ReferenceTracking error
Google forwarding number not shown
A Google forwarding number appears only on ads that showed on Google Search, on mobile or desktop, where reported calls are turned on for that ad, and for search terms with enough volume. If the number is missing, check those three in order: the placement first, then the reported calls setting for that ad, then the search volume. Calls to the number are reported only when it appears.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- In the ad, where the forwarding number would appear.
- What stops
- Calls from the ad are not reported through a forwarding number while none appears.
- How serious
- Low to moderate. The ad serves, but the calls it drives are not reported.
What it means
Google's page treats the forwarding number as a reported-calls feature. It appears only on ads that showed on the mobile or desktop version of Google Search, and only where reported calls are turned on for that ad.
A missing number is a placement or a setting question before it is a tracking problem. The page names three reasons, and each has its own check.
What actually triggers it
The ad ran only on Google Maps
Reported calls currently exclude Google Maps data, so an ad that appeared only on Maps shows no forwarding number. Check the impressions for Search before anything else.
Reported calls turned off for that ad
The forwarding number appears only in ads where reported calls are enabled. The setting is per ad, so an ad that was never switched on will never show one.
Search terms with low volume
Google says low-volume search terms may not get a forwarding number. The page gives no threshold, so compare the same ad on higher-volume terms before deciding it is broken.
Fix it in this order
- Check whether the ad has impressions on Google Search. A number does not appear on a Maps-only placement.
- Turn on reported calls for each ad that needs a forwarding number. The page says to do this ad by ad.
- If the ad is on Search with reported calls on and still shows no number, look at the search volume of its terms. The page gives no threshold, so judge it against the ad's own history.
Google's page does not give a time for the number to appear after a change, so check the ad again after the change rather than assuming it has taken effect.
Often confused with
Minimum call length
A call shorter than the threshold does not count, even when the forwarding number shows. Google's page says a threshold set too high stops short calls counting, so check the minimum call length in the account settings once the number is confirmed.
Awaiting conversions
A status about the conversion action as a whole. A missing forwarding number is an ad setting, while awaiting conversions describes the count.