Google Ads recommendations keep stacking up in your account, and the optimization score sits below 100%. Each card asks for something: raise a budget, add keywords, change a target, switch on automation. Some of those changes fix real problems. Others can raise what you spend.
Sort every card into one of three groups before you accept or dismiss anything. Setup and measurement repairs come first, and you apply them when they fit your account. Budget, target and targeting changes get checked against your margin and your lead data. Automation you do not want gets switched off.
The score is Google's estimate of how well the account is set to perform, on a scale from 0% to 100%. It is not a performance result, so it guides your review without deciding it. You can run the whole review yourself in about ten minutes.
Key Takeaways
Put each card in one of three groups: setup and measurement repairs, spend and targeting changes, and automation you want off.
Google calls optimization score an estimate of how well the account is set to perform, and says it is not a performance result, revenue figure or Quality Score.
Budget, CPA, ROAS and broader targeting cards get compared with margin, lead quality, conversion tracking and your spending limit first.
Go to Campaigns, Recommendations, Auto-apply settings, then the Manage tab; uncheck what you do not want and Save. Google says auto-apply does not increase the account budget.
Note what you accepted and dismissed, because dismissed items can return and History and Change history show earlier automatic changes.
Sort every card into three groups and know what is safe to click
Open Recommendations and read each card before you touch anything. Every card fits one of three groups, and the group tells you how much checking it needs. Setup and measurement repairs usually need the least. Cards that change spending or targeting need your own numbers in front of you. Automation needs a decision about whether Google should be allowed to act without asking.
| Group | Typical cards | Check first | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Setup and measurement repairs | Conversion tracking, Google tag issues, auto-tagging, sitelinks and other assets, certification issues, destination or campaign errors | Whether the problem is real in your account | Apply when it fits |
| 2. Spend and targeting changes | Raise or adjust budgets, adjust CPA or ROAS targets, Maximize Clicks or Target ROAS bidding, broader targeting, extra traffic sources | Margin, lead quality, conversion tracking, spending limit | Review, then apply or dismiss |
| 3. Automatic changes | Any category listed under Auto-apply settings | Whether you want Google to apply it without asking | Switch off what you do not want |
The card names in the middle row come from Google's list of recommendation types. A card can be technically valid and still be wrong for your business, which is why the second group gets a second look.
Fix the setup problems that keep your reporting reliable
Group one is the safest place to start, because these cards repair how the account measures and delivers your ads. Conversion tracking, Google tag issues, auto-tagging, sitelinks and other assets, certification issues and destination errors all belong here. Apply them when they match something real in your account, and open the card first so you know exactly what it will change.
Conversion tracking deserves the most attention. Every budget and bidding card in group two leans on conversion data, so a card that tells you to spend more means little if your tracking counts the wrong actions or counts one lead twice. Google's guidance on what to track based on your advertising goals is the place to confirm that calls, forms and bookings are being recorded the way you count a real lead.
Do not dismiss a setup card just because it looks minor. If you dismissed one earlier and are not sure the problem was fixed, reopen it and check.
Protect your budget by testing spend and targeting cards against your numbers
Group two is where a recommendation can quietly raise what you spend. Cards such as "Raise your budgets," "Adjust your budgets," "Adjust your CPA targets," "Adjust your ROAS targets," and "Bid more efficiently with Maximize Clicks" or "Target ROAS" can increase spend or loosen bidding limits. So can cards that suggest broader targeting or additional traffic sources.
Before you accept one, answer four questions. Does the extra spend fit your margin? Are the leads from this campaign good ones? Is your conversion tracking reliable enough to trust the numbers behind the card? Is the new spend inside the limit you set? If any answer is unclear, dismiss the card for now and come back after you have fixed the group one repairs.
Keyword and broad-match cards deserve the same test. The search terms report shows what people actually typed before you let a card widen your targeting. If a card pushes you toward a new campaign type, read whether Performance Max is worth it for a small business first.
If you are still setting your monthly limit, what Google Ads costs a small business gives you a range to work from before you accept any budget card.
Stop automatic changes by switching off the auto-apply options you do not want
Auto-apply lets Google make certain changes without asking you first. Google says that applying recommendations automatically does not increase the account budget, but an individual change can still affect bidding, targeting or traffic. Switch off any category you would rather approve yourself.
To turn off automatic application:
- Select the Campaigns icon.
- Select Recommendations.
- Select Auto-apply settings.
- On the Manage tab, uncheck the recommendation or category.
- Select Save.
You can also open Auto-apply settings, select History, choose a recommendation and select Disable. Google's page on managing auto-apply recommendations has the current steps, and its page on applying recommendations automatically says you are always in control and can review the queue and dismiss anything that does not match your goals.
After you save, open the History tab to see which recommendations were applied automatically in the past. Then open Change history and check who enabled or applied a change. If a change surprises you, you now know where it came from.
Clear the queue and stay calm when dismissed cards come back
To dismiss one card, select the Campaigns icon, then Recommendations, hover over the upper-right corner of the card and select X. To dismiss a whole recommendation type, select the three-dot menu and choose Dismiss all. Google's page on applying or dismissing recommendations covers both.
Dismissed items can appear again after a preset period, and the length of that wait varies by recommendation. Check the period shown for the specific card in your account. Dismissing at the campaign level affects that recommendation type for the selected campaign only, so another campaign can still show the same idea. If you only accepted part of a bundled card, it can stay visible until you choose Dismiss all.
A card that returns is normal platform behavior. Decide again with your current numbers, and use the same three groups. Dismissing a card records your decision and can change the score, and the score is not a measure of profit or lead quality.
Finish with a ten-minute check and a written record you can reuse
The full review fits in ten minutes. Open Recommendations and write down the optimization score and the card categories. Open each card and note whether it affects budget, bids, targeting, ads, assets, conversion tracking or a repair. Open Auto-apply settings, uncheck what you do not want and save. Open History for past automatic changes, then Change history filtered for recent recommendation-related changes. Dismiss what does not fit your goal.
Then keep a short log: the date, the card, whether you applied or dismissed it, and the reason in one line. A log like that is what you will want when a number moves and you need to know what changed. It also gives anyone who helps you later a clear starting point.
Judge the account by calls, qualified leads and booked work. A higher score with the same number of customers has not helped you. After a few weeks of clean tracking, judging marketing by calls and booked jobs shows how to read those results.
Pay for help only where the interface stops being enough
You can run this review and switch off auto-apply without hiring anyone. Paid help earns its fee when the work goes beyond the screen. That includes conversion tracking you cannot rely on, leads that cannot be tied to a campaign, a recommendation that conflicts with your margins or capacity, an account that covers several locations or services, or earlier changes that need diagnosing.
Start with a limited job: a one-time audit, a measurement repair or a recommendation review. Ongoing management is not the fix for a low score, because the score is not your goal. Can you run Google Ads yourself helps you decide how much of the work to keep.
Whatever you decide, finish with settings checked, a written record of what you accepted and dismissed, and reporting based on calls, qualified leads and booked work.
Can you sort your Google Ads recommendations?
Pick an answer to begin.
1. What does Google say the optimization score is?
2. Which group of cards should get a check against margin, lead quality and your spending limit before you accept?
3. Where do you switch off an auto-applied recommendation category?
Frequently Asked Questions About Google Ads Recommendations
Should I apply every Google Ads recommendation?
No. Apply setup and measurement repairs when they fit your account. Check budget, bid, targeting and automation cards against your goals, conversion data, margin and spending limit before you decide.
Does a low optimization score mean my ads are failing?
No. Google describes the score as an estimate of how well the account is set to perform. It is not a performance result, revenue figure or Quality Score.
How do I dismiss Google Ads recommendations?
Select the Campaigns icon, then Recommendations. Hover over the upper-right corner of a card and select X, or use the three-dot menu and choose Dismiss all to clear a whole recommendation type.
How do I stop Google Ads from applying recommendations automatically?
Select the Campaigns icon, then Recommendations, then Auto-apply settings. On the Manage tab, uncheck the recommendation or category and select Save.
Can dismissed recommendations come back?
Yes. They can appear again after a preset period that varies by recommendation, if the campaign is still eligible. Check the period shown for the card in your account.
Does auto-apply increase my budget?
Google says applying recommendations automatically does not increase the account budget. Individual changes can still affect bidding, targeting or traffic, so switch off any category you do not want.
Final Thoughts
Sort each card into setup repairs, spend and targeting changes, or automation. Apply the repairs that fit, test the spending cards against your margin and lead data, and switch off auto-apply for anything you want to approve yourself. The optimization score guides the review; it does not decide it.
Once the settings are checked and your accepted and dismissed items are written down, the cards stop feeling like pressure. You decide what changes in your account, and your reports can follow calls, qualified leads and booked work instead of a percentage.
If your tracking is unreliable, your leads cannot be tied to campaigns or the account covers several locations or services, Web Leveling can start with a one-time audit, a measurement repair or a recommendation review through our Google Ads management work, before any ongoing contract. We work with small and medium businesses across the country and overseas. Contact us about a Google Ads recommendation review and we will go through your account with you.
Terms
Google Ads words in this post
Tap a term to see what it means.
Optimization score. Google's estimate, from 0% to 100%, of how well your Google Ads account is set to perform.
Recommendation. A suggestion card in the Recommendations page of your account, such as a budget change or a new asset.
Auto-apply. A setting that lets Google apply selected recommendation categories without asking you first.
Dismiss all. A menu choice that removes every remaining item of a recommendation type from the queue.
Change history. A record in your account of changes made, including who applied them.
Conversion tracking. Recording the actions you count as results, such as calls, form submissions and bookings.
