Documentation
Ad Group Audit (called Ad Group Health in the product) is a structural diagnostic suite for your Google Ads account. Use it when performance is fragmented, an account has grown messy, or you need a clear queue of structural issues to work through before rewriting ads, adjusting bids, or reorganising campaigns. It surfaces three distinct problem types so you can match the fix to the actual cause.
- Best for
- Structural cleanup and optimization reviews across ad groups
- Reports included
- Empty ad groups, only 1 ad, keyword relevancy (beta)
- Priority sorting
- All reports are sortable by spend, conversion value, and other key metrics
- Primary outcomes
- Add missing elements, increase ad variation, consolidate thin structure, or fix keyword themes
#What the audit checks
Ad Group Audit scans every ad group in your account and flags three types of structural weakness: groups that are missing the targeting or ads needed to serve, groups with too little ad variation for meaningful optimisation, and groups whose keywords may not share a coherent theme.
Each report type points to a different root cause and a different class of fix. Reviewing them separately prevents you from applying the wrong solution. For example, you might rewrite ads when the real problem is missing keywords, or consolidate when the real problem is missing ad copy. The audit identifies candidates for review, not automatic changes. Before acting, check campaign type, business intent, recent performance, and Google Ads status. High-spend and high-conversion-value rows normally deserve attention first.
The three audit reports at a glance
Each report targets a distinct structural problem and suggests a different type of action.
| Report | What it flags | Why it matters | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty Ad Group Report | Ad groups missing the targeting required for their campaign type, plus ad groups that contain no ads. | Groups that cannot serve waste account structure and leave intent or budget unmanaged. | Add missing targeting and ads, or remove and consolidate unused structure. |
| Ad Groups with Only 1 Ad | Ad groups that contain exactly one ad. | A single ad provides no rotation for A/B testing or performance-based optimisation. | Add at least one meaningful variation, or consolidate if the group is too small to test. |
| Ad Group Keyword Relevancy [BETA] | Keywords whose relevancy score suggests they do not align with the ad group's overall theme. | Poorly themed ad groups hurt ad relevance, Quality Score, and the match between keyword, ad, and landing page. | Move off-theme keywords to better-matched groups, rewrite ads around the theme, or remove terms that do not belong. |
#Who it is for
Ad Group Audit is useful for any Google Ads practitioner who needs a systematic view of structural quality across an account. You do not need to run it continuously. It is most valuable at specific moments in an account's lifecycle.
When to run it
Before an account review
Use it to build a prioritised work queue before meeting with a client or writing a performance report, so structural gaps are visible alongside metric trends.
After a restructure or migration
Large changes can leave incomplete ad groups behind. The audit finds groups that were started but never finished with targeting, ads, or both.
When performance is fragmented
If budget is spread thin across many low-volume groups, the audit surfaces consolidation candidates so smart bidding can gather data more effectively.
During routine quality checks
Run it periodically to catch ad groups that have drifted into poor structural shape since the last review.
#How it works
Work through each report type separately. Empty groups are setup and cleanup work, one-ad groups are creative coverage work, low-volume groups are structure work, and relevancy warnings are keyword theme work. Mixing approaches in a single session makes verification harder.
- Open Ad Group Audit Navigate to the Ad Group Audit section in Adnine. You will see the report tabs: Empty Ad Groups, Only 1 Ad, and Keyword Relevancy Beta.
- Choose the report that matches your goal Start with the report most relevant to your current review. If you are doing a general health check, work through them in order: empty and no-ad groups first, then thin variation, then keyword themes.
- Sort by business impact Each report is presented in a sortable table. Sort by spend or conversion value so you address the ad groups with the biggest effect on performance before low-priority cleanup.
- Identify the issue type for each row Read the report type before acting. Empty targeting, missing ads, single-ad coverage, low volume, and keyword theme mismatches each have a different correct fix.
- Check Google Ads context before changing anything Open the relevant campaign in Google Ads and verify campaign type, status, targeting, recent changes, and business purpose. The audit flags structure; you provide judgment.
- Apply the right fix Add missing targeting or ads, add distinct ad variations, consolidate compatible low-volume groups, or move off-theme keywords. Document intentional exceptions so the same flags are not re-investigated in the next cycle.
- Revisit after fresh data accumulates After changes, allow enough time for impressions, conversions, and Quality Score signals to stabilise, then rerun the audit to confirm the structural issues were resolved.
#Empty ad groups in detail
The Empty Ad Group Report flags ad groups that cannot serve because they are missing a required targeting element, plus any ad group that contains no ads at all. What counts as empty depends on the campaign type, because different Google Ads campaign types use different targeting objects. Sort the empty ad group table by spend or conversion value to fix high-impact rows first; zero-spend groups with no history are usually safe to remove after confirming they are not needed.
Empty-state logic by campaign type
The audit applies different emptiness criteria depending on what each campaign type needs to serve.
| Campaign type | Flagged condition | What to check | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search | The ad group has no keywords. | Was this group meant to capture search queries, or is it unfinished setup residue? | Add relevant keywords with appropriate match types, or remove the group if it is no longer needed. |
| Shopping | The ad group has no products or product groups. | Is the product structure missing, excluded, or no longer active in the feed? | Restore the intended product group coverage or consolidate with the correct structure. |
| Display | The ad group has no audience or placement targeting. | Is the group eligible to reach the intended users or placements? | Add the intended audience or placement targeting, or clean up the unused group. |
| Any campaign type | The ad group contains no ads. | Can the group serve a useful message even if targeting exists? | Create relevant ads that match the group's theme and landing page, or pause and remove incomplete structure. |
Common causes of empty ad groups
Launch leftovers
Ad groups created during account setup that were never completed with keywords, products, targeting, or ads.
Paused migrations
A restructure moved traffic elsewhere but left incomplete or inactive ad groups behind in the original campaigns.
Feed or targeting changes
Shopping products, product groups, audiences, or placements were removed or modified after the ad group was built.
Policy or approval cleanup
Ads were removed or disapproved, leaving the ad group unable to serve without a replacement.
#One-ad ad groups in detail
The Ad Groups with Only 1 Ad report surfaces groups that have too little ad variation. A single ad gives the system no meaningful rotation for A/B testing or performance-based optimisation. All such groups are surfaced in a sortable table so you can prioritise by spend or conversion value.
How to read one-ad findings
| Situation | What it likely means | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| One ad in a high-spend ad group | The group may be important but has no active alternative message to compare. | Add at least one strong variation based on intent, top keywords, landing page, and current best-performing copy patterns. |
| One ad in a low-volume ad group | The group may not have enough traffic to make a test meaningful. | Consider consolidating with a broader, related group before investing in several new variations. |
| One ad after a recent cleanup | Other ads may have been paused, removed, or disapproved. | Confirm the reason before replacing them, especially if policy, brand, or legal constraints apply. |
| One ad with strong performance | The current ad works, but there is still no controlled alternative to test against. | Preserve the winning message and test a careful variation rather than replacing it abruptly. |
#Keyword relevancy beta in detail
The Keyword Relevancy report uses a proprietary algorithm to analyse the thematic coherence of each ad group. It evaluates all keywords in the group and assigns a relevancy score based on how closely each keyword aligns with the overall theme. Low-relevancy keywords are surfaced for review.
The practical goal is tighter keyword groupings that improve Quality Score, ad relevance, and the match between search intent, ad text, and landing page. The report is labelled beta in the product.
How to act on relevancy findings
| Finding | What it may mean | Check before changing | Possible fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| One keyword does not match the group theme | The keyword may belong in a different, more specific group. | Search terms, conversion performance, landing page fit, match type, and strategic value. | Move the keyword to a better-themed group and ensure ads and landing pages support it there. |
| Several keywords are flagged in the same group | The group may be too broad or mixing multiple distinct intents. | Whether the breadth is intentional because of volume, bidding, or reporting needs. | Split into clearer themes, or consolidate under a broader message if that better fits the strategy. |
| A high-value keyword is flagged | The keyword is valuable but poorly grouped. | Conversions, conversion value, CPA, ROAS, lead quality, and business priority. | Keep the keyword, but rebuild surrounding ads, negatives, or landing page alignment. |
| A low-value keyword is flagged | The keyword may be both off-theme and low impact. | Recent volume and whether it assists any valuable search term patterns. | Remove, pause, or move only if there is a clear reason to keep testing it. |
#Reading and acting on results
Good ad group fixes preserve the role the group plays in the account. Before merging, splitting, adding ads, or moving keywords, decide what business purpose the group serves and whether that purpose is still valid.
From audit finding to recommended action
A complete reference for every flag type: what is at risk, what to fix, and what to check before publishing.
| Audit finding | Primary risk | Recommended fix | Check before publishing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search group: no keywords | The group cannot match any search queries. | Add relevant keywords, or remove the group if it is no longer needed. | Match types, negatives, landing page relevance, and whether the campaign still needs this theme. |
| Shopping group: no products or product groups | The group lacks eligible product coverage. | Restore the intended product group, or consolidate with the correct structure. | Feed status, product eligibility, exclusions, and business priority. |
| Display group: no audience or placement targeting | The group has no defined reach strategy. | Add the intended audience or placement targeting, or remove the unused group. | Exclusions, brand safety, frequency goals, and conversion objective. |
| Any group: no ads | Targeting exists but no message can serve. | Create ads that match the group theme, or pause and remove incomplete structure. | Policy requirements, landing page accuracy, and approval timelines. |
| Only one ad | No meaningful variation for testing or performance-based optimisation. | Add distinct variations, or consolidate if the group is too small to support a test. | Keyword intent, search term patterns, landing page, and existing performance context. |
| Low keyword relevancy score | Theme incoherence that may weaken Quality Score and ad relevance. | Move, split, remove, or rewrite around the keyword after careful review. | Conversion performance and search-term intent before removing any keyword with value. |
#Pitfalls and limitations
Ad Group Audit focuses attention on structural problems. It does not replace Google Ads context, business knowledge, or performance judgment. Treat every flag as a reason to inspect, not as proof that one specific action is always correct.
- Campaign-type coverage matches what the source defines: Search uses keywords, Shopping uses products or product groups, Display uses audiences or placements. For newer campaign types not listed, verify the correct required targeting in Google Ads directly.
- A one-ad group may have had other ads removed for policy, brand, or performance reasons. Confirm history before adding new variants.
- The keyword relevancy algorithm is proprietary and marked beta. Treat flagged keywords as review candidates, not automatic removals.
- Spend and conversion value help prioritise rows but do not capture margin, lead quality, compliance constraints, or sales capacity.
- The audit is diagnostic. Changes must be made through the correct Google Ads workflow and verified after fresh data arrives.
#Best practices checklist
- Work through the report tabs separately (empty groups, only 1 ad, and keyword relevancy) so fixes stay matched to the correct cause.
- Sort every table by spend or conversion value before assigning cleanup work.
- Fix empty ad groups by campaign type: keywords for Search, products or product groups for Shopping, audiences or placements for Display, and ads wherever ads are missing.
- Add meaningful ad variations to important one-ad groups rather than creating near-duplicate copy.
- Consolidate low-volume groups only when intent, landing page fit, conversion goal, and business economics are compatible.
- Treat keyword relevancy beta findings as prompts for review, especially when flagged keywords also have weak performance.
- Preserve intentionally narrow groups that exist for brand, legal, geographic, margin, budget, or reporting reasons.
- Pair structural cleanup with performance review: conversions, conversion value, CPA, ROAS, Quality Score signals, and lead quality.
- Document intentional exceptions so flagged groups are not re-investigated on the next audit pass.
- For each finding worth acting on, note the report type, campaign, ad group, specific issue, current spend, proposed action, owner, and follow-up date to track progress and measure whether fixes worked.
- Recheck the audit after changes have accumulated enough fresh data to confirm that structure, volume, and theme issues improved.