To track a lead form, you must first create the “Action” in Google Ads and then “fire” the signal from your website when a user hits the submit button.

Step 1: Create the Conversion Action in Google Ads

1. Navigate to Goals: Click Goals > Conversions > Summary.

2. Create New: Click the blue + Create conversion action button.

3. Select “Website”: Enter your website URL and click Scan.

4. Create Manually: Scroll down to the section “Create conversion actions manually using code” and click + Add a conversion action manually.

5. Configure Settings:

• Goal Category: Select Submit lead form.

• Conversion Name: Give it a clear name (e.g., “Contact Form Submission”).

• Value: Select “Use the same value for each conversion” and enter a ballpark lead value (e.g., £50), or select “Don’t use a value.”

• Count: Select One (This ensures if one person submits the form 3 times, it only counts as 1 lead). 

6. Save and Continue: Click Save and Continue.

Step 2: Set Up the Tag in Google Tag Manager

When you finish Step 1, Google will show you a Conversion ID and Conversion Label. Keep these handy.

1. Open GTM: Create a New Tag.

2. Tag Configuration: Choose Google Ads Conversion Tracking.

3. Enter IDs: Paste your Conversion ID and Conversion Label into the boxes.

4. Add a Trigger: This tells GTM when to count the conversion.

• Option A (Thank You Page): Create a trigger for “Page View” where the URL contains /thank-you or /success. This is the most reliable method in 2026. 

• Option B (Form Submit): Create a trigger for “Form Submission.” Check “Check Validation” to ensure Google doesn’t count failed submissions where the user missed a required field. 

5. Submit & Publish: Click Save, then Submit the GTM container to make it live.

“Pro” Method: Enhanced Conversions for Leads

The standard tracking is becoming less accurate due to privacy laws (like GDPR/CCPA). We recommend enabling Enhanced Conversions.

• What it does: It captures the email address or phone number from the form, hashes it (encrypts it), and sends it to Google. This helps Google match the conversion to a user even if cookies are blocked.

• How to enable: In the Google Ads conversion settings, check the box for “Turn on enhanced conversions” and select “Google Tag” or “Google Tag Manager.” 

Verification Checklist

• Tag Assistant: Use the Google Tag Assistant to perform a test submission and ensure the “Google Ads Conversion Tracking” tag fires.

• Status Check: In Google Ads, the status will show as “Unverified” or “No recent conversions” until the first real lead comes through.