Understand HubSpot Ads contact attribution and ad network conversions

You may notice that the way HubSpot attributes contacts to your Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn ads differs from the way the ad networks define conversions in your ad account. This is a result of the different metrics used in HubSpot and your ad accounts. 

Please note: you should not expect the number of network conversions to match the number of HubSpot contacts for a campaign or ad due to differences in how each metric is calculated.

HubSpot contacts

In general, HubSpot will attribute a contact to your ad when the following requirements are met. For more details on the requirements for contact and deal attribution, learn more about ads attribution in HubSpot. 

•  A visitor contact must click on an ad, leading to a web session. Then, the visitor must submit a form and convert for the first time in that same session. 
• The HubSpot tracking code must be installed on the page your ad directs visitors to. 
•  You've selected the appropriate attribution report on the Ads dashboard.
  
  

Network conversions

Each ad network allows you to define how conversions are measured on your ads. These network-defined conversions will sync to HubSpot under the Network conversions field when you review metrics on your Ads dashboard. Learn more about how to define conversion events in your Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn ad accounts.

The key differences between network conversions and HubSpot contacts include the following: 

• Network conversions measure the number of actions that visitors take. However, HubSpot contacts measure the count of tracked visitors who took an action. For example, if the same visitor submitted a form on an ad 10 times, the ad network might count those events as 10 network conversions. However, HubSpot would only attribute the 10 events to the same, single contact.
• With the exception of contacts synced from lead ad forms, a tracking cookie must be associated with a visitor who engaged with your ad in order for HubSpot to attribute them as a contact. Ad networks do not require a user to be tracked to count an action as a conversion event.
  
  

Contacts from your lead ads

Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google allow you to create lead generation ads, which allow users to fill out a form directly on your ad. Users who submit the form on your lead ad will become conversions in your ad account. If you've set up lead syncing for your ad account in your ad settings, these conversions will sync directly to HubSpot as contacts attributed to that ad.

If you don't see conversions from your ad account sync to HubSpot, learn how to troubleshoot your lead syncing for Facebook, LinkedIn, or your Google ad connection.