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A homeowner hears water dripping behind the drywall at 7 a.m. They grab their phone, search “emergency plumber near me,” and tap the first phone number they see. Google call-only ads were built for that moment. The ad showed a business name and a phone number, and one tap started the call.
Google is retiring that format, and any business still running call-only ads has until February 2027 to make the switch. Below, we cover what’s changing, how to check whether your account is affected, and the steps we recommend for moving over without losing phone leads.
What’s Changing With Google Call-Only Ads
Google announced the retirement in October 2025 and laid out a two-stage timeline:
- February 2026: The option to create new call-only ads was removed.
- February 2027: Every existing call-only ad stops receiving impressions.
That second date applies across the board. An ad that has brought in steady calls for five years will stop serving on the same day as one launched last winter. Google hasn’t published exceptions for high performers, legacy accounts, or specific industries.
The replacement is a responsive search ad with a call asset attached. A call asset adds your phone number to a standard search ad as a tappable button. You may know call assets by their old name, call extensions.
How the New Format Affects Phone Leads
Call-only ads had two traits that made them popular with local service businesses. They didn’t require a landing page, and every click was a phone call. If an ad got 40 clicks, it produced 40 calls.
Responsive search ads work differently. Along with the call button, searchers see headlines, descriptions, and a link to your website. Some people will call right away. Others will click through to read more first.
Much of that comes down to urgency. Someone with a flooded basement will probably still tap the phone number. Someone pricing out duct cleaning for next month may want to check your reviews and service area first.
That shift has two practical effects:
- Your landing page matters more. Some searchers who used to call directly will visit your website first, and a slow or confusing page can cost you the lead.
- Reporting gets more layered. Leads can now come from calls placed through the ad, website visits, and calls made after someone browses your site. You’ll want to track all three.
How to Tell If Your Account Is Affected
If someone else built your campaigns, you may not know whether call-only ads are part of your setup. In Google Ads, open the Ads view and filter by ad type to find any active call ads.
Pay close attention to ad groups where a call-only ad is the only ad running. Those ad groups, and every keyword in them, will stop serving entirely in February 2027.
Accounts that already have an active call asset and at least one responsive search ad in each ad group are in good shape and may need little more than pausing the old ads.
How to Transition From Call-Only Ads to Call Assets
Benchmark Your Current Call Ads
Before changing anything, record how your call-only ads perform today. Note call volume, average call length, the search terms driving calls, and lead quality. That baseline shows whether the new setup holds up.
Build Responsive Search Ads in Every Affected Ad Group
Carry the messaging that worked in your call-only ads into your new headlines and descriptions. For services where people want to talk to someone right away, lead with phone-forward headlines like “Call Now for Same-Day Service.”
Add and Schedule Call Assets
Call assets can be added at the account, campaign, or ad group level. Account-level assets work well when one phone number covers everything. Campaign or ad group assets make more sense when different locations or departments use different numbers.
Schedule your call assets to match your business hours. A call at 11 p.m. that nobody answers is a wasted click and possibly a lost customer.
Turn On Call Reporting and Define a Qualified Call
Call reporting lets Google track calls placed from your ads. Set a minimum call length that reflects a real lead for your business. A 15-second call is often a wrong number, while a three-minute call is usually a conversation worth counting. Then make call conversions a primary goal so your bidding strategy optimizes toward them.
Run Both Formats Side by Side
Your existing call-only ads can keep running until the cutoff, so use that window. Launch the new ads alongside the old ones, let them build data for several weeks, and compare results against your benchmark. Once performance is stable, remove the call-only ads.
Give Your Landing Page a Once-Over
With more searchers seeing your website, check the basics on your landing page. Put your phone number at the top of the page and make it tappable on mobile. Keep the page focused on the service the ad promotes, and make sure it loads quickly on a phone.
Give Yourself Time to Test
New ads and bidding strategies need time to collect data and settle in. Starting now gives you room to spot problems and adjust while your call-only ads still run as a backup.
Timing matters for another reason. For many home service businesses, February is busy season, with frozen pipes, furnace repairs, and storm damage. That’s a rough time to troubleshoot a campaign that suddenly went dark. A fall transition puts the testing in quieter months.
Pink Dog Digital – Your Local Google Partner Agency
The switch is also a good time to review your whole Google Ads account, from conversion tracking to landing pages. Our team can audit your campaigns, handle the transition, and help keep the calls coming in.
As a Google Partner agency, we manage paid search for local businesses across many industries. Our services include:
- Digital advertising
- Social media management
- Content creation
- Search engine optimization
- Generative engine optimization
- Web design
Call us at 410-696-3305, email us at [email protected], or contact us through our website.
