Q: To see Google Ads cost in GA4, do I link the accounts or import cost data?

Q: To see Google Ads cost in GA4, do I link the accounts or import cost data?

A: For Google Ads, always link — manual import is for everyone else.

— Link Google Ads in Admin → Product links → Google Ads links. This pulls cost, clicks, and impressions automatically, plus enables remarketing audiences.
— Use Data import (Admin → Data import → Cost data) only for non-Google channels like Meta or Bing, uploading a CSV with source, medium, and cost.
— Note: imported cost shows in Advertising and Acquisition reports but won't backfill — it applies from upload forward.

TL;DR: Native link for Google Ads, CSV cost import for other ad platforms. Don't manually import Google Ads cost when linking does it live.

Got a GA4 question? Drop it 👇