skill-112-return-refund-tracking

Skill 112: Return/Refund Tracking

Purpose

Track product returns and refunds to measure true ROAS. Without return data, reported ROAS overstates actual business performance by 10-30% depending on return rates.

Data Requirements

Data Source: Custom GAQL Required

GAQL Query:

SELECT
  conversion_action.name,
  conversion_action.type,
  conversion_action.category,
  conversion_action.status,
  conversion_action.value_settings.default_value,
  conversion_action.value_settings.always_use_default_value
FROM conversion_action
WHERE conversion_action.status = 'ENABLED'
  AND conversion_action.category IN ('PURCHASE', 'CONVERTED_LEAD')

Run via /google-ads:get-custom to analyze conversion value patterns.

Note: Return tracking requires e-commerce system integration - full audit needs access to OMS/CRM.

Analysis Steps

1. Assess Current Tracking: Check if conversion values are gross or net
2. Estimate Return Impact: Apply industry return rates to calculate ROAS gap
3. Check for Adjustments: Look for negative conversion imports or value adjustments
4. Evaluate Implementation Options: GCLID preservation, conversion adjustments, rate modeling

Thresholds

Condition	Severity
E-commerce with no return tracking	Critical
High return rate industry (apparel) without adjustment	Critical
Return data not synced to Google Ads	Warning
GCLID not captured for return attribution	Warning

Output

Short (default):

## Return/Refund Tracking Audit
**Account:** [name] | **Industry Return Rate:** ~[X]% | **Return Tracking:** [Yes/No]

### Critical
- **No return tracking implemented** - Reported ROAS ~[X]% overstated

### Warnings
- **GCLID not captured** - Cannot attribute returns to campaigns

### Recommendations
1. Capture GCLID with order in CRM/OMS
2. Implement conversion value adjustments for returns
3. Or apply [X]% return rate reduction to values immediately

Detailed adds:

• Industry return rate benchmarks
• ROAS accuracy assessment
• Implementation method comparison
• Return tracking technical requirements