GOOGLE ADS LEAD FORMS CAN NOW SCORE LEADS. WRITE THE QUESTIONS BEFORE THE AD.
Search Engine Roundtable reported on October 16, 2026 that Google Ads lead form custom questions now include lead scoring. You add answer options to a question and mark the ones that mean a real buyer. The feature is only as good as the questions behind it, so this guide starts there.
AT A GLANCE
By Conqueror Capital · Published
The short answer: Write two to four custom questions that separate buyers from browsers: what they need, when they need it, and where the job is. Offer only answers you can act on, then mark the answers you would happily follow up on as qualifying. Leave everything else unmarked, and have your team call the qualified leads first.
WHAT CHANGED IN GOOGLE ADS LEAD FORMS
Lead form assets let people send their details without leaving Google. Advertisers can already add custom questions to those forms. The new part is that you can now mark which answers to a custom question qualify as a valuable lead.1 Each question can have up to 12 answers.1
The setting sits under Assets, then Lead Form, then Create Lead Form, then Custom Questions. You create a question, add the answer options, and mark the qualifying ones.1 It is part of Google's newer lead management tools, where leads are reviewed on the Leads page.1 As with most new Google Ads features, it may not show in every account yet.
WHY THE QUESTIONS MATTER MORE THAN THE SCORING
Marking an answer as qualifying only helps if the answer tells you something. A question like "How did you hear about us?" is useful for reporting, but it does not tell you whether someone will buy. A question like "When do you need this done?" does.
Good qualifying questions have three things in common. They are short. They have clear answer options, not free text. And each answer leads to a different action for your team: call now, call later, or politely decline.
THREE QUESTIONS THAT WORK FOR MOST SERVICE BUSINESSES
- What do you need done? List only the services you actually sell. If you don't do commercial work, don't offer it as an answer.
- When do you need it? This week, this month, in the next few months, or just looking. Urgency is often the clearest buying signal.
- Where is the job? Offer the towns or areas you serve, plus an "other" option. Someone outside your area is not a lead, however keen.
Mark the answers you would happily drive to: a service you sell, a timeline you can meet, a location you cover. Leave the rest unmarked. Keep the form short; every extra question can cost you some people who would have filled it in.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEADS
A score is a sorting tool, not a sale. The value comes from what your team does next.
- Call qualified leads first, and as quickly as you can during business hours.
- Don't ignore the rest. A "just looking" lead may be ready in three months. A short, polite reply keeps the door open.
- Check the marks monthly. If leads you marked as qualified rarely turn into jobs, the questions or the marks need to change.
- Keep your landing page consistent. The services, areas and promises on your form should match your website.
Before adding questions, read Google's lead form policies: some kinds of personal or sensitive information cannot be requested in a lead form.
FOR MULTI-LOCATION AND LARGER ADVERTISERS
Mid-size and enterprise advertisers usually run lead forms across many campaigns and locations. A few extra steps keep the scoring useful:
- Use one question set per service line, so lead quality can be compared across campaigns.
- Match location answers to real service areas for each branch, and route each lead to the team that can serve it.
- Connect the form to your CRM so sales can record which qualified leads became customers, and feed that back into your bidding and reporting.
See how we work with mid-size and enterprise teams, or read our Google Ads guide for local business.
FAQ
What is lead scoring in Google Ads lead forms?
When you add a custom question to a lead form asset, you can now mark which answers qualify as a valuable lead, so you can tell real buyers from other submissions.
How many answers can a lead form custom question have?
Up to 12 answers per question, according to Search Engine Roundtable's October 16, 2026 report.
Where is the lead scoring setting in Google Ads?
Under Assets, then Lead Form, then Create Lead Form, then Custom Questions. Create a question, add answers and mark the qualifying ones.
What questions should a service business ask?
Start with what the customer needs, when they need it and where the job is. Offer only answers you can act on.
Does lead scoring guarantee better leads?
No. It helps you sort leads. Lead quality still depends on the questions, the ad, the landing page and how fast your team follows up.
SOURCES
- Search Engine Roundtable, Google Ads Lead Form Adds Lead Scoring For Lead Qualification (October 16, 2026).
Platforms change often. Check the sources for the current version before acting.
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