You created the Google Ads campaign, prepared the ad copy and set your budget, but the ads don’t seem to appear, or impressions are close to zero. The cause could be a single setting or several things at once: billing, review, policy, budget, bids, keywords, targeting, dates or the landing page.
In this guide we go through the checks in a sensible order: how to tell whether your ad is really not running, what the ad statuses mean, how to use the Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool, and then the most common causes with their fixes.
How Can You Tell That a Google Ads Ad Is Not Running?
Low or zero impressions, an ad status other than “Eligible,” a campaign status that says something is limited, or warnings in the account all point to a problem. Do not rely on searching for your own ad on Google; see below.
What Do Google Ads Ad Statuses Mean?
- Eligible: the ad can run, subject to the auction.
- Under review: the ad is being checked and may not show yet.
- Disapproved: the ad violates a policy and will not run.
- Eligible (limited): the ad can run only in certain locations, audiences, queries or placements.
- Paused / Removed: stopped by a user.
Why Doesn’t an “Eligible” Ad Show Anyway?
“Eligible” only says the ad is allowed by policy. It can still lose the auction because of a low ad rank, insufficient budget or too-narrow targeting.
Use the Ad Preview and Diagnosis Tool
This tool shows whether your ad would show for a specific search, location and device, and explains why not. It is the most reliable way to check; searching on Google yourself is not, because location, personalization, budget and the auction all influence what you see (and repeated searching without clicking can lower your own impressions).
Review the Campaign Diagnostics
Look at the recommendations and warnings in the account for the campaign, ad group and ads.
Check the Account Status
Make sure the account is active and not suspended, and that there are no account-level policy issues.
Make Sure Advertiser Verification Is Completed
Google may require identity or business verification; unfinished verification can stop ads from running.
Check the Payment Method
Make sure the card or payment method is valid and not expired.
Payment Problems and Fixes
Declined cards, insufficient funds, expired cards or manual payment balances that have run out can all stop ads. Update the payment method or add funds. If you want to understand billing and refunds, see how to request a Google Ads refund.
Check That the Campaign Is Not Paused
A campaign, ad group or ad can be paused individually; check all three levels.
Check the Campaign Start and End Dates
An end date in the past, or a start date in the future, means no impressions.
Check the Ad Schedule
If you have an ad schedule, make sure you are testing within the scheduled hours.
The Ad Review May Not Be Complete
New or edited ads go through a policy review, and impressions may not start until it finishes. Avoid making unnecessary changes while it is under review.
The Ad May Have Been Disapproved
Common reasons: policy violations, misleading text, restricted products, a landing page that doesn’t work, or domain issues.
How to Fix a Disapproved Google Ads Ad
Read the reason shown, fix the ad or the landing page and request a re-review.
What Does “Eligible (Limited)” Mean?
The ad can show only in some locations, audiences, queries or placements because of a policy or setting. It is not a failure, but reach is reduced.
Make Sure the Landing Page Works
Broken pages, server errors and slow loads cause disapprovals and lost clicks. See what does server error mean and the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error.
The Ad and the Landing Page Must Match
Misleading or inconsistent pages hurt performance and can break policies. See what is a landing page.
Test the Mobile Landing Page
Check that it loads and works on phones; see responsive web design and Google PageSpeed Insights.
Check Tracking Templates and the Final URL
An incorrect tracking template or final URL can send people to errors or cause disapproval.
The Daily Budget May Be Insufficient
If your budget is below the cost of a few clicks, the campaign may barely show. Compare it with typical cost per click in your market.
The Daily Budget May Be Exhausted
If the budget runs out early in the day, ads stop showing for the rest of it. Consider raising the budget or narrowing the targeting.
Bids May Be Too Low
If your bid is below what is needed to win the auction, your ad may not show. Raise bids or use a strategy that adjusts automatically.
Smart Bidding Targets May Be Unrealistic
Very low target CPAs or very high target ROAS can restrict delivery. Adjust the targets to what your data supports.
Conversion Tracking May Be Faulty
Automated bidding depends on conversion data; broken tracking can lead to poor delivery. Check Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics and Google Ads conversion value.
Ad Rank May Be Low
Ad rank depends on bid, ad quality, expected impact of assets and the context of the search.
Review the Quality Score
Improve Ad Headlines
See how to write Google Ads headlines that increase clicks.
Use Ad Assets Fully
Add sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, call and location assets.
Check Keyword Statuses
Keywords can be “low search volume,” “not eligible” or “rarely shown.”
The Low Search Volume Problem
If a keyword has too few searches, it won’t show. Replace it with broader or more commonly searched terms. The AdWords Keyword Planner helps.
Review the Keyword Match Types
Very restrictive match types can limit reach. See Google Ads keyword match options.
Check Negative Keyword Conflicts
A negative keyword can block your own positive keyword.
Review the Search Terms Report
See which queries trigger your ads and which are missing.
Check Location Targeting
If the targeted area is too small or wrongly set, there will be few impressions. For international targeting, see advertising abroad.
Review Language Targeting
Your language setting should match the language of your audience’s searches.
Don’t Narrow the Audience Too Much
Stacking many audience restrictions can reduce eligible users to almost zero. See what is a target audience.
Check Device Bid Adjustments
Large negative adjustments can effectively turn off a device type.
Review Demographic Exclusions
Excluding too many age or gender groups can shrink reach.
Check the Search Network Settings
Make sure the network settings (Search, partners, Display expansion) are what you intend.
Why Don’t Display Ads Show?
Common causes: narrow audiences, low bids, small remarketing lists, creative issues or placement exclusions. See the impact of GDN campaigns and Google Ads Display Network.
The Remarketing List May Be Too Small
Remarketing lists usually need a minimum number of users before ads can serve. See what is remarketing.
Shopping and Performance Max Issues
For shopping ads, check the feed in Google Merchant Center: disapproved products, missing identifiers such as GTIN, price or availability mismatches. See how to upload products to Google Merchant Center and product listing ads. For Performance Max, check assets, conversion goals and budget.
Other Checks
- Ad copy and CTA: make sure messages are clear; see Call to Action.
- Testing: use A/B testing to improve rather than changing many things at once.
- Account audit: for a full review, use the Google Ads account audit checklist.
Troubleshooting Order
- Check account, payment and verification
- Check campaign, ad group and ad status
- Use Ad Preview and Diagnosis
- Check budget, bids and schedule
- Check keywords, targeting and landing page
- Check conversion tracking
- Contact Google Ads support if the cause is still unclear
For professional help, see our Google Ads advertising service, digital ad management, and the article on a SEM advertising agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why aren’t my Google Ads running?
There may be a problem with payment, review, policy, budget, bids, keywords, targeting, dates or the landing page.
Why isn’t my ad shown even though it is eligible?
“Eligible” shows the ad can be published as far as policy goes. It may not win the auction because of low ad rank, budget or narrow targeting.
How do I check whether my Google Ads ad is running?
Use the Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool.
Can I check my ad by searching on Google?
This method is not reliable. Location, personalization, budget and auction conditions can affect the result.
Does a new Google Ads ad start running immediately?
New or edited ads may go through a policy review. Impressions may not start before the review is completed.
What should I do if my ad appears to be under review?
Follow the ad status and avoid unnecessary changes. For long reviews, use the Google Ads support options.
Why is a Google Ads ad disapproved?
Because of a policy violation, misleading text, a prohibited product, a page that doesn’t work or domain issues.
How is a disapproved ad fixed?
Review the reason for the violation, fix the ad or landing page and request a re-review.
What does “Eligible (limited)” mean?
That the ad can only be published in certain locations, audiences, queries or ad spaces.
