Although Call-Only Ads have been a staple of Google advertising for years, things are about to change. Google has officially announced that Call-Only Ads are being phased out, with the ability to create new Call-Only Ads being limited in 2026, and complete retirement of the service by 2027.
For businesses that rely on high-intent leads, such as contractors, law firms, small businesses, and landscapers, understanding what is changing and acting early is the key to avoiding disruptions in your online advertising.
Google Ads Is Phasing Out Call-Only Ads by 2027
Google has laid out a clear timeline for the retirement of Call-Only Ads, which will come in two steps:
- By February 2026, advertisers will no longer be able to create new Call-Only Ads. Existing campaigns can continue to run, but no new ones can be launched.
- By February 2027, all existing Call-Only Ads will stop receiving impressions entirely. At that point, campaigns that have not been migrated will stop generating calls.
Google is encouraging advertisers who rely on phone-focused campaigns to consider moving to Responsive Search Ads using Call Assets. This will allow your ad campaign to continue bringing in new customers via phone calls while also aligning with Google’s continued integration of AI technology.
What Does This Mean for My Google Ads Campaign?
For businesses that rely heavily on Call-Only Ads, switching to responsive search ads with call assets is an excellent strategy, but waiting too long to make the change can have negative effects on your campaigns, such as major drops in lead generation, missed opportunities, and more.
Migrating campaigns early will help maintain performance and successfully re-optimize your campaigns. It also gives you a chance to test call assets, refine bidding strategies, and make sure that your conversion tracking is appropriately set up before Call-Only Ads are fully retired.
How JSMT Google Ads Management Can Help
At JSMT Media, we are always staying up to date on the latest changes with Google policies and advertising. If you currently rely on Call-Only Ads, let us help to make the changes to your campaigns.
Our Google Ads management service includes:
- Auditing Google Ads account and campaigns for risk
- Migrating campaigns to Responsive Search Ads with Call Assets
- Configuring call reporting and call conversions correctly
- Aligning bidding strategies with phone-driven goals
- Linking Google Business Profiles for stronger local relevance
- Restricting calls to business hours to reduce wasted spend
Being proactive in making the necessary changes can help your business avoid drops in incoming leads and keep your campaign running smoothly despite the loss of Call-Only Ads.
Maintain and Grow Lead Generation with JSMT Media Google Ads Management
Call-Only Ads may be going away, but phone leads will continue to be an integral part of online advertising. If your business relies on inbound calls, the sooner you get your campaign up-to-date with the incoming changes, the better. JSMT Media specializes in Google Ads strategy, local optimization, and conversion tracking for service-based businesses.
In addition to helping clients stay ahead of changes to Google Ads, we also provide SEO and web design services. Whether you have an active Ads campaign or are just getting started, contact JSMT Media today. We can help transition your Call-Only Ads to Responsive Search Ads and provide any other digital marketing expertise you need
