Your Google forwarding numbers are not enabled
Google Ads lists Your Google forwarding numbers are not enabled as a reason imported calls are not counted: forwarding numbers must have been on for the call assets and call-only ads when the calls came in. Check that Call reporting is on in the account settings, then remove calls from the off period from the file, since they cannot be matched.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- Google's list of reasons imported phone call conversions are not counted, with the setting itself under Admin, Account settings, Call reporting.
- What stops
- Imported calls from that period cannot be matched to the ads. The ad keeps serving, and the calls still reach the business.
- How serious
- No policy risk. The cost is calls that happened and never reached the numbers you bid on.
What it means
A phone call conversion import is matched against calls Google itself connected through a Google forwarding number. Google's page says forwarding numbers must have been enabled for the call assets and call-only ads at the time the calls were received. A call that rang the business number directly left no Google record to match.
The message describes a past state. Turning forwarding on today does not reach calls already received.
What actually triggers it
Call reporting turned off
Google forwarding numbers work through the Call reporting setting. With it off, Google shows the business number instead, so no call from that period can be matched.
Call assets serving where forwarding numbers do not exist
Google says call assets targeting the Display Network support neither forwarding numbers nor call conversion tracking, and forwarding numbers are offered only in a listed set of countries. Calls from those placements cannot be imported.
Calls made in the gap before a new number connects
Not on Google's help page
In one real account, a call arrived in the minutes before Google had a forwarding number on a newly added phone number, and it was lost. Nothing reported the gap.
Fix it in this order
- Open Admin, then Account settings, and confirm Call reporting is on.
- Check that the call assets carrying the calls you import do not target the Display Network, and that the business is in a country Google lists for forwarding numbers.
- When a phone number is added or changed, call it yourself first and compare the test call with Google's call log for the same minute.
- Remove calls received while forwarding was off from the import file. Google cannot match them, so resending them only repeats the refusal.
Turning forwarding on fixes future calls only. Calls received while it was off stay unmatched, so record the gap in your own reports.
Often confused with
Your file includes calls from other sources
A different reason on the same Google page: only calls from Google click-to-call and call-only ads can be matched. Calls from any other source in the file are not counted, even with forwarding on.
People call without clicking your call assets or call-only ads
Someone dialed the number shown in the ad by hand. Google does not charge for those calls and does not count them as conversions.
This conversion can't be imported
The call is outside the conversion window. Forwarding is fine, and the fix is the window.