GOOGLE CALL-ONLY ADS STOP SHOWING IN FEBRUARY 2027.
For years the call-only ad was the default setup for plumbers, locksmiths and anyone whose customers pick up the phone. Google is retiring it. You can no longer create one, and the ones still running stop showing in February 2027. The replacement is a call asset on a responsive search ad. Here is the timeline and how to switch without losing calls.
AT A GLANCE
By Conqueror Capital · Published
The change: On October 3, 2025, Google announced that call ads (call-only ads) are being deprecated: options to create new call-only ads are removed in February 2026, and existing call-only ads stop receiving impressions in February 2027.1
WHAT CHANGED
On October 3, 2025, Google posted that call ads (call-only ads) are being deprecated, and that to keep getting phone call leads advertisers must move to call assets within responsive search ads.1 It gave two dates:1
- February 2026: all options to create a new call-only ad are removed.
- February 2027: all existing call-only ads stop receiving impressions.
The first date has passed. The second is the one that matters now: any call-only ad still in your account will simply stop showing. Google's call ads help page carries the same warning and says it strongly recommends migrating immediately so your ads stay eligible to show.3
WHO IT AFFECTS
Any Google Ads account with call-only ads in a Search campaign. These were popular with service businesses because a tap placed a call straight from the ad, on devices that can make calls.3
It does not affect Local Services Ads, which are a separate product, or call assets you already run on responsive search ads.
To check, go through the ads in each Search campaign and look for any listed as a call ad. Older accounts built around phone leads are the most likely to still have them.
HOW CALL ASSETS WORK
A call asset adds your phone number to your ads. On a device that can make calls, a clickable call button shows under your responsive search ad. On desktop, a "Call us" button shows your number with a QR code that opens the phone's dialer.4
- Cost: clicks on the call asset on mobile, and on "Call us" on desktop, cost the same as headline clicks, a standard CPC.4
- Not every impression: Google says call assets don't show with every impression and appearing for only a subset is normal.4
- Button format: a call asset may serve as a button similar to a call ad when the campaign uses responsive search ads, has an eligible call asset, optimizes bids toward a call conversion and uses Smart Bidding such as Target CPA or Maximize conversions.4
- Hours: you can schedule the number to show only when you can answer.4
- Tracking: call reporting uses Google forwarding numbers so you can count calls as conversions.4
The button-format point matters most. If calls are your main lead, bidding toward call conversions with Smart Bidding gets you closest to the old call-only experience.
PHONE NUMBER RULES
Vanity, premium and fax numbers aren't acceptable, and numbers are verified to confirm they represent the business being promoted.4
Google also warns that ads will be disapproved for "Unverified Phone Number" if the number is not formatted to the E.164 standard (for example +12345678900 with no spaces), and that this exact number must be visible in your website's source code, or your domain verified in Search Console.4 Putting a phone number in the ad text itself instead of a call asset may lead to disapproval.4
If your site shows your number only as an image, or in a different format, fix it before you switch. Our Search Console guide covers domain verification.
WHAT TO DO NOW
Google's transition steps:2
- Add your business name to your account or campaign settings.
- Add all relevant phone numbers as call assets.
- Create or edit a responsive search ad in the same ad group and add call assets under "More Asset Types".
- Once the new ad is approved and performing, remove the old call ad.
Our additions:
- Note your numbers first. Record calls, cost and cost per call from your call-only ads over the last few months so you can compare.
- Run both side by side until the new ad is approved and getting calls, as Google's step 4 implies. Don't pause the old ad first.
- Turn on call reporting and count calls as conversions. See our call tracking guide.
- Make sure the landing page earns the call. A responsive search ad sends clicks to your site as well as calls.
Don't leave this to January 2027. If you want the switch done and tracked properly, that is part of our Google Ads management.
SOURCES
- Google Ads Help, Action Required: Transition from call ads to call assets, October 3, 2025.
- Google Ads Help, How to transition from call ads to call assets.
- Google Ads Help, About call ads.
- Google Ads Help, About call assets.
Platforms change often. Check the sources for the current version before acting.
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