Google Ads Emergency Fix Guide

Symptoms

• Ads not running
• "Account suspended" notification
• Email from Google about policy violation

Immediate Steps

Step 1: Identify the Cause (5 minutes)

Check the notification for specific violation:

• Circumventing systems
• Misrepresentation
• Malicious software
• Counterfeit goods
• Dangerous products
• Billing issues

Step 2: Review the Evidence (15 minutes)

Look at:

• Recent landing page changes
• Recent ad copy changes
• Any new campaigns/ads
• Website for anything that violates policy

Step 3: Fix the Violation

• Remove prohibited content
• Update misleading claims
• Secure website if hacked
• Update payment method

Step 4: Submit Appeal

1. Go to Google Ads → Tools → Policy Manager
2. Click "Appeal"
3. Explain what you fixed—be specific and honest
4. Wait (usually 3-7 business days)

Prevention

• Review Google Ads policies quarterly
• Never make exaggerated claims
• Keep website secure
• Update billing info before expiration

Symptoms

• Conversions dropped 50%+ overnight
• Clicks still happening
• Spending continues normally

Immediate Steps

Step 1: Verify Tracking Works (10 minutes)

1. Open website in incognito
2. Complete conversion action (form, purchase)
3. Check Google Ads conversions (may take hours)
4. Check Google Tag Assistant for tag firing

Step 2: Check for Technical Issues (10 minutes)

• Website down or slow?
• Form broken?
• Payment processor working?
• Tracking code removed?
• GTM container changed?
• Cookie consent blocking tracking?

Step 3: Check for Traffic Quality Issues (10 minutes)

• Search terms report (new irrelevant terms?)
• Geographic report (strange locations?)
• Device report (mobile issues?)
• Time of day (traffic shifting?)

Step 4: Check External Factors (5 minutes)

• Competitor actions (new competitor ads?)
• Seasonal changes
• News/events affecting your industry
• Price/offer changes on your site

Quick Fixes

Cause	Fix
Tracking broken	Reinstall tag, verify in GTM
Form broken	Fix form immediately
Site slow	Contact hosting, optimize
Bad traffic	Add negative keywords
Cookie consent	Implement consent mode v2

Symptoms

• Same conversions but double the cost
• Or half the conversions for same spend
• Performance crashed suddenly

Immediate Steps

Step 1: Check for Bid Changes (5 minutes)

• Bid strategy switched?
• Target CPA/ROAS changed?
• Budget increased dramatically?
• Campaign settings modified?

Step 2: Check Competition (5 minutes)

Use Auction Insights:

• New competitors appeared?
• Existing competitors bidding higher?
• Impression share dropped?

Step 3: Check Quality Scores (10 minutes)

• Any Quality Score drops?
• Ad relevance decreased?
• Landing page experience dropped?

Step 4: Check Search Terms (10 minutes)

• New irrelevant terms eating budget?
• Match type expansion issues?
• Brand vs non-brand mix changed?

Quick Fixes

Cause	Fix
Bid strategy change	Revert if accidental
Competition spike	Consider adjusting targets temporarily
QS dropped	Fix ad relevance, landing page
Irrelevant terms	Add negatives immediately
Budget jump (algorithm went aggressive)	Reduce budget to previous level

Recovery Process

1. Identify root cause from above
2. Make single fix (don't change multiple things)
3. Wait 7 days for data
4. If not improving, try next potential fix

Symptoms

• Multiple ads disapproved at once
• "Policy violation" notifications
• Ads stopped showing

Immediate Steps

Step 1: Identify Which Ads and Why (5 minutes)

1. Go to Ads & Assets
2. Filter by "Disapproved"
3. Hover over status for reason

Step 2: Understand the Violation (10 minutes)

Common disapproval reasons:

• Trademark violation: Using competitor names
• Misleading claims: "Best," "Guaranteed," unverified
• Adult content: Unexpected in non-adult campaigns
• Punctuation/formatting: Excessive caps, symbols
• Healthcare claims: Unapproved medical statements
• Financial services: Missing disclosures

Step 3: Fix and Resubmit

1. Edit to remove violation
2. Save (automatically resubmits)
3. Or create new compliant ad

Step 4: Request Review (if false positive)

1. Click on disapproved ad
2. Select "Appeal"
3. Explain why ad is compliant
4. Wait for review

Common Fixes

Violation	Fix
Trademark	Remove competitor brand names
Misleading claims	Add qualifiers, cite sources
Punctuation	Remove caps, extra symbols
Adult content	Review landing page for triggers
Healthcare	Remove medical claims

Symptoms

• Daily budget spent in hours
• Ads stop showing mid-day
• "Limited by budget" warning

Immediate Steps

Step 1: Check for Click Fraud (10 minutes)

• Lots of clicks from single IP?
• Click-through rate abnormally high?
• Bounces extremely high?
• Strange geographic patterns?

Step 2: Check for Bid Issues (5 minutes)

• Bid strategy aggressive?
• Target removed (algorithm bidding up)?
• Manual bids set too high?
• New keywords with high CPCs?

Step 3: Check for Keyword Issues (10 minutes)

• Broad match going too wide?
• New search terms expensive?
• High-CPC keywords added?
• Competition increased?

Quick Fixes

Cause	Fix
Click fraud suspected	Enable click fraud exclusions, report to Google
Aggressive bidding	Add or tighten Target CPA/ROAS
Broad match waste	Add negatives or switch to exact
High-CPC keywords	Pause or lower bids
Budget too low	Increase if profitable, or narrow targeting

Short-Term Options

• Increase budget (if conversions profitable)
• Add Target CPA (constrain spending per conversion)
• Narrow targeting (focus on best-performing segments)
• Enable ad scheduling (only show during peak conversion times)

Symptoms

• PMax was working, now it's not
• Conversions dropped dramatically
• Spend is erratic

Immediate Steps

Step 1: Check Asset Groups (10 minutes)

• Any assets disapproved?
• Asset performance changed?
• Audience signals modified?

Step 2: Check Conversion Tracking (10 minutes)

• Conversions still recording?
• Conversion values accurate?
• No tracking issues?

Step 3: Check for Changes (5 minutes)

• Budget modified?
• Targets adjusted?
• New campaigns competing?
• Brand exclusions changed?

Step 4: Review Insights Tab (10 minutes)

• Search category changes
• Audience shifts
• Channel mix changes

PMax Recovery Actions

Issue	Action
Asset disapproval	Fix and resubmit
Conversion tracking	Verify and fix
Algorithm "learning"	Wait 2 weeks if recently changed
Competition	Review auction insights
Budget insufficient	PMax needs consistent budget

PMax Reset Option (Last Resort)

If nothing works after 2+ weeks:

1. Create new PMax campaign
2. Copy all assets
3. Set same targets
4. Pause old campaign

Sometimes a fresh start works.

Symptoms

• Multiple keywords QS dropped to 3-4
• CPCs increasing
• Impression share dropping

Immediate Steps

Step 1: Identify Affected Keywords (5 minutes)

• Which dropped?
• When did it happen?
• What component dropped?

Step 2: Diagnose Components (10 minutes)

For each low QS keyword, check:

• Expected CTR: Below average? → Ad copy issue
• Ad Relevance: Below average? → Keyword-ad mismatch
• Landing Page: Below average? → Page quality issue

Step 3: Fix Based on Component

Expected CTR Fix:

• Rewrite headlines to include keyword
• Make ads more compelling
• Add action-oriented language

Ad Relevance Fix:

• Include keyword in headline
• Match ad to keyword intent
• Create tighter ad groups

Landing Page Fix:

• Add keyword to landing page headline
• Improve page load speed
• Enhance mobile experience
• Add relevant content

Timeline for Recovery

• Ad changes: 1-2 weeks to see impact
• Landing page changes: 2-4 weeks to see impact
• Full QS recovery: 4-6 weeks typical

Run Weekly to Prevent Emergencies

• ☐ Check conversion tracking (test conversion)
• ☐ Review search terms report
• ☐ Monitor budget pacing
• ☐ Check for disapproved ads
• ☐ Review Quality Scores
• ☐ Verify billing method valid
• ☐ Check for policy warnings
• ☐ Review competitor activity

Emergency Response Template

When any emergency occurs, document:

• Date/Time: When first noticed
• Emergency Type: Classification
• Symptoms: What you observed
• Diagnostic Steps Taken: What you checked
• Root Cause Identified: What was wrong
• Fix Applied: What you did
• Resolution Time: How long to fix
• Lessons Learned: How to prevent

Emergency Contacts

• Google Ads Support: Chat via Google Ads interface
• Help Center: support.google.com/google-ads
• Account Manager: Contact if assigned
• Twitter: @GoogleAds (sometimes responsive)