This guide walks you through the full setup for running Google Ads campaigns tracked through Swaarm - from creating conversion actions in Google Ads to publishing your campaign.
Step 1 - Create conversion actions in Google Ads
For each in-app event you want Google to optimise for, you need to create a corresponding conversion action in Google Ads.
In your Google Ads dashboard, go to Goals → Conversions → Summary
Click + Create conversion action
On the Group your conversions page, select a category
ℹ️ If you want your campaign to optimise to a single action, include only that action in its category. For example, if optimising towards First Open, make sure it's the only action in that category - you'll then be able to select this category as the conversion goal when creating the campaign.
On the Create and Measure conversions page, click + Create conversion
From the menu, select Connect Data source later
Click Edit settings to configure the conversion
Enter a Name for the conversion action
Click Done
Click Save and Continue
On the Summary page, confirm the conversion action appears with its category
Under Set up your data source, no selection is needed - click Finish
ℹ️ Your new conversion action may initially appear as Inactive - it will change to Active once data is sent.
To map the conversion action to Swaarm, you need its conversion action ID. On the Summary page, click the conversion action you created and copy the value of the
ctid=parameter from the URL
In Swaarm, go to Apps and select the App (not the store app - the main App record)
Click Edit → Events tab
Under Self Attributed Network Mapping, paste the
ctidvalue copied from Google Ads into the field for the corresponding eventClick Save
Step 2 - Connect your Google Ads account to Swaarm
In Swaarm, go to Marketplace → Partners
Find Google
and click Connect with Google
Follow the steps in the popup to integrate your Google Ads account with Swaarm
Step 3 - Create a SAN Campaign in Swaarm
Go to the store app page for your app in Swaarm
Scroll down to the Offers section
Select the Google Ads account connected in Step 2 and click Create
On the next screen, copy the Final URL and the Google Ads tracking template URL - you will need both in Step 4
Step 4 - Create the campaign in Google Ads
In Google Ads, create a new campaign and set the Campaign Objective to Leads
ℹ️ We recommend Leads as the objective to optimise on specific in-app events.
Select the Conversion goals - choose the conversion goal categories created in Step 1
ℹ️ By default you'll see predefined account-level goals. You can keep those or remove any that aren't relevant. If you don't see the goal you want, create a custom goal as done in Step 1.
Select the Campaign Type - choose from Display, Search, Demand Gen, or Video
⚠️ Do not select Performance Max or Shopping - these campaign types are not compatible with this setup.
Configure remaining campaign settings (budgets, targeting, bids) as needed
ℹ️ Device and OS targeting: Set the correct device and OS under Campaign Settings → More Settings → Devices. Choose Android for Android campaigns and iOS for iOS campaigns.
Under Ads → Final URL, paste the Final URL copied from Swaarm in Step 3
⚠️ The Final URL must be a direct app store URL (Google Play or App Store) — not a Swaarm tracking link. Using a Swaarm link as the Final URL may cause your campaign to be rejected.
Upload your creatives and set up the ads
Under Ads → URL options, paste the tracking template URL copied from Swaarm in Step 3
Click Save to publish the campaign
What happens next
Once Swaarm starts receiving data from Google Ads:
An offer is created automatically in Swaarm for each Google Ads campaign
All stats - installs, events, and cost — are recorded under the respective offer