Which Google Ads columns give me ROAS, and why might conversion value not equal my actual sales?

From the report to the calculator

1. In Google Ads, select the campaign or campaigns and the date range you want to measure.
2. Add the Conv. value and Cost columns to the table if they are not showing. There is also a ready-made column that divides value by cost, which you can compare with the calculator's result.
3. Copy both figures into the ROAS calculator: conversion value as revenue, cost as spend.
4. Add your margin before ads to see a verdict and estimated profit, which the Google report does not show.

Example: conversion value 15,600 AED, cost 4,800 AED, margin 35%. ROAS is 3.25x, the ad share of revenue is 30.77%, break-even is 2.86x, and the verdict is above break-even with an estimated profit of 660.

Why conversion value may not equal your sales

• The value is sent by the tracking code in your store, which may pass the order total including tax and shipping, while your margin is based on the product price alone.
• If you have more than one conversion action, such as add to cart or sign-up, and one of them carries a value, it may land in the total without being a purchase.
• Data-driven attribution splits a single order across several clicks and campaigns, so fractional conversions and values can appear in the report.
• Conversions can be recorded days after the click, so yesterday's report may rise later.
• Cancelled and returned orders stay in conversion value unless adjustments are sent for them.

The calculator cannot tell which of these apply to you; it only divides what you enter. The check is on your side: take one recent order and compare its value in your store with the value Google recorded.

How much the correction changes the verdict

Say you find that 2,400 of the conversion value was tax and shipping. Enter 13,200 instead of 15,600 with the same cost and margin: ROAS is 2.75x, ad share 36.36%, the verdict is below break-even, and the estimated loss is 180.

The campaign did not change, but its reading flipped. That is why your tracking setup deserves half an hour of review before you base budget decisions on it.

Tips for a cleaner figure

• Where possible, have tracking send product value without tax and shipping, so it matches your margin.
• Use only the purchase conversion action as primary when you work out ROAS.
• For an independent check, tag your links with the UTM campaign link builder and compare sales from those visits in your store with what Google records.
• To analyse clicks, conversions and cost per order, use the Campaign performance calculator with the same figures.