Search Terms Report Reconciliation Sheet
Investigate why query-level paid-search exports and summary reports differ without assigning hidden queries, missing revenue or fabricated precision.
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When to use this template
Use this when a report total appears inconsistent with query rows or theme-level insights. Preserve both exports and definitions before interpreting the difference as waste or broken tracking.
Choose another approach when: You intend to reconstruct omitted private searches, assign unidentified conversions to a preferred query, or merge reports with incompatible dates and definitions.
Gather these inputs
- Both reports with their export time, date range and account timezone.
- Filters, campaign/network scope and exact metric definitions.
- Notes on conversion maturity and aggregation or privacy limitations.
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Worked example
Illustrative example, not a Crany customer result. Replace every example detail with facts you can verify.
Fictional review: a query export covers one Search campaign while a theme summary includes two campaigns. First correction: align campaign scope and dates. A smaller difference remains. The reviewer notes that some query details can be omitted or grouped and that conversion processing may differ between surfaces. The missing amount is not labeled “competitor searches” or distributed across visible rows. The report states the residual uncertainty and waits for a consistent mature reporting window before proposing a performance decision.
How to use it
- Align the two report scopes and definitions before calculating a residual difference.
- Distinguish documented grouping or delay from hypotheses about a particular discrepancy.
- Preserve unresolved values and assign a follow-up rather than manufacturing a query-level allocation.
Check before using it
- No omitted search is reconstructed or attributed without evidence.
- Export timestamps and filters remain attached to every comparison.
- A plausible documented limitation is not claimed as the proven cause of this account mismatch.
What to measure
Track discrepancies resolved by scope corrections versus those still unexplained. A smaller reconciliation gap improves reporting confidence but does not establish that the campaign acquired valuable customers.
Research and sources
Google documents differences between search-term reports and insights, including privacy grouping and conversion lag. The reconciliation process is original; it does not infer unseen query content or guarantee exact totals.
- Google Ads: About the search terms report — checked 2026-10-23. Reported search terms differ from keywords; privacy omissions, aggregation and conversion lag limit reconciliation.
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