WhatConverts
How It Works & How to Read It
What is WhatConverts?
WhatConverts is a lead tracking platform that sits between your website visitors and your ad platforms. It tracks every phone call, form submission, and chat that comes through a client's website, and tells you exactly which ad, keyword, or channel generated that lead.
How WhatConverts works
The tracking pixel
WhatConverts installs a small JavaScript snippet on the client's website. When someone visits, the pixel reads how they arrived (Google Ads, organic search, direct, etc.) and stores that information in a cookie called wc_client_current.
When that visitor then calls or submits a form, WhatConverts reads the cookie and attributes the lead to the correct traffic source — this is how it knows a phone call came from a Google Ads click on "diesel mechanic near me."
(direct)/(none). This is not a tracking problem.Dynamic number insertion (DNI)
WhatConverts swaps the phone number displayed on the website depending on how the visitor arrived. A visitor from Google Ads sees a different number to a visitor from organic search. When they call, WhatConverts attributes the lead correctly.
How leads are sent back to Google Ads
WhatConverts imports leads into Google Ads as a conversion action called WC Leads. Every time WhatConverts records a lead, it sends a "click conversion" signal back to Google Ads, telling it which click generated the lead.
WC Leads vs WC Calls — what's the difference?
When WhatConverts sets up a new account, it creates two conversion actions in Google Ads:
How to read the WhatConverts lead export
Where to find it
Log into WhatConverts → select the client profile → Leads → Export. The weekly reports also include a WhatConverts section that pulls this data automatically.
Key columns
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Lead Type | Phone Call, Web Form, Chat, etc. |
| Lead Source / Medium | Where the visitor came from. google/cpc = Google Ads. google/organic = organic search. If blank or (direct)/(none) — see Section 2 on cookies. |
| Quotable | Yes = genuine enquiry worth quoting. No = spam, wrong number, or not relevant. Pending = not yet reviewed. |
| Quote Value / Sales Value | Manually entered by the client or set by automation. $0 is normal if values have not been assigned. |
| Answer Status | Answered, No Answer, or Busy. Unanswered calls are still leads — the phone rang. |
| Call Duration | Short calls (under 30 seconds) are often wrong numbers or hangups. Worth flagging if there are a lot. |
| Landing URL | Which page the visitor was on when they converted. Useful for diagnosing which landing pages are performing. |
What to look for when reviewing leads
- Quotable column — what percentage are quotable vs spam? High spam = investigate the keywords driving traffic.
- Lead Source — are most leads coming from
google/cpc? Organic leads are a bonus sign. - Answer Status — lots of unanswered calls? Flag it to the client. Missed leads are lost revenue.
- Landing URL — are leads coming from the right pages? If a campaign sends traffic to the homepage instead of a service page, that is a setup issue.
- Caller location — are leads coming from the right area? Cross-reference against the client's target radius.
WhatConverts in the weekly report
The MM weekly report pulls WhatConverts data automatically. The Lead Tracking section shows:
- Total leads for the period
- Quotable leads and percentage
- Sales value (if assigned)
- Top lead sources
Common questions
Why does Google Ads show $0 conversion value?
WhatConverts does not pass a monetary value to Google Ads by default. The $0 is expected unless quote or sales values have been manually entered in WhatConverts. It does not affect how conversions are counted or how Smart Bidding optimises.
Why does the Google Ads goal show "Needs attention"?
Usually because WC Calls is inactive (see Section 3). Google flags this because one of the two conversion actions has no recent data. It is cosmetic. Check that WC Leads is still recording — if it is, everything is fine.
Why do some leads show as (direct)/(none)?
Three common reasons: the visitor arrived without a trackable source (typed the URL directly), the visitor was in incognito mode so no cookie was set, or the lead was created server-side (e.g. Podium chat via webhook). These are not errors — they are attribution limitations.
A client says they're not getting enough leads — where do I start?
Can I link all lead sources to WhatConverts?
Not always. WhatConverts tracks leads that come through the client's website where the pixel is installed. Leads from closed third-party platforms like AutoGuru cannot be tracked — AutoGuru is a walled garden and does not allow external tracking.
Quick reference
What you see in Google Ads
| What you see | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| WC Leads — X conversions | The number of leads WhatConverts has recorded for this account | All good |
| Conv. value = $0.00 | Normal. Values only appear if manually assigned in WhatConverts. | No action |
| WC Calls — Inactive | Normal. Call-only ads only. See Section 3. | No action |
| Contact goal — Needs attention | Usually WC Calls being inactive. Check WC Leads is recording. | Check WC Leads |
Situations and what to do
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| WC Calls is Inactive | Normal. No action needed unless running call-only ads. |
| Conv. value = $0 in Google Ads | Normal. Values only appear if manually assigned in WhatConverts. |
| "Needs attention" on Contact goal | Check WC Leads is recording. If yes, this is cosmetic — no action. |
| Source showing as (direct)/(none) | Normal for server-side or incognito leads. Not a tracking error. |
| Leads drop to zero | Check pixel is still on site before changing campaigns. |
| Client says leads are low | Check WhatConverts first, then Google Ads. Do not adjust campaigns based on Google Ads numbers alone. |
| Lots of unanswered calls in export | Flag to client — they are missing real enquiries. |
| High percentage of non-quotable leads | Review search terms and negative keywords. |