Google Ads Data Differences
Discrepancies can occur when comparing LightLead data with the Google Ads interface. Below are the main causes and the correct approaches for comparison.
Cause 1: Time Zones
The Google Ads interface may display data in a time zone different from the account's time zone (set in report settings). The API always uses the account time zone (customer.time_zone).
How to check:
- Check
customer.time_zonevia the API - Compare it with the time zone selected in the Google Ads interface
- A difference of a few hours can shift day boundaries
Cause 2: Conversion Registration Lag
| Conversion type | Delay |
|---|---|
| On-site tag | Up to 24 hours |
| Google Analytics import | Up to 72 hours |
| Offline import | Up to 90 days |
Data for the last 1-2 days is always incomplete in both the API and the interface.
Cause 3: cost_micros and Rounding
The Google Ads API returns values in micros (1/1,000,000). The interface displays rounded values. When aggregating large volumes of data, cumulative rounding error can amount to a few units in the last digit.
Cause 4: Different Data Sources
The Google Ads interface may use cached or pre-aggregated data, while the API always queries the current data.
Recommendations
- Compare data older than 3 days
- Check time zones
- Compare aggregated totals rather than individual rows
- Acceptable margin of error: 1-2%