Real-Time vs. Delayed Conversion Tracking

A conversion action set up for real-time, on-page tracking fires the instant something happens on your site — a purchase, a form submission. A different kind of conversion action is built for delayed events, where someone signs up now but the thing you actually care about (like a paid upgrade) happens weeks later, and gets reported back after the fact. These two setups aren't interchangeable — using the wrong one for a delayed event means bidding never sees the outcome it needs to optimize for.

If your business has a gap between the initial click and the moment a lead actually turns into revenue, having a conversion action that only tracks the immediate event will quietly starve automated bidding of the signal that matters most — even though "a conversion action exists" and looks configured correctly on the surface.

I have a signup-to-sale delay — is my conversion tracking set up for that?

Ask datanephew to check the type of conversion action you have configured. If your business has a real gap between signup and sale, make sure there's a conversion action built to report that delayed outcome back, not just the instant signup.

My bidding doesn't seem to be optimizing toward my actual paying customers — why?

Ask datanephew to check which conversion action is marked primary and whether it captures the delayed outcome you care about, rather than just the earlier, easier-to-track event.