Responsive search ads (RSAs) adapt ad copy to display more relevant messages to potential customers. When serving the ads, Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and Yahoo! Japan Ads will vary combinations of the headlines and descriptions (called "assets") that you supply to determine which ads perform best over time, and eventually will display only the best performing ads.
Responsive search ads and expanded text ads display in the same format. The ads can include up to three headlines (30 characters each) and two descriptions (90 characters total) to enable you to include more information about your products and services.
What’s different about RSAs
Ad copy repository
Instead of entering ad copy for each individual ad, you create a repository of up to 15 headlines and up to four descriptions that the engine uses to generate your ad copy. By default, the headlines and descriptions can appear in any position, enabling the engine to generate optimally performing ads (recommended). You can also "pin" selected assets in specific positions.
Pinning
You can define where certain headlines and descriptions appear in your ads by “pinning” the asset to specific positions. Pinning a headline or description ensures that it will only show in the position that you specified.
By pinning headlines and descriptions, you reduce the flexibility of the engine to optimize your ad copy. In other words, you lose some of the benefits of responsive search ads by pinning headlines and descriptions. For example, if you pin a headline that is performing poorly, the engine’s algorithm can’t replace it with other options that might improve performance.
Consider the following information before you pin an asset:
- If assets aren’t pinned, they can appear in any order in the responsive search ad. The flexibility allows the assets to rotate positions to form an optimally performing ad (recommended).
- Pinning two or more assets to one position means that all ads will contain one of the pinned assets in the position you specified. This gives you some control, while still allowing the engine to optimize your ad copy.
- Pinning one asset to a position ensures that all ads will contain the asset in the position you specified (not recommended).
Learn more about how pinning works in the engine's Help Center:
Limited number of RSAs per ad group
Ad groups can contain, at most, three responsive search ads.
Responsive search ad support in Search Ads 360
- Create, edit, and report on responsive search ads
- Create, edit, and report on Google Ads responsive search ads, combinations of assets, and individual assets in the Search Ads 360 UI.
- Report on Microsoft Advertising and Yahoo! Japan Ads responsive search ads in the Search Ads 360 UI.
To create and report on RSAs and combinations of Microsoft Advertising or Yahoo! Japan Ads RSA assets and individual assets, sign in to Microsoft Advertising and Yahoo! Japan Ads, or sign in to the new Search Ads 360.
- Edit multiple responsive search ads or assets
- You can edit multiple Google Ads responsive search ads or schedule a bulk edit or automated rule.
- You can edit multiple Microsoft Advertising and Yahoo! Japan Ads responsive search ads if you’re scoped to the advertiser level. If you’re scoped to the account, you can change the ada builder or inventory management status for multiple responsive search ads.
- Rules
- Rules can only be specified for Google Ads responsive search ads.
- You can’t apply rules to Microsoft Advertising or Yahoo! Japan Ads responsive search ads.
- Bulksheets
- You can use bulksheets to create responsive search ads. To get started, see Download a bulksheet template.
- Campaign copy
- Google Ads responsive search ads are copied to other Google Ads campaigns.
- Google Ads responsive search ads aren’t copied to other engines.
- Campaign copy doesn’t copy Microsoft Advertising or Yahoo! Japan Ads RSAs to other campaigns in the same engine.
Responsive search ads will soon become the default ad format
Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and Yahoo! Japan Ads will soon require all new ads to be responsive text ads, replacing the expanded text ad format.
You won’t need to migrate your expanded text ads to responsive search ads. Existing standard and expanded text ads continue to serve alongside any responsive ads you create.
You can still target, pause, resume, and report on existing standard text ads and expanded text ads.
Baidu continues to support new standard text ads.
See the following table for details:
| No new expanded text ads after | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Google Ads | You can no longer create expanded text ads as of June 30, 2022. | Learn more about responsive search ads in Google Ads Help Center. |
| Microsoft Advertising | You can no longer create expanded text ads as of February 1, 2023. | Learn more about responsive text ads in the Microsoft Advertising Help Center. |
| Yahoo! Japan Ads | You can no longer create expanded text ads as of September 28, 2022. | Learn more about responsive ads for search in the Yahoo! Japan Ads Help Center. |
Migrate ad templates
Migrate your Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and Yahoo! Japan Ads inventory management and ad builder ad templates to start creating responsive text ads. Expanded text ad templates will eventually stop generating and updating ads.
Copying Google Ads campaigns with expanded text ads
When you copy Google Ads campaigns that contain expanded text ads, Search Ads 360 copies the expanded text ads into the destination Google Ads account.
When Google Ads stops supporting new expanded text ads, Search Ads 360 will no longer copy standard or expanded text ads into the destination account. Only responsive search ads will be copied. Standard and expanded text ads will be ignored.
Google Ads responsive search ads aren’t copied to other engine accounts.
Ad copy tests and responsive search ads
Ad copy testing isn’t supported for responsive search ads.