21 January 2026

CM360 tracking misuse: the hidden cost risk most marketers miss

This article is not written or presented as legal advice or opinion. Readers should not act on, or rely upon, the information or views expressed without seeking appropriate professional advice.

In summary

• Tracking errors were never just reporting issues, in Campaign Manager 360’s consumption-based cost model (CPM or CPC), incorrect tag usage can directly, and in some instances hyper-inflate ad serving costs.
• CM360 introduced a new misuse of tags diagnostic alert, initially focussed on detecting click trackers incorrectly implemented where impression trackers should be used. The alert sits within the CM360 Diagnostics tab and can be viewed at advertiser or all-advertiser level, with filters to surface affected placements quickly.
• Use CM360’s diagnostics as an early-warning system, not a safety net. Technology can surface issues, but it cannot replace strong Quality Assurance (QA), Quality Control (QC) and governance when tracking is deployed across platforms and publisher partners.

What’s changed in CM360?

Launched in late 2025, CM360 now includes a misuse of tags diagnostic alert, designed to identify scenarios where tracking tags may have been implemented incorrectly.

This update builds on CM360’s broader evolution from a backend ad server into a central measurement and governance layer across Google Marketing Platform, where accuracy, control and accountability increasingly sit.

The first use case the alert focuses on is one of the most common (and costly), for example, click trackers being used where impression trackers should have been implemented.

This alert is available in the Diagnostics section of CM360 and can be viewed at individual advertiser level or via the “All Advertisers” view.

A dedicated filter allows teams to quickly surface placements affected by tag misuse, rather than relying on manual audits or post-billing investigations.

The image above shows where to find the alert in CM360: CM360 > Diagnostics > Under Campaign setup, click ‘See details’ to see the new metric.

Why this matters: tracking misuse equals real cost exposure and attribution/measurement

CM360 operates on a consumption-based billing model. That means costs are incurred based on what the platform believes is happening, not what should be happening.
For example:

• An impression tracker incorrectly replaced with a click tracker
• CM360 records and bills clicks instead of impressions
• Costs escalate rapidly because CPC pricing is applied instead of CPM
• Reporting appears “busy”, but the data is fundamentally wrong

From CM360’s perspective, the system is doing its job, the tag is firing as instructed. The problem is how it was implemented.

Attribution model corruption

Inflated or misfired clicks can wrongly receive credit in last-click or multi-touch attribution models, pulling conversions away from the true influencing channels or creatives

Misleading optimisation signals

Platforms may optimise toward placements, creatives, or publishers that appear to drive high click or conversion volume, even though the activity is caused by tracking errors, not user intent.

When clicks incorrectly drive attribution, cost-per-conversion and ROAS become unreliable, increasing the risk of poor budget allocation.

The third-party risk most teams underestimate

The issue becomes significantly more likely when tags are shared with:

• Publishers
• Native ad platforms
• Email platforms
• External vendors and/or partners

Put simply, if a third party implements a tag incorrectly, the cost still lands with you.

What the new alert does, and doesn’t

The new CM360 diagnostic alert is a strong step forward because it:

• Surfaces misuse earlier
• Makes issues visible at scale
• Reduces reliance on manual discovery
• Flags problems before they spiral into potential five-figure invoices

What it doesn’t do is prevent misuse from occurring in the first place. Technology can highlight anomalies, but it cannot replace governance, ownership or process.

Governance still matters (and regulators expect it)

Australian regulators have been clear that organisations are responsible for how tracking technologies are deployed, including when third parties are involved.

Clear governance processes around pixel deployment, QA and responsibility are now baseline requirements, especially where tracking affects cost and reporting.

Louder’s recommendation

• Regularly review the Diagnostics tab in CM360
• Use the misuse of tags filter as part of routine checks
• Be cautious when sharing tags with third parties
• Document clear implementation and QA responsibilities.
• Treat tracking QA as part of campaign sign-off, not an afterthought.
• Audit once the campaign is live to capture any anomalies through reporting.

Small configuration mistakes can now carry a huge financial impact.

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