The No Vacancy Co.

Cloudbeds answers · Google Ads

Should I track Google Ads on Cloudbeds through the GTM connection or the GA4 connection?

By Giuseppe Gaspari, founder. Updated October 2026.

Fifteen-plus years running paid search and conversion tracking for tourism and lodging operators. Full bio

The short answer

Use the GTM connection, which Cloudbeds itself recommends. On it, we recommend importing the GA4 purchase key event into Google Ads. The built-in Conversion ID and Label fields only exist on the GA4-direct connection, and Cloudbeds says running both connections side by side is not supported.

Why

Cloudbeds' tracking guide is firm. It says to use "either Direct GA4 or GTM connection inside Cloudbeds," not both: "If GTM is enabled, all tags (including GA4, Ads, and Facebook) must be placed inside your GTM container." Its Google Ads article adds that the direct route "may not offer the same level of advanced tracking or data consistency."

One wrinkle on the GTM side. Cloudbeds sends its booking events as Google tag commands, not as the {event: ...} objects a GTM Custom Event trigger listens for, so an Ads tag on a Custom Event trigger won't see them. The route we recommend is a Google tag with your GA4 ID in the container, then importing the GA4 purchase into Google Ads.

What each path looks like

  1. 1

    GTM connection: Google tag plus Conversion Linker in the container, GA4 purchase marked as a key event, imported into Google Ads and set to Primary.

  2. 2

    GA4-direct connection: enter the Conversion ID and Label in Cloudbeds. Both fields, never one.

  3. 3

    Switching from GA4-direct to GTM? Put your GA4 Google tag in the container before you flip the setting, or booking data stops reaching GA4 once you save.

Read the decision table in the full guide

Sources

Related answers.

Rather not do this yourself?

We set up Cloudbeds and Google Ads tracking as part of every engagement, then fund the ads and get paid only on new guests who book direct.

Book a private call