In this section, you’ll configure Google Tag Manager (GTM) to send booked appointment conversions to Google Ads.

Where you’ll work: Google Tag Manager tagmanager.google.com
What you’ll create:
- 1 Trigger
- 1 Google Ads Conversion Tag
What you won’t touch:
- Practice by Numbers code (events are already sent automatically)

🚨 This is the most important step for tracking online bookings as conversions in Google Ads.

How Conversion Tracking Works

What Practice by Numbers Does Automatically ✅

Sends the pbn_appointment_booked event to GTM’s dataLayer
Includes appointment details such as visit type and appointment date

What You Configure in GTM ⚙️

Create a trigger that listens for pbn_appointment_booked
Create a Google Ads Conversion tag
Attach the tag to the trigger

What Google Ads Receives 📊

Conversion data using your Conversion ID and Conversion Label
Booked appointments appear as conversions in Google Ads
Campaigns can optimize toward real appointment bookings

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure:

✅ You have a Google Ads account
✅ You’ve created a conversion action in Google Ads
✅ You have your:

Conversion ID
Conversion Label

Don’t have these yet? See Appendix A: Create a Google Ads Conversion Action at the end of this guide.

Open Your GTM Workspace

Go back to the browser tab where Google Tag Manager is open
Confirm you see:
- Your container workspace
- Left-side navigation (Tags, Triggers, Variables)

Create a Trigger for Appointment Bookings

A trigger tells GTM when to fire a tag.

In the left menu, click Triggers
Click New
Click the pencil icon next to Untitled Trigger
Name the trigger:
PBN – Appointment Booked
Click anywhere outside the field to save the name

Configure the Trigger

Click Trigger Configuration
Select Custom Event
(Scroll down to the “Other” section if needed)

In Event name, enter exactly: pbn_appointment_booked
⚠️ Must be lowercase
⚠️ Use underscores _
⚠️ Must include the pbn_ prefix
Leave This trigger fires on set to All Custom Events
Click Save

✅ Your booking trigger is now created.

Create a Google Ads Conversion Tag

A tag is the tracking code that sends data to Google Ads.

Create the Tag

In the left menu, click Tags
Click New
Rename the tag:
Google Ads – Appointment Booked Conversion

Configure the Tag

Click Tag Configuration
Select Google Ads Conversion Tracking

Fill Out the Fields

Conversion ID

Paste your Google Ads Conversion ID
Example: AW-123456789

Conversion Label

Paste your Conversion Label from Google Ads
Example: a1B2c3D4e5F6g7H8

Conversion Value (optional)

Enter an average appointment value (e.g., 100)
Or leave blank

Currency Code (optional)

Required only if you entered a value
Example: USD or CAD

Order ID

Leave blank

Phone conversion number

Leave blank

Attach the Trigger

Scroll to Triggering
Click the Triggering box
Select PBN – Appointment Booked
Click Save

✅ Your Google Ads conversion tag is ready.

Publish Your Changes

Tags do not go live until published.

Click Submit (top right)
Enter:
- Version Name:
  Added PBN appointment booking conversion
- Version Description (optional):
  Tracks PBN bookings as Google Ads conversions
Click Publish

✅ Your Google Ads conversion tracking is now live.

Test Your Conversion Tracking (Very Important)

Enable Preview Mode

In GTM, click Preview
In Tag Assistant:
- Enter your booking widget URL
  - Example: https://yourwebsite.com/schedule/
Click Connect

Complete a Test Booking

Let's make sure it works:

In GTM, click the "Preview" button in the top right
- It's next to the Submit button

A pop-up appears: "Tag Assistant."

In the field "Your website's URL", enter your booking widget URL
- Example: https://avondaledental.com/schedule/
Click "Connect"
A new tab opens with your booking widget
Go through a test booking:
- Select location, visit type, provider, time
- Fill out patient information
- Click "Book Appointment"
Go back to the Tag Assistant tab
Look for the event pbn_appointment_booked