Measure and optimize your App campaign performance using Google Analytics data

Using Google Analytics (Google Analytics) with the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK (Google AnalyticsF SDK) provides comprehensive, privacy-centric analytics to help you better measure and optimize your App campaign performance. Learn more about the benefits and features you get access to by using Google Analytics.

This guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step process for integrating Google Analytics and the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK with Google Ads bidding.

Before you begin

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

An app to market in Google Ads.
Administrative access to a Google Ads account or a Google Ads manager account.
Android users need Google Play Console account ownership. Learn more about Console Play access levels.
A Firebase project.
Optionally, if you have web analytics, you can set up Google Analytics for your website and app.
When linking in:
- A Google Analytics property, the Google Account needs to be an administrator or editor in the corresponding Google Analytics property.
- A Firebase project, the Google Account needs to be an owner of the Firebase project that you want to link.
- Update to the latest APIs or SDKs.
  - You should also update to the latest SDK version, which will allow it to properly communicate consent signals to help respect user choices and enable comprehensive measurement and modeling. Learn more about Resources to help you get ready for privacy and regulatory changes for traffic in the European Economic Area (EEA).

Get started with Google Analytics

To successfully bid on app events with Google Ads using Google Analytics, you must follow these steps:

Add the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK to your app
Implement event tracking
Enable Google Analytics for your project
Link Google Play if your app has in_app_purchase events
Mark events as key events
Link with Google Ads
Create Google Ads conversions based on key events
Enable auto-tagging
Bid on conversions

Step 1 of 9: Add the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK to your app

The Google Analytics for Firebase (Google AnalyticsF) SDK is a piece of code that needs to be implemented into your app. All implementation instructions and developer docs can be found through the following links:

For iOS, Android, or Flutter projects: Get Started with Google Analytics for Firebase SDK
For Unity projects: Get started with Google Analytics for Firebase SDK for Unity

Step 2 of 9: Implement event tracking

The Google AnalyticsF SDK automatically collects certain events. No additional code is required to capture these including first_open and in_app_purchase.

Implement additional events with event logging using the Google AnalyticsF SDK:

For generally recommended events, read Recommended events.

Step 3 of 9: Enable Google Analytics for your project

Link an existing Google Analytics property

Open the Firebase console, select your project, and click .
Open Project settings > Integrations.
On the Google Analytics card, click Link.
Select an Analytics Account or create a new one.
1. If you select an existing account, you have the option to select an existing Google Analytics property in that account or to create a new property.
2. If you create a new account, then a new Google Analytics property is created for you and your project is linked to that property.
Configure your Analytics settings.

Create new Google Analytics property from Firebase console

Open the Firebase console and select your project.
Click Analytics.
Click the Enable Google Analytics button and follow the prompts.

Learn more about Firebase integration.

Step 4 of 9: Link Google Play if your app has in_app_purchase events

You can link Google Play from either Google Analytics or the Firebase console.

In Google Analytics

In Admin, under "Product Links", click Google Play links.

Note: The previous link opens to the last Analytics property you accessed. You must be signed in to a Google Account to open the property. You can change the property using the property selector. You must be an Editor or above at the property level to link Google Play.
Click Link.
If you have Admin permissions on one or more Play developer accounts, click Choose app then select the app you want to link to.
Click Next.
Verify the auto-selected app data stream and click Next.
Review your configuration settings and click Submit.

In the Firebase console

Open the Firebase console, select your project, and click .
Select Project Settings.
On the Project Settings page, click the Integrations tab.
On the Google Play card, click Link.
Click Link to Google Play in the “Linking to Google Play” popup box.

Verify that apps are properly linked. Status should be “Linked”.

Learn more about linking Google Play to Firebase and linking your developer account to Google services.

Step 5 of 9: Mark events as key events

In Admin, under Data display, click Events.

Note: The previous link opens to the last Analytics property you accessed. You must be signed in to a Google Account to open the property. You can change the property using the property selector. You must be a Viewer or above at the property level to mark events as key events.
Turn on the switch in the “Mark as key event” column.

Make sure to mark required events, the ones you plan to use for bidding in your App Campaigns, as key events. Learn more about how to Mark events as key events.

Step 6 of 9: Link with Google Ads

Enable bidding on app conversions by connecting your app data streams in Google Analytics to your Google Ads account. You can link Google Analytics with Google Ads from Google Analytics by following the steps below:

In Admin under "Product Links", click Google Ads links.

Note: The previous link opens to the last Analytics property you accessed. You must be signed in to a Google Account to open the property. You can change the property using the property selector. You must be an Editor or above at the property level to link Google Ads.
Click Link.
Click Choose Google Ads accounts, then select the Google Ads accounts you want to link.
Click Confirm.
Click Next.
The option to Enable Personalized Advertising is on by default.
- If personalized advertising is disabled, Firebase/Google Analytics lists cannot be used for remarketing in App engagement or Web campaigns.
Expand the Enable Auto-Tagging option to enable auto-tagging or to leave your auto-tagging settings as they are.
- If you enable auto-tagging when you link to a manager account, then auto-tagging will be enabled on all Google Ads accounts directly linked to the manager account.
- Auto-tagging is required to track app conversions in Engagement and web campaigns.
Click Next, then review your settings.
Click Submit to link your accounts with the current settings.

Step 7 of 9: Create Google Ads conversions based on key events

Set up a Google Analytics web data source

Go to Summary within the Goals menu.
Select the + Create conversion action.
Select Conversions on a website and select Continue.
Click Add URL.
Click Scan.
If a Google Analytics account is available, you’ll see it displayed.
Choose the data you want to share by turning on the switch:
- Import app and web metrics. Learn about using GA metrics in Google Ads .
- Import Google Analytics audiences. Learn about remarketing audiences.
Click Link.
Click Done.
- Note: When we detect that a Google Analytics property has app data streams, you’ll be prompted to use the Google Analytics property to measure activity in your apps.
To use Google Analytics to measure your app activity, select Use property.
“Conversion on a website” and “Conversion on an app” should both be checked.
Click Continue.

Note: To create conversions based on your Google Analytics iOS key events, add an App Store ID to your Firebase project. To access IDFA, enable the AdSupport framework in your XCode project. Learn more about AdSupport through Apple's documentation.

Set account-default goals for imported events

First-time users of Google Analytics
- Include goals in account defaults if you would like the conversion to be counted towards any campaigns with account-default conversion goals. Learn more About account-default conversion goals.
Migrating from another conversion event source
- If you are already optimizing to third-party app conversion actions as primary, then be sure to set action optimization to secondary for all newly imported Google Analytics conversion actions to avoid negatively impacting your existing campaigns.

Note:

You can't edit the goal category and action optimization of conversion actions in Google Analytics. These settings can only be updated in Google Ads. Conversion-related updates made through the Google Analytics interface will only appear in the "Change history" page of Google Ads.
You can create Google Ads conversions directly from your Google Analytics events and key events. This process uses Google Analytics as the source of truth, ensuring data consistency across platforms. Certain conversion settings may have limited editability in Google Ads when created via Google Analytics.

Step 8 of 9: Enable auto-tagging

Auto-tagging is required to track conversions for App Engagement campaigns and web campaigns with app goals.

In your Google Ads account, click the Admin icon .
Click Account settings.
Click the Auto-tagging section.
You'll be able to check the current status of auto-tagging for your account. To turn auto-tagging on or off, click to check or uncheck the box next to “Tag the URL that people click through from my ad”.
Click Save.

Learn more About auto-tagging.

Step 9 of 9: Bid on conversions

After you create conversions based on your key events, you can begin bidding on the conversions by starting with App Campaigns or choosing the right campaign that can utilize your app conversions.

Learn more about conversion goals and using conversion goals to guide new campaigns.

If you’re already bidding on conversions imported from another app SDK and wish to begin using Google Analytics for bidding, follow the instructions on how to Migrate App campaigns to use Google Analytics.

Web to App Connect

If you run Search, Performance Max, and or Shopping campaigns in addition to using App campaigns, you can use Web to App Connect to drive better experiences for your customers through seamless web-to-app integration. For mobile users who have your app installed, you can use Web to App Connect to help you direct customers to relevant pages on your mobile app through deep links in Search, Performance Max, and Shopping campaign ads.

Once deeplinked to a specific page in your app, your customers can easily complete their intended action, whether purchasing, signing up, or adding items to their cart. By using the Web to App Connect interface, you can also more easily track these in-app conversion actions and get recommendations on how to improve your campaign. Creating seamless web-to-app experiences for your customers can help deliver, on average, 2 times higher conversion rates for ad clicks landing in your app compared to your mobile website. Learn more about converting better with the Web to App Connect interface.