{"id":28490,"date":"2026-10-02T21:37:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T16:07:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/?p=28490"},"modified":"2026-10-03T16:55:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T11:25:48","slug":"google-ads-account-audit-checklist-2026-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/google-ads-account-audit-checklist-2026-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Ads Account Audit Checklist (2026): What to Check and Why"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"lead\">Running a Google Ads audit isn&#8217;t about ticking through a generic list anymore \u2014 half of what used to matter (manual bid adjustments, Ad Rotation settings, Accelerated delivery) has either been automated away or removed from the platform entirely. This checklist covers what&#8217;s actually worth checking in a 2026 account, organized the way you&#8217;d actually work through an audit: structure first, then spend, then the automation layer most accounts still haven&#8217;t configured correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What this audit covers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Account settings:<\/strong> tracking and measurement foundations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Campaign settings:<\/strong> where and when your ads show, and how they bid<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keywords:<\/strong> which searches trigger your ads<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ads:<\/strong> what people see and where they land<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Assets:<\/strong> the extra information attached to your ads<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Audiences:<\/strong> who you&#8217;re reaching and remarketing to<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shopping and Performance Max:<\/strong> product feeds and automated campaigns<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-account-settings\">1. Account settings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This section covers the measurement foundations: how clicks and conversions are recorded, and what Google is allowed to change on its own. If tracking is wrong, every other number in the account is unreliable, so check it before anything else.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Auto-tagging<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Confirm it&#8217;s turned on.<\/strong> It attaches the click ID that lets Google Analytics and offline conversion imports match back to the ad click. Without it, your reporting has gaps.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Confirm your GA4 link is active.<\/strong> A working link lets you compare on-site behavior with ad performance and bring conversions into Google Ads.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conversion tracking<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>List every conversion action and the value it carries.<\/strong> Bid strategies optimize toward what you count, so a newsletter signup weighted like a sale steers spend in the wrong direction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check for duplicate actions.<\/strong> Two actions counting the same event inflate your conversion numbers and mislead automated bidding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check which goals each campaign optimizes toward.<\/strong> Campaigns can use the account default or their own goals, and the wrong choice changes what the campaign chases.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Confirm conversions have recorded in the last 7 days.<\/strong> A broken tag can go unnoticed while budget keeps spending.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enhanced Conversions and Consent Mode<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check the Enhanced Conversions diagnostics.<\/strong> They show whether first-party data is actually reaching Google, so your conversions are measured more completely.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Confirm Consent Mode is set up if you serve users in the EEA or UK.<\/strong> Missing consent signals can limit the data Google can use for measurement and bidding.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Auto-apply recommendations<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Review which ones are switched on.<\/strong> Some can change budgets, bids or keywords without your sign-off.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Scan change history for changes you didn&#8217;t make.<\/strong> It shows what Google applied automatically, and why performance may have shifted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Campaign settings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This section covers where your ads can appear, who sees them, when they run, and how they bid. Most of these settings are set once at creation and never revisited, so they&#8217;re a common source of quiet waste.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-search-partners\">Search Partners<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check whether &#8220;Include Google <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/answer\/1722047?hl=en\">search partners<\/a>&#8221; is ticked.<\/strong> New Search Network campaigns include search partners by default, so it may be on without anyone having decided that.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compare performance by <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/answer\/1722047?hl=en\">network<\/a> in your reports.<\/strong> Google doesn&#8217;t show which partner sites a Search ad appeared on, so the network segment is your main evidence of whether partners are worth keeping.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>If you keep partners on, check your placement exclusions.<\/strong> Search partner placement exclusions are added at the account level through an exclusion list, and they let you block specific sites.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Display Network on Search campaigns<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check whether &#8220;Include Google Display Network&#8221; is ticked.<\/strong> It extends a Search campaign beyond search results to other sites, where intent and cost per click can differ a lot.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compare performance by network.<\/strong> If Display traffic isn&#8217;t converting, it&#8217;s taking budget from queries that do.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Locations and location options<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Compare targeted locations with where you actually serve.<\/strong> Clicks from places you can&#8217;t serve are wasted spend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check your location exclusions.<\/strong> They stop spend in areas you don&#8217;t want to reach.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check whether the setting is presence, or presence or interest.<\/strong> It decides whether you reach only people in the area or also people searching about it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Review the geographic report.<\/strong> It shows where clicks and conversions are really coming from.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Languages<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check that targeted languages match your ads and landing pages.<\/strong> Showing an ad to someone whose language your page doesn&#8217;t support wastes the click.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Budget<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check budget pacing across the month.<\/strong> A campaign that runs out early misses demand for the rest of the period.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check lost impression share (budget) per campaign.<\/strong> It tells you directly how much reach the budget is costing you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check shared budgets.<\/strong> Campaigns on one budget compete for the same money, and one can starve another.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bid strategy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Confirm the strategy matches the campaign goal.<\/strong> A mismatch means the campaign optimizes for something you don&#8217;t want.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Confirm there&#8217;s enough conversion volume for the strategy.<\/strong> Target CPA and Target ROAS need data to work reliably, and thin volume makes them erratic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check the strategy status for &#8220;learning&#8221; or &#8220;limited&#8221; flags.<\/strong> These explain sudden performance swings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compare targets with your real margins.<\/strong> A target CPA that ignores profit can grow revenue while losing money.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ad schedule<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Compare performance by day and hour.<\/strong> It shows when you convert and when you just spend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check that the schedule fits when you can take calls or follow up leads.<\/strong> Paying for clicks you can&#8217;t answer is wasted budget.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Audience segments<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check whether each segment is set to Observation or Targeting.<\/strong> Observation adds data without narrowing reach, while Targeting limits the campaign to that audience, so a wrong setting can shrink your reach unnoticed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI Max for Search (if enabled)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check which parts are on.<\/strong> Turning AI Max on turns on text customization and final URL expansion, and each can be switched off individually, so you may be running features you didn&#8217;t pick.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check final URL expansion.<\/strong> It requires text customization to be on, and when it selects a different page, pinned RSA assets aren&#8217;t used, which matters if you rely on pinned copy. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check your URL exclusions.<\/strong> They keep traffic away from pages such as legal, support or login pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check your tracking template.<\/strong> Google recommends using the {lpurl} parameter so the template accepts whichever landing page is selected, and a static template can break dynamic URLs. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Keywords<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This section covers which searches can trigger your ads. Match types, negatives and the search terms report work together: match types open the door, negatives close it, and the search terms report shows what actually walked through.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-match-types\">Match types<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>List which keywords sit on broad match, and confirm the campaign runs Smart Bidding.<\/strong> Broad match works best with Smart Bidding and honest conversion data, and without them it can leak spend. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>List your phrase match keywords.<\/strong> Phrase match has been more flexible since 2021 and allows close variations such as misspellings, plurals and reordered words, so what triggers your ads may be wider than the keyword looks. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>List your exact match keywords.<\/strong> Exact match includes close variations with the same intent, so queries won&#8217;t always read identically to the keyword. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check for the same keyword in several match types or campaigns.<\/strong> Your own keywords end up competing with each other and splitting your data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Negative keywords<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check negatives at account, campaign and ad group level.<\/strong> Each level does a different job, and gaps let irrelevant queries through.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check for negatives blocking terms you want.<\/strong> Old negatives can silently cut your best traffic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check for ad-group-level gaps.<\/strong> A query that should belong to one ad group can trigger another, which muddies your data and ad relevance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Search terms report<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Review the last 30 days.<\/strong> It&#8217;s the clearest view of what people searched before seeing your ad.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Flag irrelevant queries to add as negatives.<\/strong> This stops repeat waste.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Flag strong converting queries to add as keywords.<\/strong> This gives your best traffic more control.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Ads<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This section covers what searchers actually see and where they land. Even a well-targeted campaign loses money if the ad is outdated, the page is broken, or the message doesn&#8217;t match the click.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Responsive Search Ads<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check that every ad group has at least one RSA.<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/answer\/11777352?hl=en\">Google stopped allowing new or edited Expanded Text Ads after June 30, 2022<\/a>, so RSAs are your only way to create and edit Search ads.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check for old Expanded Text Ads.<\/strong> They can still serve but can&#8217;t be edited, so decide whether they stay.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ad Strength and pinning<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check the Ad Strength rating for each RSA.<\/strong> It reflects how much headline and description variety the ad gives the system to work with.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check what&#8217;s pinned, and why.<\/strong> Pinning limits combinations, so it should cover only legally required or brand-critical copy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Landing pages and offers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Click every final URL.<\/strong> A broken or slow page wastes every click you paid for.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check that the page matches the ad and keyword.<\/strong> A mismatch hurts conversion rate and can lower landing page experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check for expired offers and old dates.<\/strong> Stale promotions frustrate visitors and can trigger policy issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Assets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This section covers the extra information attached to your ads, such as sitelinks, callouts and call buttons. They give your ads more space and more reasons to click, but they go stale quickly if nobody reviews them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sitelinks, callouts and structured snippets<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check that each campaign has at least four sitelinks, with descriptions filled in.<\/strong> More assets give your ads more to show and more ways to earn clicks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check callouts and structured snippets are present and current.<\/strong> Outdated ones can promise things you no longer offer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Call assets<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check the number and the schedule.<\/strong> Calls should only be invited when someone can answer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Confirm call reporting is on.<\/strong> Without it you can&#8217;t see which calls turned into conversions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Audiences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This section covers who you&#8217;re reaching beyond search keywords: remarketing lists and your own customer data. These lists also feed the automated campaign types, so stale or empty lists weaken more than just remarketing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Remarketing and Customer Match<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Confirm the Google tag fires on every page it should.<\/strong> A broken tag stalls your lists without any warning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check that list membership is growing.<\/strong> A flat list means the tag or the list rules need attention.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check list durations against your sales cycle.<\/strong> A window that&#8217;s too short or too long targets the wrong people.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check your Customer Match lists are current.<\/strong> Stale first-party data weakens both targeting and audience signals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Shopping and Performance Max<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This section covers product feeds and Google&#8217;s automated campaign types. <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-starts-automatically-upgrading-smart-shopping-campaigns-to-performance-max-386642\">Smart Shopping campaigns were automatically upgraded to Performance Max starting in mid-2022<\/a>, and since <a href=\"https:\/\/ppc.land\/performance-max-vs-standard-shopping-google-revamps-ad-auction-for-holidays\/\">an October 2024 auction change, Performance Max no longer automatically outranks Standard Shopping<\/a>. With less manual control here, the quality of what you feed the system decides most of the result.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Merchant Center feed<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check price and availability against your live site.<\/strong> Mismatches can get products disapproved and send people to pages that don&#8217;t match the ad.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check the diagnostics tab.<\/strong> It lists warnings and disapprovals that limit which products can show.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Asset groups<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check that groups are split by product theme.<\/strong> One catch-all group gives the system too little to learn from.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check each group&#8217;s images, videos and text.<\/strong> Thin creative limits where and how you can show.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Audience signals, URL expansion and brand exclusions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check brand exclusions.<\/strong> They keep this campaign from spending on brand terms that have their own campaign.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check that audience signals are filled in.<\/strong> They give Performance Max a starting point, and a blank signal gives it none.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check whether final URL expansion is on, and review URL exclusions.<\/strong> It can send traffic to pages you didn&#8217;t choose.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A Google Ads account doesn&#8217;t drift off track all at once \u2014 it&#8217;s usually one setting left on default, one list that stopped growing, one ad group nobody revisited after a product change. None of that shows up as a single alarming number; it just quietly raises cost per result over time. Working through these seven sections in order, tracking first, gives you a clear picture of where that&#8217;s happening in your own account, and a record you can repeat on a regular basis rather than only when performance dips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Treat this as a working document, not a one-time pass. Platform mechanics will keep shifting, so plan to revisit this checklist every few months and adjust what&#8217;s covered as Google changes what&#8217;s available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want Karooya to run parts of this for you? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/free-adwords-audit-report\">Try the free Google Ads audit report<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Running a Google Ads audit isn&#8217;t about ticking through a generic list anymore \u2014 half of what used to matter (manual bid adjustments, Ad Rotation settings, Accelerated delivery) has either been automated away or removed from the platform entirely. This checklist covers what&#8217;s actually worth checking in a 2026 account, organized the way you&#8217;d actually&#8230;  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/google-ads-account-audit-checklist-2026-update\/\" class=\"more-link\" title=\"Read Google Ads Account Audit Checklist (2026): What to Check and Why\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-googl-search-tips"],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kirti","author_link":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/author\/kirti\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28490"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28536,"href":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28490\/revisions\/28536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}