If phone calls are your main lead source, call-only ads need your attention. Google is retiring the format and asking advertisers to use call assets inside responsive search ads. This guide covers the dates Google gives, the steps to move over and how to keep your calls flowing during the switch.
In this guide: What Is Changing With Call-Only Ads | Why You Should Not Wait Until 2027 | The Steps to Move | Carry Over What Worked | Keep Measuring Calls | A Simple Hypothetical Plan | Planning Your Move Away From Call-Only Ads | Quality Checks for Call Assets | Frequently Asked Questions | Final Thoughts
What Is Changing With Call-Only Ads
Google’s help page on moving from call ads to call assets gives two dates. In February 2026 the options to create new call-only ads were removed. In February 2027, all existing call-only ads will stop receiving impressions.
The replacement is a responsive search ad with a call asset. The ad can show a phone number alongside your headlines and descriptions, and Google tests combinations of your text to find what works for each search.
Why You Should Not Wait Until 2027
Existing call-only ads keep running until the deadline, so nothing breaks today. Google still recommends moving early, so you do not have a gap in leads when the old ads stop. An early move also gives the new ads time to gather data and for you to fix problems while the old ads still serve as a safety net.
The Steps to Move
- Prepare the account. Add your business name in the account or campaign settings, and add every relevant phone number as a call asset, following Google’s call asset policy.
- Create or edit responsive search ads. In the ad group you want, build a new responsive search ad or edit an existing one, then add call assets under “More asset types”.
- Wait for approval and results. Let the new ads pass review and start serving.
- Remove the old call ad. Google advises removing it only after the replacement is approved and performing.
Carry Over What Worked
Before you retire a call-only ad, note its best headlines and descriptions, its schedule and the phone number it used. Reuse that wording in the new ad. Our guide to writing responsive search ads covers how to write headlines that combine well.
Responsive ads use several headlines and descriptions, so write a spread of angles: the service, the benefit, the call to action and the hours you answer. If a message must always appear, pinning is possible, but pinning limits the combinations Google can test.
Keep Measuring Calls
Calls are only useful if you can tell which ones become customers. Check that your call conversion actions are set up and counting, and read our guide to tracking conversions in Google Ads if you have gaps. Then compare the old and new ads over the same period.
Other assets help too. Sitelinks, callouts and structured snippets can sit with the call asset, and our guide to Google Ads assets explains which ones to use.
A Simple Hypothetical Plan
Imagine a service business running one call-only campaign. It adds its business name and phone number as a call asset, builds a responsive search ad using the best call-only wording, and runs both for a few weeks. Once the new ad is approved and the call numbers look healthy, it pauses the old ad and later removes it. The example is hypothetical, and your timing will depend on your call volume.
Planning Your Move Away From Call-Only Ads
A short plan keeps the change calm. First, list every campaign and ad group that uses call-only ads, along with the phone number, the schedule and the results each one delivers. That list is your baseline.
Next, check your account settings. Confirm that the business name is correct and that each phone number you plan to show is set up as a call asset. If your team only answers at certain hours, make sure the schedule for the new ads reflects it, so calls arrive when someone can pick up.
Then build the replacements in stages. Start with the campaigns that bring in the most calls, so any problem is found early and the learning applies to the rest. Keep the old ad running while the new one is approved, and compare call volume and cost per call over a similar period.
Finally, set a date well before the deadline to retire the old ads. Record what you changed in a short note, so anyone reviewing the account can see why the new setup looks the way it does.
Quality Checks for Call Assets
Once the new ads are live, test them like a customer would. Call the number shown, confirm it reaches the right team and check that the greeting matches the offer in the ad. Review your call reporting after a week to see whether call volume and call length look similar to the old ads.
If calls drop, look at the basics first: whether the ads were approved, whether the number appears, whether the schedule matches your opening hours and whether the ads are reaching the same searches as before. Fix those before you change anything else.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I lose my call history if I remove the old ad?
Remove the ad only after the replacement is approved and performing, and export your call reports before you do so you keep a record.
Can I still show a phone number?
Yes. Call assets add your number to responsive search ads, so people can call straight from the ad.
Final Thoughts
Call-only ads have a hard stop in February 2027, so plan the move now. Build the replacement, compare it against the old ad and remove the old format only when calls are coming in from the new one.
Want expert help with your account? See our Google Ads management service.