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Why are Google Ads installs missing in my MMP?

Google Ads only reports conversions where there was a Google Ads interaction, and it counts differently from an MMP. Start by telling apart zero installs from fewer installs.

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    The full decision tree, if you'd rather read it than click through.

    • Is the MMP showing zero Google installs, or just fewer than Google Ads?
      • Zero, or close to zero
        • Is the Google Ads account linked in your MMP, with its conversion actions imported in Google Ads?
          • No, or not sure
            • Diagnosis: The Google Ads link or conversion import is missing. Google only receives and reports MMP conversions once the account is linked to an App Attribution Partner and the conversion actions are imported, so without the link the MMP gets no Google claims.
          • Yes, linked and imported
            • Are the missing installs on iOS or Android?
              • iOS
                • Diagnosis: iOS on-device measurement is not set up. Google says most partners need Firebase iOS SDK 11.14.0 or later, or the standalone on-device conversion SDK, and server-to-server partners must pass an ODM info string for iOS measurement.
              • Android
                • Do you run in the EEA, and does your app pass consent status to the MMP?
                  • EEA traffic, consent not passed
                    • Diagnosis: EEA consent is not passed. Google requires consent status to be captured and passed with app conversions for EEA users, so conversions sent without it may not be used.
                  • Consent passed, or no EEA traffic
                    • Diagnosis: Auto-tagging off or referrer parameters lost. Google's older troubleshooting page lists auto-tagging turned off and referrer parameters not passed to Google Play among the reasons third parties miss Google installs.
      • Fewer than Google Ads
        • Is the gap only in the last 24 to 48 hours?
          • Yes
            • Diagnosis: Conversion processing delay. Google says app conversion processing can take several hours and sometimes up to 24 hours, so the last day or two will not match yet.
          • No, older days too
            • Is the Google Ads number a Google Play install conversion rather than your MMP's first_open conversion?
              • Yes, Google Play installs
                • Diagnosis: Downloads compared with first opens. Google Play conversions count downloads and include Android reinstalls, while MMPs count first opens and often apply a re-attribution window, so Google's number runs higher.
              • No, the MMP's first_open
                • Is the conversion action set to count Every conversion rather than One?
                  • Every
                    • Diagnosis: Every versus One counting. Google says conversion actions that count Every record more conversions than third parties that count One.
                  • One
                    • Diagnosis: Different windows, time zone or date basis. Google tracks installs up to 30 days after the ad interaction by default and reports them on the day of the interaction in the account's time zone, while MMPs often use different windows and install day.
    Related symptoms

    Related symptoms

    GoogleGA4 or Firebase installs differ from the MMPGA4 and Firebase use different lookback windows, count reinstalls and only credit Google paid channels for app conversions.→GoogleGoogle Ads shows more installs than the MMPGoogle Play conversions count downloads and reinstalls, while the MMP counts first opens and applies its own windows.→AndroidReinstalls inflate installs in one toolGoogle Ads and Firebase count reinstalls as installs, while many MMPs only count a reinstall again after a re-attribution window.→GoogleZero Google Ads installs in the MMPThe Google Ads account is not linked to the MMP or its app conversion actions were never imported.→
    FAQ

    Common questions

    Why does my MMP show zero Google installs?

    The most common reason is a missing link between Google Ads and the MMP, or conversion actions that were never imported. Google only shares conversions with an App Attribution Partner once that link exists.

    Why does Google Ads show more installs than my MMP?

    Google Play conversions count downloads and Android reinstalls, while MMPs count first opens. Every counting, a 30-day default window and interaction-day reporting widen the gap further.

    How long do Google app conversions take to appear?

    Google says processing can take several hours and sometimes up to 24 hours. After linking GA4 or Firebase, it suggests allowing 24 to 48 hours for changes to propagate.

    Which MMPs are Google App Attribution Partners?

    Google's help page lists Adjust, Airbridge, AppsFlyer, Branch, Kochava, Singular and Tenjin. Check that page for the current list, because it changes.

    What is mobile attribution?

    Mobile attribution is the process of crediting each app install or in-app event to the ad, link or channel that drove it. A mobile measurement partner (MMP) does this across all your channels so each install is counted once.

    Why do ad networks report more installs than my MMP?

    Each network counts every install it touched within its own windows, including views, while an MMP gives each install to a single source. Adding the networks' numbers together therefore overstates real installs.