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Why aren't my Google Ads showing?

Answer up to 11 questions, in the order worth checking, and see the likely cause and how Google says to fix it. No sign up, and no access to your account.

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Every check

Google Ads not showing? The causes, in the order to check them.

From Google Ads Help: Search campaign not running, Ad preview and diagnosis and fixing a disapproved ad.

  1. 01

    Searching Google isn’t a reliable check

    How do you know your ad isn’t showing?

    • Open Ad preview and diagnosis from the Tools menu, under Troubleshooting.
    • Enter the search, the location and the device, and it tells you whether your ad would show and why not.
    • It adds no impressions to your stats. Your ad can also stop showing once the campaign has spent its daily budget.

  2. 02

    Your ad is probably still in review

    Did you create or edit the ad in the last 2 days?

    • Google reviews new and edited ads before they run, usually within one to two days.
    • New accounts, image ads and video ads can take up to 5 business days.
    • Still no impressions after 3 business days? Keep checking below.

  3. 03

    Fix billing first: no ad runs without it

    Is billing set up, with no declined payment or suspension notice?

    • Open Billing in Google Ads and check that a payment method is set up and was not declined.
    • Direct debit has to finish verification before ads run.
    • A suspended account shows a notice in Google Ads and gets an email with the reason. A security review can’t be sped up and clears on its own.

  4. 04

    Something in the chain is paused, removed or out of dates

    Are the campaign, ad group, keywords and ad all enabled, inside the campaign’s dates?

    • An ad shows only when its campaign, ad group, keyword and ad are all enabled.
    • Check the campaign’s start and end dates in its settings.
    • An ad group needs at least one enabled ad, and a Search ad group at least one enabled keyword.

  5. 05

    A disapproved ad can’t run until it’s fixed

    What does the ad’s Status column say?

    • Hover Disapproved in the Status column and pick Read the policy.
    • Edit the ad or its landing page to fix the issue, then save to send it for review again.
    • If you think Google got it wrong, appeal from Tools > Troubleshooting > Policy manager. Each ad gets 3 appeals, at least 24 hours apart.

  6. 06

    Eligible (limited) means it runs, but not everywhere

    What does the ad’s Status column say?

    • Google limits the ad by location, device, age or a certification your product needs.
    • If your business has the certification, apply for it. If the label is wrong, appeal from Tools > Troubleshooting > Policy manager.

  7. 07

    Check the ad’s status first

    What does the ad’s Status column say?

    • Open Ads, then hover the speech bubble in the Status column for the details.
    • Disapproved or Eligible (limited)? Come back and pick that answer.

  8. 08

    Your budget runs out before the searches do

    Does the campaign say Limited by budget?

    • Limited by budget means Google holds back to stay within your daily budget.
    • Google suggests a modest raise, such as 20%, and a daily budget of at least 10 times your expected cost per click.

  9. 09

    Your keywords may match too few searches

    Are your keywords only exact or phrase match, or marked low search volume?

    • Exact and phrase match on their own limit how many searches you can show for.
    • A dash in the Quality Score column or low search volume means a keyword has little history.
    • Add broad match keywords with negative keywords to filter them, and check volumes in Keyword Planner.

  10. 10

    A negative keyword may block the searches you want

    Could a negative keyword match the search you expect to show for?

    • Review your negative keywords and negative keyword lists, and remove any that block the searches you’re checking.

  11. 11

    Your location targeting may be too narrow

    Do you target a small area, or people by Presence only?

    • If you target people only by Presence, try Presence or interest.
    • Widen the area if it covers only a few cities.

  12. 12

    The new bid strategy is still learning

    Did you change the bid strategy in the last two weeks?

    • After a bidding change, give it one to two conversion cycles before you judge it, and avoid changing bids, budgets and strategy in the meantime.
    • A new campaign can start on Maximize clicks or Manual CPC for 5 to 7 days, then move to a conversion strategy after about 30 conversions in 30 days.

  13. 13

    Your Ad Rank is too low to win the auction

    Is Search lost IS (rank) high on the campaign?

    • Search lost IS (rank) is the share of searches your ad missed because of Ad Rank.
    • If your bid strategy shows as limited, raise your target CPA by 10% to 20% or lower your target ROAS. On Manual CPC, raise your max CPC.
    • Make the ad and its landing page closer to the keyword, and add unique headlines and descriptions.

For B2B SaaS

Find out the morning after, not at the end of the month.

Whatever the cause, it shows up the same way: impressions fall. Connect Google Ads and Hero Marketer checks your account each morning against its own history.

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  • Campaign stopped serving

    Yesterday’s impressions fell to 10% or less of the campaign’s usual day. Sent by email and in the app, and to Slack if you connect it.

  • Campaign not spending its budget

    A campaign spent half its daily budget or less, every day for 5 days. Usually a cap too high, targeting too narrow or bids too low.

  • Ad approval status

    A custom alert for when an ad becomes Disapproved or Approved (limited), compared with the morning before.

FAQ

Questions about Google Ads not showing.

Why can’t I see my own Google ad?

Searching Google yourself isn’t a reliable check: your ad may not show for your location, device or time, or once the campaign has spent its daily budget. Use Ad preview and diagnosis, under Troubleshooting in the Tools menu. It shows whether your ad would show for a search, and why not, without adding impressions to your stats.

How long does Google take to approve an ad?

Google reviews new and edited ads before they run, usually within one to two days. New accounts, image ads and video ads can take up to 5 business days. If you see no impressions after 3 business days, take the quiz above.

Why is my Google Ads campaign not spending?

The usual causes are a disapproved ad, a billing problem, keywords that match few searches, location targeting that is too narrow, or bids too low to win the auction. The quiz checks each one in that order.

Is the troubleshooter free?

Yes. There is no sign up and no limit. It runs in your browser and never asks for access to your Google Ads account.

Can Hero Marketer tell me when my ads stop showing?

Yes. Connect your Google Ads account and Hero Marketer checks it every morning. If a campaign’s impressions fall to 10% or less of its usual day, you get an email the next morning. The daily checks cost 0.25 credits per connected account per day.

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