ReferenceTracking error
Needs attention
Needs attention is the yellow conversion tracking status for an action that is still recording but has items to fix, such as a tag missing from a new domain or thank-you page. Hover over the status and read its next steps. Then find every page without the tag, test one real conversion, and read the status again after about 30 minutes.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The tracking status column of the conversion actions table, in yellow.
- What stops
- Nothing stops. Conversions keep recording while the status shows.
- How serious
- Moderate. The count still records, but part of the site may be unmeasured.
What it means
Google's page says Needs attention means there are action items to address that have not stopped recording conversions entirely. The action works, and Google has found a gap in it.
The risk is in what the action is missing. A status that still records can hide a conversion that is not counted, such as a form on a page without the tag. Google's advice is to read the hover text first, then find where the tag is missing.
What actually triggers it
The tag missing from a new domain or thank-you page
Google's troubleshooting section says to confirm the Google tag is on every page, including new domains and thank-you pages. A conversion from a page without the tag is not counted, while the others keep recording.
The tag missing from some pages
Google names Tag coverage as the way to find untagged pages.
Fix it in this order
- Hover over the status and read the next steps in the tooltip. Google says the status lists its own action items there.
- Use Tag coverage to list the pages without a Google tag, including any new domain and the thank-you page.
- Add the tag to each page listed, or fix the trigger on the thank-you page if the conversion fires there.
- Test one real conversion with Tag Assistant connected, then read the status again after about 30 minutes.
Google's page says actions verified in the debug session appear in the account after about 30 minutes. Read the status after that window, not straight after the test.
Often confused with
Misconfigured
Misconfigured has its own reference page. The two statuses look alike in the table, but they are read separately, so check which one is showing before you act on it.
Unverified
Unverified means the action is not yet confirmed on the site. Needs attention means the action has been recording and has something to fix.