Why Retract Conversions?
When patients book via your website widget, Google Ads tracks each booking as a conversion. However, if a booking is a spam lead, accidental click, test booking, or canceled appointment, counting it as a successful conversion harms your campaign:
- Stops Smart Bidding Waste: Google Ads Smart Bidding algorithms use conversion signals to find more similar users. Retracting spam conversions stops Google from optimizing for bot or junk traffic.
- Accurate ROAS & CPA: Eliminates inflated numbers so you know your true cost per actual patient.
- Zero Manual Spreadsheet Formatting: CaseIndex manages and writes everything in Google's official Conversion Adjustments format automatically.
How CaseIndex Handles Retractions Automatically
For any clinic that configures Google Ads tracking, CaseIndex automatically provisions a dedicated spreadsheet in your Google Drive named [Clinic Name] - Ad Retractions. Whenever you cancel a widget-booked appointment, CaseIndex instantly appends a RETRACTION adjustment row with the exact appointment Order Id and booking timestamp.
Connect Your Retractions Sheet to Google Ads
Because Google Ads scheduled imports read the first tab of a spreadsheet, your dedicated [Clinic Name] - Ad Retractions spreadsheet connects seamlessly without any custom tab configuration.
Open Conversions → Uploads
In your Google Ads dashboard menu, go to Goals → Conversions → Uploads.
Switch to the Schedules Tab
Click on the Schedules tab at the top of the Uploads page, then click the blue + button to create a new upload schedule.
Select Source: "Google Sheets"
In the Source dropdown, select Google Sheets.
Select Your Retractions Spreadsheet
Click Choose an existing sheet. In the Google Drive file selector, search for and pick your [Clinic Name] - Ad Retractions spreadsheet.
Set Upload Frequency (Daily)
Set the frequency to Daily and pick a time (e.g. 3:00 AM). Google Ads will automatically scan this sheet every night and retract any new cancellations.
Save & Preview
Click Save & Preview. Google Ads will verify the columns (Conversion Name, Adjustment Type, Order Id, Conversion Date Time, Adjustment Date Time). Click Save to activate the schedule.
Manual On-Demand Retraction Upload
If you have just canceled several spam bookings and want them retracted right away without waiting for the overnight schedule:
Trigger an Immediate Upload
In Google Ads, go to Goals → Conversions → Uploads → Uploads tab → click the blue + button → select Google Sheets → pick your [Clinic Name] - Ad Retractions sheet → click Apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Google Ads know which conversion to retract?
When a patient confirms an online booking, CaseIndex sends the unique appointment UUID as the transaction_id (Order ID). When you cancel the booking in CaseIndex, a row is logged to your Retractions sheet with Adjustment Type = RETRACTION, the matching Order Id, and the original booking timestamp. Google Ads matches this ID and reverses the conversion count and value.
Does this retract walk-ins or receptionist bookings?
No. Conversions and retractions only apply to appointments booked online through your public website widget or booking page that were eligible for Google Ads tracking.
Do I also need the Offline Conversions sheet?
If your website uses direct client-side gtag tracking via the booking widget, conversions are already tracked when the patient submits the form. The Retractions sheet reverses those bookings when canceled. If you also use offline enhanced conversion imports for leads, you can connect both sheets on separate schedules. See the Offline Conversions Guide.
How long does it take for retractions to reflect?
After Google Ads parses the adjustments sheet, reports and conversion columns typically update within 24 to 48 hours.