1. 01

    Open Apps

    In Zapier, go to Apps and click + Add connection. You need a Google Ads account, plus access to any client account you do not own but want the Zap to read or change.

  2. 02

    Pick Google Ads

    Type Google Ads in the dialog's search box, select it, then click Add connection. A Google sign-in tab then opens so you can choose the right Google login.

  3. 03

    Sign in and grant access

    Log in with the Google account that has access to the ad account and allow Zapier in. Every step then asks which account to act as, in the Use Google Ads as... field.

First Zap

Your first Google Ads Zap

GoalChange the status of each new campaign that meets your condition, so nothing goes live before someone reviews it.

  1. 01

    Create the Zap

    Start a new Zap from your dashboard. With a filter in it, the Zap is multi-step, so this one needs a paid plan; drop the filter to stay on the free one.

  2. 02

    Set New Campaign

    Pick Google Ads, then New Campaign, your connection and the account in Use Google Ads as.... It polls, so the card shows your plan's interval.

  3. 03

    Test the trigger

    Run the test: Zapier brings back the three most recent campaigns of the account. Choose a real one so the filter and the action are set on true data.

  4. 04

    Add the filter

    Click the plus icon, choose Filter, and set the field, the rule and the value. Text rules only read text, so pick the type that matches the field.

  5. 05

    Add Set Campaign Status

    Choose Set Campaign Status, map the campaign that came from the trigger, and pick the status it should get while it waits for review.

  6. 06

    Test and publish

    Test the step on that sample campaign and check its status in Google Ads. If it is right, click Publish to switch the Zap on.

Triggers

The 2 Google Ads triggers

2 events start a Zap when something happens in Google Ads. Zapier checks for them at the interval your plan allows.

1

New Campaign

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers whenever a new campaign is created in Google Ads.”

Spots each campaign created in the chosen Google Ads account, so the people around it hear about it without opening the interface.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one
When to use it
an agency account lead who wants every campaign a junior creates logged in the client tracker, or checked by a second pair of eyes before it spends a cent.
Watch out
the Use Google Ads as... field is required, so set it to the very account you want watched.
2

New Lead Form Entry

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers whenever a new lead is created from a Lead Form Extension.”

Collects each entry left in one of your lead forms and passes it to the next steps, so a prospect who filled the form inside the ad does not sit forgotten in Google Ads.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one
When to use it
a home services company whose ads collect quote requests, and whose sales team wants each one in the CRM before calling back the same day.
Watch out
the Lead Form field is mandatory and only shows forms already saved in Google Ads.
Actions

The 10 Google Ads actions

Google Ads gives you 10 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Add Contact to Customer List With Email

Action

In Zapier“Adds a contact to a customer list using their email address. This uses the Data Manager API, which is being beta tested by Google.”

Puts one person into a customer list using only an email address, the simplest way to feed an audience from a form or a CRM.

When to use it
new newsletter subscribers should join a retargeting list the same day.
Watch out
it runs on the Data Manager interface, which Google is still beta testing.
2

Add Contact to Customer List

Action

In Zapier“Adds a contact to a customer list. This uses the Data Manager API, which is being beta tested by Google.”

Adds a contact to a list from a customer identifier of your choice, for when the email alone is not what you match on.

When to use it
your CRM holds identifiers other than an email and you want the audience built on those.
Watch out
the Customer List and the Customer identifier are both required, and the action sits on the beta Data Manager interface.
3

Create Customer List (Data Manager)

Action

In Zapier“Creates a Customer Match customer list using the Data Manager API.”

Opens a new Customer Match list under the name you give it, ready to receive contacts in the next steps.

When to use it
each new product launch or webinar gets its own audience, built from the people who signed up.
Watch out
the Name is required; pick a naming rule so the list is easy to find later.
4

Create Report

Action

In Zapier“Creates a report on specified data from your campaigns/ads.”

Pulls a report from your campaign data on the resource and dates you pick, so the numbers travel to wherever people read them.

When to use it
a client wants campaign figures in their own sheet each time a campaign is created.
Watch out
Resource and Dates to Include are required; choose Custom Date Range for exact dates.
5

Delete Customer List (Data Manager)

Action

In Zapier“Deletes a Customer Match customer list using the Data Manager API.”

Deletes a whole Customer Match list, for audiences that have served their purpose.

When to use it
an event is over and its list has no reason to stay in the account.
Watch out
point it at the right Customer List; a search step in front helps when the Zap only has a name.
6

Remove Contact From Customer List

Action

In Zapier“Removes a contact from a customer list. This uses the Data Manager API, which is being beta tested by Google.”

Takes a person out of a customer list, the mirror of the two add actions.

When to use it
someone becomes a customer and should stop seeing acquisition ads, or asks to be forgotten.
Watch out
the Customer List and the Customer identifier are both required, and it also depends on the beta Data Manager interface.
7

Send Offline Conversion

Action

In Zapier“Sends events from your customer systems (PoS, CRM, email service provider, etc) to connect Google Ad campaigns to offline activity and business impact.”

Reports a sale or a signature that happened outside the website back to Google Ads, tied to the ad click that started it.

When to use it
deals close by phone or in a showroom, and you want to know which ads bring them.
Watch out
you need an Import from Clicks conversion action, a Timestamp, and enhanced conversions for leads switched on to match by email or phone instead of click ID.
8

Set Campaign Status

Action

In Zapier“Sets the status of a Google Ads campaign.”

Switches the status of a campaign, the lever that starts or holds its spend, from any event in another tool.

When to use it
stock runs out on a product and its campaign should stop without waiting for someone to log in.
Watch out
the account in Use Google Ads as... must be the one holding that campaign.
9

Update Customer List (Data Manager)

Action

In Zapier“Updates a Customer Match customer list using the Data Manager API.”

Changes the settings of a Customer Match list that already exists, without rebuilding it from scratch.

When to use it
an audience you manage from your CRM needs a change, and the list already serves live campaigns.
Watch out
the Customer List must already exist; put Find Customer List (Data Manager) in front if the Zap only knows its name.
10

API Request (Beta)

Action

In Zapier“This is an advanced action which makes a raw HTTP request that includes this integration's authentication.”

Sends a raw HTTP request to Google Ads with your connection's sign-in attached, for anything the nine other actions leave out.

When to use it
someone on the team knows the app's interface and needs one call the editor does not offer.
Watch out
it only reaches the app's own domains, and you decide whether an error stops the step.
Searches

The 3 Google Ads searches

3 search steps look for data that already exists in Google Ads, so a later step can use it.

A search step finds a campaign or a list that already exists and passes it on. The Google Ads searches sit under the SEARCH heading at the bottom of the Action event list. Three settings decide what happens when the result is not one clean match.

1

Find Campaign by Id

Search

In Zapier“Finds a Google Ads Campaign whose id matches the provided input.”

Retrieves the campaign whose ID matches the one you pass, when the Zap already carries that number.

When to use it
your CRM stores the campaign ID next to each deal and you want its details before Set Campaign Status.
Watch out
the account in Use Google As... must be the one that holds the campaign.
2

Find Campaign by Name

Search

In Zapier“Finds a Google Ads Campaign whose names matches the provided input.”

Looks a campaign up by its name, handy when the people around you know names rather than numbers.

When to use it
a request arrives from a form where the client typed the campaign's name.
Watch out
how exact the name must be is decided by Google Ads, so keep naming consistent.
3

Find Customer List (Data Manager)

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a Data Manager customer list by name.”

Finds a customer list by its display name and hands it to the next step, usually an add or remove action.

When to use it
the Zap knows which audience by name only. The editor also shows Find or Create Customer List (Data Manager): it is this same search with the create box ticked, not another operation.
Watch out
the Name field is required.

The three settings every search exposes

  1. Successful if no search results are found?
    On its default, a search that finds nothing stops the Zap and skips the steps that needed it. Switched on, the Zap carries on empty-handed.
  2. Create Customer List if it doesn't exist yet?
    Ticking it turns the search into a find-or-create: when nothing matches, it asks for what is needed and creates the missing item.
  3. If multiple search results are found?
    Three ways out when several items match: keep the first one, which is the default, stop the Zap, or pass all of them on at once.
When it breaks

When a Google Ads Zap breaks

Zapier attaches several help articles to Google Ads, including Common Problems with Google Ads on Zapier and guides for the lead form trigger, offline conversions and customer lists. Read them on Zapier for the detail of each case.

Three cases come from what the operations require on the Google Ads side, three from the general rules of every Zap.

  • The lead form is not in the list

    New Lead Form Entry only offers forms already saved in Google Ads. Save the form there, then reload the field. Zapier keeps a setup guide for this trigger.

  • No conversion action to pick

    Send Offline Conversion lists nothing until the account has an Import from Clicks conversion action. Create it in Google Ads, then come back to the step.

  • Customer list steps act up

    The customer list actions use the Data Manager interface, which Google is still beta testing. Zapier keeps a dedicated article on adding and removing contacts.

  • Past leads never arrive

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after you switch it on. Lead entries from last month stay out; moving that backlog is a separate job.

  • A burst of entries is held

    When a trigger suddenly returns a huge batch, after an import or a migration, Zapier's flood protection can hold the runs instead of firing all of them.

  • The same lead never runs twice

    Zapier keeps track of what a polling trigger has already seen, so an entry that started the Zap once will not start it again.
Need help

Need help automating Google Ads with Zapier?

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FAQ

Google Ads Zapier integration: questions people ask

01Is the Google Ads Zapier integration free?
Yes, it runs on the free plan, because Google Ads is not a premium app on Zapier. That plan gives you 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, each limited to two steps: one trigger and one action. New Lead Form Entry followed by Add Contact to Customer List With Email fits. A filter, a second action or any of the three searches makes the Zap multi-step, and that requires a paid plan, so plan your lookups with that in mind.
02How many tasks does a Google Ads Zap use?
One task per action that completes, and none for the trigger. Zapier can check for new campaigns or lead entries as often as your plan allows without spending a task. Each contact added, conversion sent or report created counts as one, and a failed action is not counted. A Zap with two actions spends two tasks per lead, and a filter in front saves tasks, since the leads it stops never reach a billed step.
03Does Google Ads send leads to Zapier in real time?
No. Both New Campaign and New Lead Form Entry are polling triggers: Zapier asks Google Ads for new items at a fixed interval, every 15 minutes on the free plan, 2 minutes on Professional and 1 minute on Team and Enterprise. A lead who fills the form just after a check waits for the next one. The app decides the trigger type, so no Zapier setting makes it instant. On paid plans you can also run a check by hand from the editor.
04What does it take to connect Google Ads to Zapier?
A Google Ads account, plus access to any client account you do not own and want the Zap to touch. You start from Apps in Zapier with + Add connection, pick Google Ads, sign in to Google in the tab that opens and grant access. Then every step asks which account to act as in the Use Google Ads as... field, so agencies with several clients choose the right one in each Zap.
05Why can't Zapier see a Google Ads lead form or conversion action?
Because both have to exist in Google Ads before Zapier can list them. The Lead Form field of New Lead Form Entry only shows forms already saved in the account. The Conversion Action field of Send Offline Conversion stays empty until the account has an Import from Clicks conversion action. Create what is missing in Google Ads, return to the step and reload the dropdown. Zapier keeps setup guides for both operations.
06What if the Google Ads operation you need is not available?
Then the built-in list cannot do it as is: two triggers, ten actions and three searches make up the whole visible set. There is, for example, no action on ads, bids or keywords. Hidden operations kept in Zapier's data are not offered in the editor, so they are no way around it. The fallback inside Zapier is API Request (Beta), a raw request to the app's own domains with your sign-in; otherwise, look at other platforms.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for Google Ads?
It depends on the criterion, not on a ranking. Zapier is quick for common jobs such as moving lead form entries, feeding customer lists or sending offline conversions, and its free plan covers two-step Zaps. If leads must be handled within seconds, keep in mind that its triggers poll. If you need operations missing here, compare the Make and n8n pages for the same app, and how each one bills a run.
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