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Troubleshooting Google Tag and Conversion Tracking Issues in Site Kit

15 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Site kit by google

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Many WordPress users rely on Site Kit by Google to connect their sites to essential services like Analytics, Tag Manager, and Ads. A common area of confusion and technical difficulty involves the setup and verification of Google Tags and conversion tracking. This guide will walk you through the most frequent problems and their solutions, based on community reports.

Common Symptoms and Their Causes

Users often experience one or more of the following issues:

  • Tags show as "connected" in Site Kit but are "not detected" by Google's Tag Assistant or Analytics.
  • Conversion data is not appearing in Google Ads or Analytics, even though the tag is placed.
  • The Tag Manager account selection menu behaves erratically or doesn't show all available accounts.
  • Warnings about tags being "not placed correctly" or "placed too low" in the page code.

These problems typically stem from a few key areas:

  1. Tag Configuration at Source: Site Kit inserts the container code, but the tags and triggers themselves must be configured and published within the Google Tag Manager interface.
  2. Plugin or Theme Conflicts: Other active plugins or theme functions can interfere with how and where Site Kit places its code snippets.
  3. Caching: Heavy caching mechanisms can serve old pages without the updated tags.
  4. Account Permissions: The Google account used to set up Site Kit may not have sufficient permissions for all Tag Manager accounts.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

1. Verify Tag Publication in Google Tag Manager

This is the most crucial step. Site Kit only places the container code on your site. You must create and publish your tags (like Analytics, Ads, or conversion tags) within your Tag Manager account.

  • Action: Log into your Tag Manager account, ensure your workspace contains the desired tags, and that you have clicked Submit to publish the container version to your live site.

2. Use Google's Tag Assistant

Google's Tag Assistant is an indispensable tool for diagnosing issues. It shows you exactly what tags are firing on your site and any errors associated with them.

  • Action: Run a scan on your website URL. If your tags are firing correctly, the issue likely lies in their configuration within the Google platforms (e.g., goals in Analytics, conversions in Ads). If they are not firing, the problem is with the tag placement or publication.

3. Check for Plugin Conflicts

Conflicts with other plugins can prevent tags from being placed correctly or cause them to be output in the wrong location in the HTML.

  • Action: Temporarily deactivate all other plugins except Site Kit. Clear all caches (server, plugin, browser) and check if the tag is now detected. If it is, reactivate your plugins one by one to identify the culprit.

4. Clear All Caching Layers

If you recently made changes to your tags or setup, a cached version of your site might be serving old code.

  • Action: Clear your WordPress caching plugin (if used), any server-side cache (e.g., Varnish), and your browser cache. Test again in an incognito browser window.

5. Review Google Account Permissions

If you cannot see all your Tag Manager accounts within Site Kit, the issue may be permissions.

  • Action: Visit tagmanager.google.com and confirm you have access to the missing accounts with the Google account linked to Site Kit. You may need to be granted access by the account owner.

When to Seek Further Help

It's important to understand the scope of Site Kit's functionality. The plugin handles the connection and code placement between your WordPress site and Google's services. However, it does not configure the services themselves.

If your troubleshooting confirms that:

  • Site Kit has placed the code correctly (view your site's source code and search for "gtm" or "gtag").
  • Your tags are published in Tag Manager and firing in Tag Assistant.
  • But you are still having issues with conversion tracking, goal configuration, or data reporting...

...then the issue likely resides within the configuration of Google Analytics, Google Ads, or Google Tag Manager. For assistance with these platforms, it is best to consult the dedicated help centers for each product:

By methodically working through these steps, you can isolate most common tag and conversion tracking issues and identify the correct path to a solution.

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