Google Ads Local Actions - Directions: What It Means and How to Set It Up

If you've spotted a conversion goal called "Local Actions - Directions" in your Google Ads account and weren't sure what it actually measures, here's the direct answer: it's a count of every time someone clicked the "Directions" or "Start" navigation button on one of your business locations, while or after engaging with your ad. It's one of six local actions conversions, and it's the only one available for bidding across three different campaign types.

What triggers a "Local Actions - Directions" conversion

Per Google's own documentation, Directions tracks the number of "Directions" or "Start" (navigation) clicks on your business locations, while or after engaging with your ads. Google's own example: someone searches "coffee near me," clicks your Search ad, visits your Business Profile for a specific location, then taps "Directions." That's one Directions conversion, whether it happens seconds after the ad click or days later from an organic search result, inside the default 30-day attribution window.

Is it available for bidding, or reporting only

Both. Directions is the only local action available for bidding in Performance Max, Search, and Shopping campaigns, more campaign types than any other local action gets. One nuance worth knowing: Search campaigns can only bid toward Directions among the local actions goals, not toward Clicks to call, Website visits, or any of the others.

If you want Directions influencing Smart Bidding rather than just sitting in reports, add it as a campaign-level conversion goal. Supported bid strategies vary by campaign type, Target ROAS, Target CPA, and Maximize Conversions/Value in Performance Max and Search, and Target ROAS, Maximize Clicks, or Manual CPC in Shopping.

Where to find it in your account

Three places:

Conversion goals page. Goals → Summary → View all conversion actions, then filter by Conversion Action to isolate Directions.
Campaign overview page. Campaigns → add the "All Conversions" column, then filter by Campaign segment.
Stores report. Campaigns → Stores, which reports local actions alongside store visit data for the same locations.

How to set it up

Link your Google Business Profile to Google Ads, if it isn't already, so location assets can be created.
Confirm location assets are active, not paused at the account, campaign, or ad group level.
Wait for at least one Directions click to occur. Google won't create the goal preemptively, it needs one real conversion first.
Google auto-creates "Local Actions - Directions" as a Google-hosted goal. No tag, pixel, or code required, it's generated entirely from location asset interaction data.
Add it as a campaign-level goal in your Performance Max, Search, or Shopping campaigns if you want it counted toward Smart Bidding, not just visible in reports.

To add it across several campaigns at once: select the campaigns on the Campaigns page, open the Edit dropdown, choose Update conversion goals, and add "Local Actions - Get Directions" from the list.

Eligibility

Available for any advertiser with active location assets, in eligible countries. Reporting is restricted for sensitive location categories, religion, sexual interests, children, and certain health-related businesses including abortion clinics, addiction treatment facilities, domestic violence shelters, fertility centers, and counseling centers.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly counts as a Directions conversion? A click on the "Directions" or "Start" (navigation) button on your business location, whether that happens during or after someone engages with your ad, within the 30-day attribution window.

Can I bid toward Directions in Search campaigns? Yes, and it's the only local action Search campaigns can bid toward. The other local actions goals are reporting-only or Performance-Max-only for bidding.

Do I need to install any tracking code for this? No. It's a Google-hosted goal generated from location asset data once your Business Profile is linked and location assets are active. There's nothing to install on your site.

Is Directions the same as a store visit? No. Store visit conversions estimate actual foot traffic using modeled location data. Directions counts an explicit click, a real action someone took, not an estimate of whether they showed up.

Why isn't the "Local Actions - Directions" goal showing up in my account? Most commonly, either location assets aren't active yet, or your account hasn't recorded a single Directions click yet, Google won't create the goal until it has at least one real conversion to attach it to.

Full detail is in Google's own documentation on local actions conversions.

This is one of six local actions conversions. See the full local actions conversions guide for how it compares to the other five.

If your local actions data doesn't line up with what's actually happening on your website or in Google Analytics, that's what conversion tracking is for.