---
title: "Back up Local Services Ads before they move into Google Ads"
description: "Local Services Ads are moving into Google Ads. See what to save first, what Google says carries over, and what to check in Google Ads after the move."
url: "https://webleveling.com/blog/back-up-local-services-ads-before-google-ads-move/"
lang: "en"
published: "2026-10-07"
modified: "2026-10-07"
author: "Cal Hewitt"
tags: ["google-ads","ppc","small-business"]
image: "https://webleveling.com/og/blog-back-up-local-services-ads-before-google-ads-move.jpg"
alternates:
  es: "https://webleveling.com/es/blog/respaldar-local-services-ads-antes-de-pasar-a-google-ads.md"
---

# Back up Local Services Ads before they move into Google Ads

Local Services Ads are moving into Google Ads. See what to save first, what Google says carries over, and what to check in Google Ads after the move.

![A closed notebook, a pencil and a stack of blank index cards arranged on a workbench.](https://webleveling.com/blog/back-up-local-services-ads-before-google-ads-move/lsa-migration-backup-featured.jpg)

You run Local Services Ads because the phone rings from them. Now there is a banner in your dashboard, or an email from Google, saying your account is moving into Google Ads, and you have a crew to dispatch and no time to read help pages. The questions are practical. What happens to your lead history, your Google badge and your budget? What should you save before the old dashboard goes away? And what do you check once your campaign shows up somewhere new? This post answers the Local Services Ads Google Ads migration questions in the order you would do the work: a ten-minute backup first, then what Google says carries over, then the dated news, then a checklist for the day after the move. You can do all of it yourself in one sitting.

**Key Takeaways**

**Save the reports now**

Google says Local Services Ads performance reports will not transition to Google Ads, so save them or screenshot them before your migration date.

**Most of your setup moves with you**

Google says lead history, verification status, locations, categories, budget limits, schedule and photos transfer automatically, and the pay-per-lead billing model stays.

**Check the new account the day after**

Open the Leads page, compare the new daily budget with your old weekly one, and confirm service areas, schedule and call settings.

## What should you save from your Local Services Ads account today?

Set aside ten minutes with the account open. Google's migration page says historical performance reports will be downloadable from the redirection page once Google publishes a dedicated download page, and it advises screenshots if you need the data right away. So, take the screenshots now and treat any later download as a bonus. Work through this list in order.

1.  **Open the Reports page.** In your Local Services Ads inbox, open the menu at the top and choose Reports. Google's [Local Services Ads reports page](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6226265) says reports show charged leads by category or Direct Business Search, leads by call, message and booking, total lead spend, lead credits received, and a filterable list of all leads. Capture the full date range, then capture a second view for the last 12 months.
2.  **Write down your review count and rating.** Reviews are managed in Google Business Profile Manager, not in your Local Services Ads account, according to Google's [reviews and ratings page](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7496631). Note today's count and star rating from your Business Profile so you have a dated baseline.
3.  **Record your settings.** Budget, service areas, job types, business categories, schedule, the phone number that receives calls, your badge status and the photos on the profile. Take a screenshot of each screen.
4.  **Open your most recent leads.** Save customer names, phone numbers, job types and whether each lead was booked. Google says lead history transfers, and a copy in your own file means your records do not depend on anyone's dashboard.
5.  **Check the administrator email.** The migration notice goes to the account administrator, so confirm that the address is one you read.
6.  **Keep the migration email.** It shows the date for your own account.

The reports are the only item on that list that Google says will not come across, so they come first. If you have an agency or a manager account, the [Local Services API documentation](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/campaigns/local-service-campaigns) describes how a manager can pull reporting, and it is worth asking whoever manages your account to send you a copy.

![A closed notebook and a pencil beside a stack of blank index cards on a workbench.](https://webleveling.com/blog/back-up-local-services-ads-before-google-ads-move/notes-before-the-move.jpg)

A dated set of notes from today is the baseline you compare against after the move.

## What does Google say carries over and what does not?

Google's migration page lists the transfer in plain terms. Use it as a checklist for what to verify later, and treat your own account as the final word.

Local Services Ads move to Google Ads: what Google says

| Item | What Google says | What you do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lead history | Contact details, message history and older call recordings transfer to the Leads page in Google Ads | Save a copy of recent leads anyway |
| Performance reports | Do not transition to Google Ads | Screenshot them before your migration date |
| Verification and badge | Verified status and the Google Verified badge carry over | Note your badge status today |
| Locations, categories, schedule, photos | Transfer automatically | Screenshot the settings and compare later |
| Budget | Weekly budget is divided by 7 to set a daily average; monthly spend is capped at the daily average times 30.4 | Do the math on your own number |
| Bidding | Manual bidding and vertical-level Target CPA are deprecated; a campaign-level Target CPA applies | Note your current settings |
| Ad placement and billing | Ads stay on Google Search and Google Maps, and you still pay per lead | Nothing to change |

Two pieces of that table deserve a closer look. The first is the badge. Google's [August 20, 2025 announcement](https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/google-verified-august-2025/) says Google Verified replaced the Google Guaranteed, Google Screened, License Verified and Money Back Guarantee badges for eligible Local Services profiles, so you may see Google Verified where you remember Google Guaranteed. Google's migration page says that status carries over.

The second is the budget. If your weekly budget is $700, the daily average becomes $100, and the monthly cap is $100 times 30.4, which is $3,040. Do that division for your own figures so a smaller or larger daily number does not surprise you.

![A calculator turned off beside a small stack of coins and a pencil on a plain desk.](https://webleveling.com/blog/back-up-local-services-ads-before-google-ads-move/weekly-budget-divided-by-seven.jpg)

Your old weekly budget divided by seven is your new daily average.

## What did Google announce in October 2026?

This section is dated. As of October 8, 2026, Google's Help page, [Local Services Ads transition to Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17213585), describes a phased move of existing Local Services Ads campaigns into a specialized Performance Max campaign type with pay-per-lead goals.

- **August 2026:** a first phase for selected U.S. home and storefront advertisers. The page names plumbing, HVAC, electrical, appliance repair, house cleaning, lawn care, roofing, pest control and moving.
- **Late 2026:** broader groups, including service-area businesses without a storefront and accounts with custom bidding or booking setups.
- **2027:** accounts outside the United States and the remaining categories.

The campaign is not the same as a standard Performance Max campaign. Google says the pay-per-lead campaigns stay keywordless and serve on Google Search and Google Maps, so they do not spread across YouTube, Gmail or Display. You are still billed per lead, not per click. Your own migration date appears in the notice Google sends the account administrator, so that email is the date to plan around.

## What should you check in Google Ads after the move?

The day your campaign moves, spend twenty minutes comparing the new account with your notes. Google says the Leads page replaces the lead inbox. In Google Ads, open Goals, then Conversions, then Leads. Google's [pay-per-lead goals page](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/17325352) says it lists phone, message and booking leads with the contact date, customer name, phone number and job type, and a Charge Status column shows whether a lead was charged, is under review or was credited by Google's spam and duplicate filters.

- **Leads:** compare the lead list with your saved copy. You can update a lead's status to Booked or Completed and reply to message leads from the lead's conversation panel.
- **Budget:** confirm the daily average matches your weekly figure divided by seven.
- **Service areas and schedule:** they become editable separately in Google Ads. Compare both with your screenshots.
- **Business details:** business name, address, phone and standard hours come from your Business Profile, so fix any mismatch in the profile.
- **Phone routing:** place a test call to your Google forwarding number and confirm it rings the right phone.
- **Lead alerts:** check which people and email addresses receive new-lead messages, so a lead does not sit unseen.
- **Cost per lead:** note the cost per charged lead for the first few weeks, then compare it with the baseline from your old reports.

Call recording is a setting to read. Google's [call recording settings page](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/16913427) says recording is on by default for eligible calls through a Google forwarding number with U.S. or Canadian numbers, and the pay-per-lead goals page says call recordings are stored for up to 30 days and that callers hear a notice before the call connects. Recording rules vary by state and country, so if you operate in more than one place, check the requirements that apply to you. Google's [Local Services requirements](https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/6245891) state that advertisers must comply with the licensing, insurance, privacy and other rules where they operate. For the customer details you keep in your own files, the FTC's [guide to protecting personal information](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/protecting-personal-information-guide-business) recommends deciding what you keep, how you secure it, how long you keep it and how you dispose of it.

![A plain clipboard with a blank checklist sheet resting on a closed laptop.](https://webleveling.com/blog/back-up-local-services-ads-before-google-ads-move/day-after-move-checklist.jpg)

Check the same items you wrote down before the move.

## Will your badge and reviews survive the move?

Your reviews live in your Business Profile, and the Local Services dashboard is not where they are stored, so a new dashboard does not touch them. Record the count and rating anyway. Your Google Verified status transfers, according to Google's migration page. If your badge ever disappears after the move, your saved screenshot of its status is what you show when you contact Google's support line for Local Services Ads advertisers.

Photos are in the same position. Google says business photos transfer automatically. If you are updating your photo set, [our guide to making ad and social images with Google's AI image model](https://webleveling.com/blog/make-ad-images-with-google-ai-image-model/) covers how to create new ones, and you can add them to the profile after the move.

## When is it worth paying someone to handle the move?

You can do the backup and the after-move check yourself. Google provides the reports, the Leads page, the budget controls and the settings, and the steps above fit in one sitting. Paid help makes sense in a few situations:

- You run several categories or locations and need each one confirmed.
- An agency or manager account has access and you need to confirm who can see and change what.
- Your leads feed a CRM and the lead export needs to line up with it.
- You need a before-and-after comparison of lead volume and cost per lead.
- Call recording and privacy rules differ across the areas you serve.

If you are still deciding whether the ads pay at all, read [whether Local Services Ads are worth it](https://webleveling.com/blog/are-google-local-services-ads-worth-it/). If you have questions about charges, [missed-call charges](https://webleveling.com/blog/google-local-services-ads-missed-call-charges/), [wrong-location leads](https://webleveling.com/blog/google-local-services-ads-wrong-location-leads/) and [hidden phone numbers](https://webleveling.com/blog/google-local-services-ads-hiding-phone-number/) each have their own walkthrough. If you are choosing between handling the account alone and hiring, [can you run Google Ads yourself](https://webleveling.com/blog/can-you-run-google-ads-yourself/) lays out that decision.

![A key ring and a folded paper map on a wooden table beside a closed notebook.](https://webleveling.com/blog/back-up-local-services-ads-before-google-ads-move/saved-records-folder.jpg)

Records in your own folder stay yours whatever happens to the dashboard.

**Quiz: Check your Local Services Ads move plan**

1. Which item does Google say will not transition to Google Ads?
   - Lead history
   - Performance reports **(correct answer)**
   - Verified status
2. Your weekly budget is $350. What does Google's conversion give you as a daily average?
   - $35
   - $50 **(correct answer)**
   - $70
3. Where do you find your leads in Google Ads after the move?
   - Goals, then Conversions, then Leads **(correct answer)**
   - Tools, then Billing
   - Audiences, then Segments

## Frequently Asked Questions About local services ads google ads migration

**Are Local Services Ads going away?**

No. Google says existing campaigns move into a specialized Performance Max campaign type with pay-per-lead goals, and ads stay on Google Search and Google Maps.

**Will my leads transfer?**

Yes. Google says customer contact details, message history and older call recordings transfer to the Leads page in Google Ads.

**Will my historical reports transfer?**

No. Google says Local Services Ads performance reports will not transition to Google Ads. Save them or screenshot them before your migration date.

**What happens to my Google Guaranteed badge?**

Google's current badge is Google Verified, which replaced Google Guaranteed and the other earlier badges for eligible profiles. Google says verified status and the badge carry over.

**Will my weekly budget stay weekly?**

No. Google divides your weekly budget by seven to set a daily average, and caps monthly spend at the daily average times 30.4.

**When does my account move?**

Google describes phases starting in August 2026, with later groups in late 2026 and 2027. Your own date is in the notice sent to the account administrator.

## Wrapping Up

Local Services Ads are moving into Google Ads in phases, and the part you can act on is small. Save your performance reports and screenshots, write down your review count, rating, badge, budget and settings, and keep a copy of recent leads. Google says lead history, verification status and your setup carry over, so those are what you verify afterward rather than rebuild.

After the move, open the Leads page, divide your old weekly budget by seven and compare, and check service areas, schedule, phone routing, lead alerts and call settings against your notes. With a dated baseline and a short checklist, you will know within the first few weeks whether anything changed and where.

If you would rather have someone else handle the backup and the after-move check, [Web Leveling](https://webleveling.com/) can do it with you, from the saved records to the new campaign settings. Our [Google Ads management](https://webleveling.com/services/google-ads-management/) work covers the setup, lead tracking and budget review, and you keep access to every account. We work with small and medium businesses across the country and overseas. [Send us your migration notice](https://webleveling.com/contact/) and we will go through the account with you.

## Terms

Local Services Ads migration words

Tap a term to see what it means.

**Local Services Ads.** Google's pay-per-lead ads for service businesses, shown on Google Search and Google Maps.

**Performance Max campaign with pay-per-lead goals.** The specialized Google Ads campaign type that Local Services Ads campaigns are moving into.

**Google Verified.** Google's current badge for eligible Local Services profiles, which replaced Google Guaranteed and other earlier badges.

**Leads page.** The place in Google Ads, under Goals and Conversions, where phone, message and booking leads are listed.

**Business Profile.** A business's free Google listing, where reviews are managed.

**Daily average budget.** The weekly Local Services Ads budget divided by seven after the move.

- [How to set a Google Ads budget when demand changes](https://webleveling.com/blog/google-ads-budget-by-demand-small-account/): Set your monthly number first, then divide by 30.4. Learn how daily budgets can run to twice the average, when to use a total budget, and a monthly check.
- [Improve Your Google Ads Quality Score: Check It, Then Fix It](https://webleveling.com/blog/improve-google-ads-quality-score/): Low Google Ads Quality Score next to your keywords? Add the columns, find your five costliest keywords, and fix the weak component, one change at a time.
- [Local Services Ads Phone Number Hidden? What to Check Now](https://webleveling.com/blog/google-local-services-ads-hiding-phone-number/): Local Services Ads phone number hidden behind a button? Calls, messages and bookings still work. Check your lead types, hours and reply plan in ten minutes.