How to Add a Promotion to Google Ads and Check It Is Live

The fall sale starts Friday, and you want the discount sitting right under your ad where a searcher can see it. You can add a promotion to Google Ads in a few minutes. The part that keeps people up is afterward: did Google approve it, are the dates right, and is it actually showing?

Every click costs money, so a missing or expired offer is a real worry. A searcher who clicks for a deal and lands on a page that never mentions it is a paid visit wasted.

The path from a blank form to a confirmed, live offer is short, and it also tells you what to do when the account says one thing and your own search says another.

How do I add a promotion to Google Ads?

Google calls this a promotion asset. The older name was promotion extension, and some searches still use that word. The asset adds a line about your sale or offer to an eligible ad, and Google's help page on promotion assets says it can appear with Search, Shorts and in-stream video ads.

The path, using the menu names Google uses:

1. In Google Ads, open Campaigns, then Assets.
2. Click the plus button and choose Promotion.
3. Choose where it applies: your account, one campaign, or one ad group.
4. Fill in the promotion details (the next section covers each field).
5. Under Promotion dates, enter the start and end dates, then save.

You do not need to write a new ad to do this. Google says a promotion asset can be edited without resetting its performance statistics, so you can fix a typo or extend a date later without starting over.

Pick the level on purpose. An asset attached at the account level is a different thing from one attached to a single campaign, and an offer for one product line usually belongs on the campaign or ad group that sells it. Check where the asset ended up before the sale begins.

Which details does Google ask for?

The form is short, and each field maps to something a customer will read. Google's help page on promotion assets lists what you can enter, and the asset can show up to two lines describing the promotion.

The promo code field is where people slip. Google's Unavailable offers policy and the related editorial rules expect an actual code there, not a product description, a phone number or a general promotional line. If your offer needs no code, leave the field out and describe the deal in the promotional details instead.

Dates deserve a second look before you save. If the sale runs Friday through Sunday, enter exactly that. Advanced options let you narrow the asset to certain days and hours, which fits a weekend-only deal. If you already use a schedule on the campaign itself, our post on the Google Ads ad schedule covers how those hours work, and the two settings should agree.

How do I check that my promotion is live?

Checking takes about ten minutes, and the order matters because each step rules out a different problem. Start in the account, move to the numbers, and finish with a preview. Do not start by searching for your own ad over and over; that tells you very little.

An impression here means the promotion appeared with an ad. If the asset shows impressions in your date range, it has shown. Reporting is not necessarily real time, and Google's reporting help notes that asset statistics update daily in some reports, so a sale that started this morning may not be fully counted yet.

For a look at the ad itself, use Tools, Troubleshooting, Ad preview and diagnosis. Google's help page on the tool explains that it previews your ad for a keyword, location and device without creating an extra impression, so you are not adding to your own numbers or risking clicks on your own ad.

What do the status labels in the Status column mean?

The Status column is the first answer you get, and it is worth reading closely. Google's help page on ad status is the source for the labels, and the Policy details column explains the reason when something is restricted.

Read "Approved" for what it says: the promotion follows the rules and can be shown. Whether it appears on a given search is a separate matter. Google says assets appear based on factors such as Ad Rank, the situation of the search, the expected impact and the other ad formats competing for the space.

Why does it say Approved but my offer is not showing?

An approved asset with no impressions calls for diagnosis, not proof that something broke. Your own search is a poor test, because the result you see depends on your location, device and the auction at that moment. Work through the list in this order, because the first items are the cheapest to fix.

• Dates and hours: The promotion dates, or the day and hour schedule, may exclude the time you are looking.
• Attachment: The asset may sit on a different account, campaign or ad group than the ad you are checking.
• Campaign eligibility: The campaign, ad group or ad may be paused, ended or incomplete.
• The landing page: The offer may be missing there, or show an old price.
• No impression yet: The asset may be approved and still not have earned one.

That is a practical order, from quickest to rule out to slowest. The first fixes take a few minutes: edit the dates under Advanced options, attach the asset where the ad actually runs, or unpause the campaign. A landing page mismatch can take longer if the page copy or the checkout has to change.

If the asset is approved, attached, in date and still empty after a reasonable wait, run Ad preview and diagnosis for a keyword you actually want to win, in the place and on the device your customers use. The tool shows what is happening for that search.

What does Google require of the offer?

The rule is short. The offer must be accurate, available, relevant to the destination and easy to find after the click. Google's Unavailable offers policy does not allow promising a product, service or promotional offer that is unavailable or not easy to find on the destination. A deal that has ended, an inaccurate price or a call to action the page cannot fulfill can all break it.

Your landing page should therefore show the same offer as the asset, along with its conditions, its expiration date and how to redeem it. Google's editorial rules on spelling, capitalization, symbols and clarity apply to the asset text too, so skip the extra punctuation and all-capital shouting.

The Federal Trade Commission adds general advertising rules that apply beyond Google. It says advertising must be truthful, non-deceptive, fair and supported by evidence, as its advertising and marketing guidance puts it. Its small business FAQ says the fine print that qualifies a claim should be clear and placed near the claim. That is general law, not Google review guidance, and it is a reason to put the conditions next to the offer instead of in a footer. If a legal question is involved, ask an attorney.

One more mix-up is worth clearing. Google also gives some advertisers promotional credits toward their own ad spend, covered on a separate Google help page. That is a different thing from the sale you offer customers, and a credit you redeem in your account is not a sale your customers see.

Can I do this myself, or do I need an agency?

You can add and verify one promotion asset on your own. The steps above take a few minutes, and nothing in them calls for outside help. If you run one account with one sale and the landing page already shows the offer, handle it yourself and use the check as a routine before every sale.

Paid help starts to fit when the job is bigger than the asset. That means several campaigns that need coordinated dates, a landing page or checkout that has to change to match, disapprovals you cannot diagnose, tracking you do not trust, or a time-sensitive sale that someone should watch while it runs. Our post on which Google Ads recommendations to apply is a useful companion if your account keeps suggesting changes while you work.

Be careful with anyone who promises that an approved asset will always show or that a promotion will lift your sales. Google decides when assets appear, and the platform makes no such promise. What you can reasonably expect from help is accurate setup, a check across the whole account, a landing page that matches the offer, and someone watching a short sale. If the page is the weak link, our post on a landing page for Google Ads shows what it needs.

Star ratings are another addition people ask about for their ads, and star ratings in Google Ads has its own rules.

Frequently Asked Questions About Adding a Promotion to Google Ads

What is a Google Ads promotion asset?

It is an asset that highlights a sale, discount, coupon or other promotion with an eligible ad. It was previously called a promotion extension.

Where do I add a promotion?

Open Campaigns, then Assets, click the plus button and choose Promotion. You can attach it to your account, a campaign or an ad group.

Can I schedule the offer for certain dates?

Yes. Enter the start and end dates under Promotion dates, and use Advanced options to narrow it to certain days and hours.

What does Approved limited mean?

It points to a restriction. Add the Policy details column in the Assets table to see the reason, then fix what it names.

How do I see whether my promotion has appeared?

Filter the Assets table to Promotion and read Impressions for the date range. Reports may lag, so allow time before you decide anything.

Why is my offer approved but not showing?

Approval means it can be shown. Display depends on factors such as Ad Rank and the search itself, so check the dates, where it is attached, the campaign status, and the landing page, then use Ad preview and diagnosis.

Final Thoughts

A promotion asset is a short form and a short check. Add it under Campaigns, Assets, make sure the dates, discount and final URL are right, then read the Status column, the Policy details, the Impressions and a preview for a keyword you care about. Keep the landing page in step with the offer, down to the conditions and the end date.

That routine turns a nervous guess into a habit you can repeat before every seasonal sale. A few minutes of checking beats paying for clicks that land on an expired deal.

If your sale spans several campaigns, your landing page needs to change, or the account keeps disapproving offers you cannot explain, Web Leveling can look at the whole setup with you through our Google Ads management work, including the landing page that has to match your offer. We cannot promise an asset will show on every search or that a sale will convert, and we will tell you if a single asset is all you need. We work with small and medium businesses across the country and overseas. Tell us about the sale you are planning, and we will help you check it before it goes live.

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