It is common for businesses to notice that Paid users reported in GA4 are significantly lower than clicks reported in Google Ads. This difference is expected and does not automatically indicate a tracking or data issue.
Google Ads and GA4 Measure Different Things
Google Ads reports clicks, meaning every time someone clicks an ad. This includes repeat clicks from the same person and clicks where the user leaves before the page fully loads.
GA4, however, reports users. A user is only counted if:
- The website loads successfully
- GA4 tracking fires correctly
- The user allows tracking (cookie consent)
- The visit is attributed to a paid channel
Because of this, GA4 will always report fewer Paid users than Google Ads reports clicks.
Attribution Models Cause Data Differences
Google Ads uses an ads-focused attribution model, giving priority to ad interactions.
GA4 uses data-driven attribution, which may assign credit to:
- Organic Search
- Direct traffic
- Another channel visited later
This means a user who first clicks a paid ad but later returns directly may be counted as Direct in GA4 rather than Paid.
Consent Mode and Privacy Reduce GA4 User Counts
In the UK and EU, cookie consent is required.
- Google Ads can model clicks even without full consent
- GA4 cannot fully record users without consent
As a result, Ads traffic appears higher, while GA4 Paid users appear lower.
Channel Grouping Differences
GA4 splits paid traffic into multiple channels such as:
- Paid Shopping
- Paid Search
- Cross-network
Google Ads reports all of this under a single clicks total, making direct comparisons misleading.
Example Scenario
A user clicks a Paid Shopping ad on their phone:
- The ad click is counted in Google Ads
- The user leaves quickly before the page fully loads
- GA4 does not fire or lacks consent
- The user later returns directly on desktop
Result:
- Google Ads: 1 click recorded
- GA4: User counted as Direct, not Paid
A lower number of Paid users in GA4 compared to Google Ads clicks is normal and expected. Differences are driven by measurement methods, attribution models, and privacy controls not broken tracking.