Top 15 Reasons Your Google Ads Aren't Showing: Fix It!
Google Ads is a powerful tool for driving targeted traffic and growing your business online. However, it can be frustrating when your carefully crafted ads don’t appear as expected.
This article covers the top 15 reasons your Google Ads aren’t showing and provides actionable solutions to get your campaigns back on track.
1. Payment Issues: Your Payment Didn’t Go Through
One of the most common reasons ads fail to show is due to payment problems. If your payment method is invalid, expired, or there are insufficient funds, Google will pause your ads until the issue is resolved.
How to fix it:
- Check your billing information in Google Ads.
- Update your payment method or add a new one.
- Ensure your account balance is sufficient to cover your campaigns.
Once payment issues are resolved, your ads should resume running.
2. Bids Are Too Low or Too High
Your bid amount affects whether your ad wins an auction to be shown. If your bids are too low, your ads may not appear because other advertisers outbid you.
Conversely, if bids are too high relative to your budget, your campaign might exhaust its budget quickly and stop showing ads.
How to fix it:
- Adjust your bids to be competitive but within your budget.
- Use Google’s bid simulator or automated bidding strategies to optimize bids.
- Monitor your campaign performance and tweak bids accordingly1.
3. Keyword Issues: Low Search Volume or Poor Match
If your keywords have very low search volume, Google may not show your ads because there are not enough relevant searches. Also, using overly broad or irrelevant keywords can reduce ad visibility.
How to fix it:
- Use Google’s Keyword Planner to select keywords with adequate search volume.
- Refine your keyword match types (broad, phrase, exact) to better target your audience.
- Remove or pause keywords with consistently low impressions.
4. Ad Disapprovals Due to Policy Violations
Google has strict advertising policies. If your ads violate these, they will be disapproved and won’t show. Common disapproval reasons include inappropriate content, misleading claims, trademark violations, and destination URL issues.
How to fix it:
- Review the disapproval reason in your Google Ads account under the Policy Manager.
- Edit your ad copy, images, or URLs to comply with Google’s policies.
- Submit an appeal if you believe the disapproval was in error.
Common disapproval types and fixes include:
| Disapproval Type | What It Means | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Destination mismatch | Ads in the same ad group have different URLs | Ensure all ads in an ad group point to the same final URL |
| Destination not working | Google can’t crawl or reach your landing page | Fix URL errors, check robots.txt, and ensure website is live |
| Repetition | Keyword stuffing or poor-quality ad copy | Refine ad copy to be clear and relevant |
| Capitalization | Excessive use of capital letters | Use standard capitalization; appeal if part of brand name |
| Punctuation & symbols | Incorrect grammar or excessive symbols | Correct punctuation and remove unnecessary symbols |
| Trademark violations | Unauthorized use of trademarked terms | Remove or get authorization; comply with reseller policies |
| Copyrighted content | Use of copyrighted material without permission | Remove content or provide authorization documentation |
| Image quality | Low-quality or incorrectly sized images | Replace with high-quality images meeting Google’s guidelines |
| Misrepresentation | Bait-and-switch or misleading content | Align ad copy and landing page content |
| Dangerous products | Ads promoting prohibited items like weapons | Remove or adjust ad content |
These fixes help ensure your ads comply and can start showing again.
5. Ads Stuck in “Under Review”
Sometimes ads remain in the “under review” status for longer than usual, preventing them from showing.
How to fix it:
- Double-check that your ads comply with all Google policies.
- Look for account-level issues such as payment or policy violations.
- Contact Google Ads support or use the live chat for faster resolution.
- Post in the Google Ads Help Community for additional advice5.
6. Limited by Budget Status
If your campaign’s daily budget is too low, Google may limit how often your ads show, resulting in fewer impressions.
How to fix it:
- Increase your daily budget to allow more ad impressions.
- Optimize bidding strategies to get the most out of your budget.
- Focus on high-impact keywords to maximize ROI.
7. Poor Ad Quality or Low Quality Score
Google assigns a Quality Score based on your ad’s relevance, expected click-through rate, and landing page experience. Low-quality ads rank poorly and may not show often.
How to fix it:
- Write clear, relevant ad copy that matches user intent.
- Use targeted keywords in your ads and landing pages.
- Improve landing page speed, usability, and relevance.
- Monitor and improve your Quality Score regularly.
8. Targeting Issues: Geographic or Audience Restrictions
If your campaign targeting is too narrow or incorrect, your ads may not reach enough users to show.
How to fix it:
- Review your geographic targeting settings to ensure they match your desired audience.
- Check demographic and audience targeting for accuracy.
- Broaden targeting if necessary to increase reach.
9. Ad Scheduling Restrictions
If you have set your ads to run only at certain times or days, your ads won’t show outside those windows.
How to fix it:
- Review your ad scheduling settings.
- Adjust or remove restrictions to allow ads to show when you want.
- Use scheduling strategically based on when your audience is most active.
10. Negative Keywords Blocking Your Ads
Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing on certain searches. If you have added too many or incorrect negative keywords, your ads might not show at all.
How to fix it:
- Review your negative keyword list.
- Remove any that are too broad or mistakenly blocking relevant searches.
- Use negative keywords carefully to avoid excluding valuable traffic.
11. Account Suspension or Policy Strikes
If your Google Ads account violates policies repeatedly, it may be suspended, stopping all ads from showing.
How to fix it:
- Check your account status and notifications.
- Address any policy violations immediately.
- Contact Google support to resolve suspensions.
- Follow Google’s guidelines strictly to avoid future suspensions3.
12. Incorrect Final URL or Landing Page Issues
If your final URL is broken, leads to a 404 error, or the landing page is unresponsive, Google will not show your ads.
How to fix it:
- Test your final URLs to ensure they load correctly.
- Fix broken links or redirect errors.
- Ensure your landing page is mobile-friendly and loads quickly.
- Check your robots.txt and site settings to allow Googlebot access.
13. Ad Format or Image Issues (For Display Ads)
Display ads require images that meet Google’s size, quality, and content guidelines. Poor image quality or wrong dimensions can cause disapproval.
How to fix it:
- Use high-resolution images with correct dimensions.
- Follow Google’s image content policies.
- Replace disapproved images promptly.
14. Misleading or Inaccurate Ad Content
Ads that mislead users or do not accurately represent the product or service will be disapproved.
How to fix it:
- Ensure your ad copy truthfully represents your offer.
- Avoid exaggerated claims or bait-and-switch tactics.
- Align your ad copy closely with your landing page content.
15. Technical Glitches or Platform Bugs
Occasionally, Google Ads may experience technical issues causing ads not to show.
How to fix it:
- Check Google Ads status dashboards for outages.
- Clear browser cache or try a different browser.
- Contact Google Ads support if issues persist.
- Keep your Google Ads app and browser updated.
Conclusion
Use Google’s tools like the Policy Manager, Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool, and Keyword Planner to identify problems. Fix payment issues, comply with policies, optimize bids and budgets, and ensure your landing pages and URLs are working perfectly.
By systematically addressing these top 15 reasons, you can restore your ads’ visibility, improve campaign performance, and get the best return on your advertising investment.