Confirm who controls the account
Before planning a campaign, establish who administers the Google Ads account and which Google Account is used to sign in. The person responsible for day-to-day work should be able to access the account, review settings and receive important account notices. Confirm that the login belongs to someone authorised to manage advertising for the business or project.
- [ ] Identify the account’s administrator and the people who need access.
- [ ] Check that the linked Google Account is controlled by an authorised person, with secure sign-in and current recovery options.
- [ ] Review user access and remove permissions that are no longer needed, where you have authority to do so.
- [ ] Make sure access arrangements are clear if an agency, contractor or former account owner is involved.
If an account was delivered by a seller or another party, treat access and provenance as part of acceptance, not as a minor setup detail. Clarify in writing what account or service is being provided, who controls it, what access is included and what support is expected. Do not rely on credentials that may belong to an unknown person, or on an arrangement that prevents the legitimate advertiser from managing the account. Use Google Ads in line with its terms and respond honestly to platform checks. An account that cannot be placed under appropriate, authorised control is not ready for a campaign.
Review payments and billing details
Billing settings affect the practical operation of an advertising account, so check them before building a campaign. In Google Ads, review the payments profile associated with the account and confirm that its details match the organisation or individual responsible for advertising. Do not assume that a profile belongs to the right business simply because it is already connected.
- [ ] Check who is responsible for payments and who can review billing information.
- [ ] Verify the billing country, currency and time zone shown in the account.
- [ ] Confirm that the payments profile details are accurate and consistent with the advertiser’s real information.
- [ ] Review the available payment method and any billing notices or actions shown in the account.
- [ ] Record who is authorised to make changes to billing settings.
Country, currency and time zone can have lasting effects on account administration and reporting. If a setting appears wrong, pause to understand the available correction process rather than building a campaign around an assumption. Do not try to make billing details appear different from the advertiser’s actual circumstances. If the account was supplied by another party, ask for a clear explanation of its billing setup and resolve any uncertainty through the appropriate account or platform support channels before advertising.
Complete advertiser and business details
Google may ask advertisers to provide or confirm information about the advertiser, business, payments or identity. The exact requests can depend on the account and the circumstances, so check the notices and tasks shown in Google Ads rather than relying on a generic checklist as a substitute.
- [ ] Review the account for identity, advertiser or business information tasks.
- [ ] Provide accurate information that corresponds to the real advertiser and the offer being promoted.
- [ ] Confirm that the person completing a task is authorised to provide the information.
- [ ] Keep copies of relevant business records and submitted details in a secure place, where appropriate.
- [ ] Check the account for follow-up requests and respond through the indicated process.
A request for information is part of preparing the account, not an invitation to conceal who is responsible for the ads. Do not substitute another person’s details, create misleading business descriptions or use an account arrangement designed to avoid a review. If you cannot verify a detail or do not understand a request, stop and clarify it before proceeding. A campaign should only be considered ready when the advertiser can represent the business and its relationship to the offer accurately.
Check the offer against Google Ads policies
Before writing ads or choosing keywords, read the Google Ads policies that apply to the offer’s category, destination and claims. Requirements can differ by subject and may change, so consult the policy information available from Google Ads for the specific campaign rather than relying on memory or a third-party summary.
- [ ] Describe the product or service plainly, including what the customer receives.
- [ ] Identify any category-specific restrictions or additional requirements that may apply.
- [ ] Check that ad wording and landing-page content make consistent, supportable claims.
- [ ] Review the destination for unclear pricing, missing qualifications or claims that could mislead a visitor.
- [ ] Confirm that the advertiser is entitled to promote the offer and use any associated brand materials.
A policy review should cover the whole path from ad to destination, not just the headline. Ensure the page does not imply a different offer from the one advertised, and avoid claims that cannot be substantiated. Do not disguise the category, redirect reviewers to a different experience or make temporary changes intended to evade a check. If eligibility is unclear, resolve that question before spending time on campaign construction. Compliance is an ongoing responsibility, not a box to tick once and forget.
Prepare the website visitors will reach
A campaign sends people to a destination, so review the site from the perspective of someone unfamiliar with the business. The page should explain what is offered, who provides it and what a visitor can do next. Important information should be easy to find, and the path from ad to page should make sense.
- [ ] Check that the landing page loads and works on common devices and browsers.
- [ ] Make the business or service provider identifiable, with a usable contact route.
- [ ] Publish privacy information that explains relevant data practices in clear language.
- [ ] Provide terms or other applicable service information that matches the offer.
- [ ] Check that forms, buttons and navigation lead to the actions they describe.
- [ ] Remove broken pages, placeholder text and content unrelated to the advertised offer.
Contact, privacy and terms pages should be genuine and relevant, not added merely to create the appearance of completeness. Ensure that contact details are monitored and that the privacy information reflects the way the site actually handles data. If the site collects information or uses advertising and analytics tools, consider the legal and consent requirements that apply to the business and its audience. When those obligations are uncertain, seek suitable guidance before collecting or using visitor data.
Set up and test conversion measurement
Decide what meaningful visitor action the campaign is intended to measure before choosing a bidding or reporting approach. A conversion action might relate to a completed enquiry or another valuable step, depending on the business. The definition should reflect the real goal, not simply an easy-to-count page view.
- [ ] Write down the action the campaign is intended to generate.
- [ ] Choose a measurement method supported by the site and account setup.
- [ ] Check that the measured action corresponds to a genuine completion, rather than an accidental or repeated interaction.
- [ ] Test the journey from landing page through the intended action.
- [ ] Review whether any consent, privacy or data-handling requirements affect measurement.
- [ ] Confirm that the account reports the action in a way the campaign manager can interpret.
Measurement should be tested before relying on campaign reports. A tag or integration can be present yet still fail to record the intended action, or count something different from what the business considers a conversion. Check the setup with the tools available in the account and on the site, and document what was tested. If measurement cannot be verified, treat performance reporting as incomplete; do not interpret missing or unreliable data as evidence that the campaign is working or failing.
Keep a settings and change log
A simple record helps the account remain understandable when more than one person works on it. It also makes it easier to distinguish deliberate decisions from inherited settings or accidental changes. Keep the log factual and store it where authorised account managers can access it securely.
- [ ] Record the account administrator and the linked login responsible for management.
- [ ] Note the billing profile details that matter for administration, without storing sensitive payment credentials in an unsecured document.
- [ ] Record completed advertiser information tasks and any pending requests.
- [ ] Document the policy review, landing-page destination and measurement approach.
- [ ] Note significant setting changes, who made them and why.
- [ ] Keep a record of unresolved issues and the next action needed.
A change log is not a substitute for the account’s own history or official notices. It is a working reference that supports careful handovers and routine checks. Avoid placing passwords, identity documents or payment details in a general campaign document. Use appropriate secure methods for sensitive information and limit access to people who need it.
Decide whether a small first campaign is ready
A modest first campaign is appropriate only when the foundations are sound. Small scope can make testing easier to manage, but it does not remove the need to meet policies, provide accurate information or measure the intended action. Before launch, confirm that the account is controlled by the right people, its billing details are understood, any requested identity or advertiser tasks are addressed, and the offer and destination have been reviewed.
- [ ] The account and login are under authorised control.
- [ ] Billing country, currency and time zone have been checked.
- [ ] Advertiser details are accurate, and there are no unresolved account requests that prevent responsible preparation.
- [ ] The offer, ad claims and landing page have been checked against relevant Google Ads policies.
- [ ] Contact, privacy and terms information is present and appropriate to the site.
- [ ] The intended conversion action has been tested, or its measurement limitations are documented.
- [ ] The initial campaign has a defined purpose, destination and monitoring plan.
- [ ] Settings and outstanding questions are recorded.
If a core item remains uncertain, delay the campaign and resolve it through the appropriate business or Google Ads process. Do not use a different identity, account or destination to get around a platform check. Readiness means the account can be operated transparently, the advertised offer can be understood, and the results can be reviewed with reasonable confidence in what the measurements represent.