Question from Reddit user:
I have an android app, i run ads but in Google ads, conversation is always zero. Is there something i missed?
Answer from Nabil:
The short answer is:
The reason your Google Ads conversions are always zero is because the app install and in-app events from your Flutter-built Android app aren’t automatically communicated to Google Ads; you’re missing the crucial step of linking the app’s event data to the advertising platform.
The most robust and modern solution is to use the Firebase SDK integrated into your Flutter app, enabling you to track events using Google Analytics for Firebase, which you then link directly to Google Ads.
For superior, cross-network tracking and attribution, integrating a Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) like AppsFlyer with your Flutter API and Firebase setup is the best practice.
The long answer is:
When you run ads for a mobile app, especially one built with a cross-platform framework like Flutter, the ad platform needs to receive server-to-server confirmation of two main types of conversions: the initial install and subsequent in-app events like purchase or level_achieved.
Since Google Ads can’t simply read a URL for attribution like it does for websites, it relies on event data from an SDK.
If your conversions are zero, it’s highly likely that you haven’t properly implemented and configured the Firebase SDK within your Flutter project, or you haven’t correctly linked the Firebase project to your Google Ads account.
Firebase is Google’s recommended platform for app measurement; it uses the Google Analytics for Firebase component to collect all your app events.
You must first ensure your Flutter app’s codebase, using the Flutter API, is correctly calling the Firebase methods to log these events, such as logEvent(name: 'in_app_purchase'), and that these events are marked as conversions in the Firebase console.
Once the events are flowing into Firebase, you must link your Firebase project to your Google Ads account in the Firebase console.
Google Ads will then automatically import the first_open event (which it uses as the install conversion) and any other events you’ve marked as conversions.
For an even better solution that prepares you for scaling to other ad networks, incorporating an MMP like AppsFlyer is recommended.
The AppsFlyer SDK integrates with your Flutter app and Firebase.
This setup ensures that every app install and in-app event is first routed through AppsFlyer, which performs precise attribution to determine the source, whether it’s Google Ads, another ad network, or organic traffic.
AppsFlyer then feeds that attributed conversion data back to Google Ads via a server-to-server connection, guaranteeing accurate reporting and allowing Google Ads to use that accurate data to optimize your campaigns effectively.
This multi-layered approach using the Flutter API to log events, the Firebase SDK for collection, and the MMP for attribution is the gold standard for reliable mobile app conversion tracking.
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