Here's the good news: nearly every tracking problem comes down to a handful of usual suspects, and they're all fixable in minutes by whoever looks after your site. This page does two things — helps you pin down what's actually broken, then writes the brief to hand your webmaster so nothing gets lost in translation.
First — how is your tracking managed?
Before the platform-specific stuff, it helps to know how tracking gets onto your site. There are three common setups:
Google Tag Manager — recommended
GTM is one container that holds every tag in one place. Your developer installs it once; after that you can add, edit or remove tracking for any platform without ever touching the site code again — and it's far easier to see what's firing and when. If you're not on GTM yet, set it up. It makes everything below dramatically simpler.
Direct in the code
Pixels dropped straight into the site's <head> or <body>. It works, but it's easy to break during a redesign and a pain to audit.
Plugin / platform integration
WordPress, Shopify and Wix all offer plugins or native fields for tags. Convenient, but usually less flexible and less reliable than GTM.
Google Ads tracking
What should be in place
- A Google tag (or Google Ads conversion tag) installed site-wide.
- Conversion actions for the things that matter — form submissions, purchases, calls.
- Conversion values assigned where they're relevant.
Common culprits
- The tag is missing from some pages.
- The conversion tracks a page view instead of the actual action.
- Conversions fire on page load rather than on the real event — or get counted twice.
How to check: install the Google Tag Assistant Chrome extension and load your site — it shows which tags are present and firing. Then in Google Ads: Tools → Measurement → Conversions to check each action's status.
Google Analytics (GA4)
GA4 isn't an ad platform, but it's the backbone of your reporting — and it's the data we read to spot trends and tracking breakages. When people say "my conversions aren't tracking," the problem is often here.
What should be in place
- The GA4 tag on every page (ideally via GTM's GA4 Configuration tag).
- Key events marked as conversions —
form_submit, purchase, generate_lead, etc.
- One GA4 property, not several half-configured ones fighting each other.
Common culprits
- The tag is firing, but no events are marked as key events, so nothing shows as a conversion.
- Duplicate GA4 tags (e.g. one hard-coded and one in GTM) inflating sessions.
- The wrong Measurement ID, so data lands in a property you're not looking at.
How to check: GA4 → Admin → Data display → Events to see what's firing and what's marked as a key event, and Reports → Realtime to watch events land as you test the action on your site. DebugView (with the GA Debugger extension) shows it event-by-event.
What should be in place
- The Meta Pixel on every page.
- Standard events (ViewContent, Lead, Purchase…) firing on the right pages/actions.
- The Conversions API (CAPI) alongside the Pixel for reliable data post-iOS 14.
Common culprits
- Pixel only on some pages, not all.
- No standard events configured — it fires on page load but tracks nothing specific.
- The Pixel ID in Events Manager doesn't match the one on the site.
- No CAPI, so conversions are under-reported.
How to check: the Meta Pixel Helper Chrome extension shows whether the Pixel is present and which events fire. Cross-check against Meta Events Manager.
TikTok tracking
What should be in place
- The TikTok Pixel installed site-wide.
- Events configured for the actions you're optimising toward.
- The TikTok Events API for server-side tracking where possible.
Common culprits
- Pixel installed, but nothing beyond PageView is configured.
- Events fire on every page instead of the specific one.
- The Pixel isn't connected to the TikTok Ads account correctly.
How to check: the TikTok Pixel Helper Chrome extension verifies install + event firing. In TikTok Ads Manager: Assets → Events to confirm web events are receiving data.
LinkedIn tracking
What should be in place
- The LinkedIn Insight Tag on every page.
- Conversion actions created and linked to your campaigns.
Common culprits
- Insight Tag missing from key pages.
- Conversions exist in Campaign Manager but aren't linked to active campaigns.
- The tag isn't verified for your domain.
How to check: in LinkedIn Campaign Manager → Analyse → Insight Tag to see whether it's verified and receiving data.
Not sure which events to specify?
If you're unclear on what to track or which platforms apply, ask Olivia in your dashboard — she'll help you work it out before you pass anything to your developer.
Open your dashboard