Why it happens
The tag fires, but for a different action. Google now shows Awaiting conversions when an action recorded nothing in the last 7 days and Misconfigured when conversions stopped because of a setup error or a broken tag. Many people still search for "inactive", the older word for the same situation. A common reason is that the tag on your order confirmation page carries the label of another action, for example an old one from an earlier setup. The page shows a firing tag in preview, and the action you look at gets nothing.
A second action counts the purchase. Stores often have more than one purchase action: a website tag, a Google Analytics 4 import, an app-created action. Only actions marked Primary count toward bidding. If the second action is Primary and the one you read is not, the purchases are recorded elsewhere. Two Primary actions that count the same purchase can also double the total.
The status points to the part that failed. Needs attention means Google found a problem it wants you to read, usually a tag or data problem. Misconfigured means conversions stopped because of a setup error or a broken tag. Awaiting conversions means the action is set up but has recorded nothing in the last 7 days, which is normal for a new action or a store with few sales. Removed means someone deleted the action. Each status sends you to a different check, so read the status before you touch the tag. The gap between Google's count and your orders has its own causes, such as click dates and the conversion window, and they are on the page "Google Ads purchases don't match your Shopify orders".
Consent can matter too. In regions with consent rules, a shopper who declines ad cookies may not be linked to the click at all. Google then has no click to credit, and the sale stays out of the count even though the order is paid. A store that sells to the EU or the UK may see a lower Google Ads count.
Check it yourself
- 1In Google Ads, open Goals > Conversions > Summary. Read the status and the source of every purchase action. Note which actions show Awaiting conversions, Needs attention or Misconfigured.
- 2Open the purchase action and check whether it is set as Primary or Secondary. Bidding uses only Primary actions.
- 3In Google Ads, open Goals > Conversions > Summary, then the Diagnostics tab, and read the messages for the action. Google lists tag problems and data problems there.
- 4Use Tag Assistant or your tag manager's preview mode on a test order and see which conversion label fires on the order confirmation page. Compare it with the label of the action in Google Ads. If the tag sat in the Thank you page's additional scripts, read what Shopify's checkout upgrade changed.
- 5In Shopify admin > Orders, filter by Sales channel and keep the online store. Count paid orders for whole weeks and, where your landing page URLs show it, how many started from a Google ad click.
- 6Compare whole weeks of conversions in the Primary action with those paid orders. Use the same time zone: check the account's time zone in Google Ads and your store's time zone in Shopify admin > Settings > General.
- 7If two actions count the same purchase, keep one as Primary and set the other to Secondary.
How a purchase gets to a conversion action in the first place is in how a paid order reaches Meta, GA4 and Google Ads.
FAQ
How long before an action shows as inactive?
After 7 days without a conversion the action shows Awaiting conversions. A store with few sales can see this even when the tag works.
Should I recreate the conversion action?
Not first. Check the label, the Primary setting and Diagnostics. A new action starts with no history, and the old one may still count.
Why are Google Ads purchases lower than my Shopify orders?
That has its own causes, covered on the page "Google Ads purchases don't match your Shopify orders".
Does it matter for bidding?
Yes. Smart bidding learns from the Primary actions. If they are empty or doubled, it learns from wrong data.