Google Ads and Analytics different to Hubspot

[smieeuaib]

Our google ad has its reporting on a hubspot dashboard with hubspots data. whilst they have been slightly different in weeks as expected last week there was a large difference between the two with hubspot picking up next to no views compared to GA4.

I've added the tracking codes directly into the individual pages since as GA4 had a banner last week saying it had been updated and thought possibly this could be connected? 

Has anyone had a similar issue or have advice?

[Sweely]

The short answer is:

Your issue of a large discrepancy where HubSpot is reporting significantly fewer views than GA4 for your Google Ads traffic stems from the fundamental difference in how HubSpot and GA4 track traffic and the inherent fragility of client-side tracking.

GA4 measures page views and sessions as soon as its code fires, while HubSpot's ad reporting often relies on its own proprietary tracking snippet, which may have been delayed or failed to fire, particularly after a recent update or if there are conflicts with other scripts.

The solution to reconcile these numbers and get reliable data is to use an API-driven, server-side tracking model that centralizes all data collection ✅

The long answer is:

It's understandable to be concerned when you see a large difference, and the fact that GA4 had a recent update banner is a relevant clue, though the core issue likely lies in the integration method.

You're observing a difference in reporting between three systems: the Google Ads platform (which measures clicks), GA4 (which measures sessions/page views with its own client-side tag), and HubSpot (which also measures page views and contacts with its own separate client-side tracking code).

HubSpot's tracking code is primarily focused on identifying contacts and associating their activity with records, and it can be highly sensitive to script load order, ad blockers, and browser restrictions, which may be why it's missing views that GA4 successfully captures.

The large drop suggests a recent technical conflict or a major update in GA4's tracking that may have subtly changed how resources are loaded on the page, causing HubSpot's script to execute later or fail.

To fix this at the root and achieve a single, reliable source of truth, you need to implement an integration strategy that bypasses the browser's limitations by utilizing APIs and server-side tagging.

This involves using Google Tag Manager on the client side to capture the initial session information and then sending that data to a server-side container hosted on a platform like Stape or Google Cloud Platform.

This server container then becomes the single source for distributing clean, first-party data.

You would use the Google Ads API to retrieve highly accurate click and campaign data directly from the source.

The Google Analytics Data API would be used to pull the high-volume traffic and engagement metrics from GA4.

Crucially, the HubSpot API would be used to send enriched, server-validated data - including page views and conversions - directly into HubSpot.

By using the APIs to push data directly into HubSpot's system, you eliminate the reliance on its client-side tracking script for page view volume and attribution, ensuring that the total traffic volume reported by the Google Analytics Data API closely aligns with the traffic records you create via the HubSpot API.

This unified approach provides 100% accurate, resilient data collection that isn't vulnerable to the typical client-side issues causing your current massive reporting disparity ✅

This comment was generated with the assistance of an AI tool, incorporating my expertise in conversion tracking 🙂

[BérangèreL]

Hi @smieeuaib,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community!

To troubleshoot this, the best option would be to look into details in your account. Therefore, I would recommend connecting with HubSpot Technical Support, as Support is included in your subscription and they will be able to provide real-time assistance for this matter, including hopping on a screenshare if necessary.

I'd like to invite a couple of subject matter experts and some Community Members to this conversation: Hi @CallumCarlstrom, @Crystal_Hopper, @ajchapman20, @DnielCoelho, @Louisjacquot, @Charl, @NicoleSengers, @jolle and @Bryantworks can you think of a reason why this would happen maybe? Did you also see s similar behavior, please?

Also, if anybody else has anything to add and/or share, please feel free to join in the conversation 🙂

Thanks a lot and have a great day!

Best,
Bérangère