This discussion and its public answers were preserved on 11 Sept 2026. Original dates are retained. Author identities are unavailable in the public archive. This archived discussion is read-only and does not award points.
3 perspectives preserved
Use Google Ads attribution for optimizing campaigns within Google Ads (it is what the algorithm uses anyway). Use GA4 for cross-channel budget allocation decisions. The discrepancy is normal — Google Ads counts view-through and cross-device conversions that GA4 might miss. I track both but make optimization decisions in-platform and strategic decisions in GA4. Also check your conversion windows — they are likely different between the two.
Neither! Build your own attribution model using UTM parameters and CRM data. Both Google tools are biased toward Google. If you have the resources, invest in a proper MTA solution or at least do incrementality testing quarterly.
Make sure consent mode is properly configured. A lot of the discrepancy comes from GA4 not modeling conversions from users who declined cookies, while Google Ads does model those.