Setup issues detected
Google Ads shows Setup issues detected when the enhanced conversions diagnostics found errors in the data sent. Each alert names one problem: missing address fields, an email or address hashed wrongly, or an order ID missing from the send. Fix them in that order, since the hashing rules apply to every field before the send.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The status message at the top of the enhanced conversions diagnostics report, with the alert list below it, under Goals, Summary, then the conversion action and Diagnostics.
- What stops
- No ad stops. The conversion may still count, but without the matching data the alert describes.
- How serious
- No policy risk. The cost is lower match quality, so the conversion counts for less than it should.
- How long
- Diagnostics read the past day of data, or the past seven days when there is less.
What it means
Setup issues detected means at least one alert is open for a conversion action. The alert is the only part that names the cause. Google's wording covers errors in the setup itself, not an ad or a campaign problem.
Some alerts only lower quality. Others stop a field from matching at all. The reader needs to know which kind before fixing, because the wrong fix can leave a bad field in place.
What actually triggers it
Address fields missing from the send
Country, first name, last name and postal code must all be sent for the address to match. Google's page says sending email still allows matching if the address is incomplete, so the alert is about the lost match, not a lost conversion.
An email hashed before it was cleaned
The alert reads User email data field is incorrectly formatted. Email is trimmed, lowercased and stripped of periods before the domain for gmail.com and googlemail.com before it is hashed with SHA-256. Hashing a raw address gives a value that matches nothing.
An address hashed without the trim and lowercase
The alert reads User address data field is incorrectly formatted. Address fields are trimmed and lowercased before hashing. A value that differs by one space from the stored record produces a different hash.
Order IDs missing from the send
The page lists a missing transaction ID on the conversion event, and on the Ads API pings, as separate alerts. Both need an order ID for the send to pair with the tag.
Fix it in this order
- Open Goals > Summary, click the conversion action, and select Diagnostics. Read every alert before changing anything.
- Fix the form and the send for the address fields first, so each conversion carries country, first name, last name and postal code.
- Apply the normalizing steps to every email and address: trim, lowercase, then SHA-256. Remove periods before the domain for gmail.com and googlemail.com.
- Confirm each conversion carries an order ID, and that the tag and the Ads API send the same one.
- Read the alerts again after a full day of new conversions, not the same day.
An alert can stay open for a day after the fix while the diagnostics read new data. Compare the send with one real conversion before deciding it is still broken.
Often confused with
Check enhanced conversions
The umbrella status that sends you to the alerts. This page is the case where the alerts are about the setup.
Enhanced conversions not in use
The terms are not accepted. That is a single step in Settings, not a data problem.
Waiting to receive enhanced conversion data
No data has arrived yet. This status means data arrived with errors.