Documentation
Extensions Audit gives you a structured view of how Google Ads assets (formerly called extensions) are deployed across the ad groups that drive your spend. It surfaces three types of gaps at once: asset types missing entirely, coverage that only exists at campaign level, and coverage that only exists at account level. Use it to prioritize where more specific or additional assets would improve relevance, and to build a clear action queue ordered by recent spend.
- Best for
- Finding asset coverage gaps in active, high-spend ad groups
- Primary entity
- Ad groups, prioritized by spend in the last 30 days
- Coverage levels checked
- Ad group, campaign, and account
- Issue signals
- Missing, campaign-level only, and account-level only assets
- Views
- Interactive chart and sortable table
#What the audit checks
The Extensions Audit reviews how assets are applied to the ad groups that have spent budget in the last 30 days. For each ad group, it checks whether every major asset type is active directly on the ad group, inherited from the campaign, inherited from the account, or missing at every level. The result is a prioritized list of coverage gaps you can work through one asset type at a time.
The audit is available in both a chart view and a table view. The chart lets you spot coverage patterns across many ad groups at a glance. Hovering over a bar or segment reveals which specific asset types are missing. The table gives you filtering, sorting, and the spend column you need to turn findings into an action queue.
#Who it is for
The Extensions Audit is useful whenever you want to make sure that your active ad groups have the right assets at the right level of specificity. It is particularly valuable in three situations.
- Account reviews before a QBR, client presentation, or performance debrief: the table gives you a ready-made gap list sorted by spend.
- After a restructure: new ad groups are easy to miss when adding assets, and the audit surfaces them immediately once they have spend.
- Ongoing maintenance: campaign and account assets drift over time as offers change. The audit flags ad groups that still inherit generic messaging when a more specific asset exists.
#How the audit works
The audit runs automatically and updates as your Google Ads data refreshes. For each ad group with recent spend, it checks every covered asset type against the hierarchy of levels where that asset could be active.
- Open Extensions Audit Start in the chart view to understand the overall distribution of missing, campaign-level, and account-level coverage across your account.
- Hover the chart for detail Hovering over a bar or segment shows which specific asset types are missing or only inherited for that ad group. Use this to quickly identify the most common gap before moving to the table.
- Switch to the table and sort by spend Sort the table by last-30-day spend so the highest-impact coverage gaps appear at the top of your queue.
- Filter to one asset type Choose a practical workstream (sitelinks, callouts, image assets, or structured snippets) rather than trying to address every gap at once. Filter the table to that type to see which ad groups still need it.
- Read the coverage level for each row Determine whether the asset type is missing entirely, exists only at campaign level, or exists only at account level. Each signal calls for a different response.
- Decide whether the asset fits Check user intent, landing page availability, the ad group's conversion path, and any compliance or brand constraints before acting. Not every asset type is appropriate for every ad group.
- Create or refine assets in Google Ads Add the asset at the most relevant level. Use ad-group-level assets when specificity matters; keep higher-level assets when they are accurate shared coverage for multiple ad groups.
- Return after the next refresh Once Google Ads data has refreshed, reopen the audit to confirm the coverage status changed as expected. Document intentional exceptions so they are not revisited every cycle.
#Asset types covered
The audit checks eleven asset types that Google Ads supports at the ad group, campaign, and account level. Some are broadly applicable; others are only relevant when the business has a specific offer, conversion path, or capability to support them.
Covered asset types
Use this table to understand which gap signals can appear in the audit and what each asset type is typically used for.
| Asset type | Typical purpose | When to add at ad group level | When to hold off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sitelinks | Additional links to landing pages, categories, offers, or support. | High-spend ad groups with distinct landing pages or offer pages that differ from the campaign default. | Ad groups too narrow to have multiple relevant destinations. |
| Callouts | Short proof points, benefits, guarantees, or value propositions. | When the ad group's offer, audience, or theme has specific benefits not covered by campaign callouts. | Generic account callouts already cover the message accurately. |
| Structured snippets | Predefined lists such as services, brands, models, or amenities. | Ad groups with a clear set of offerings that can be summarized in a list format. | The ad group has a single product or service that does not benefit from a list. |
| Image assets | Visual support for products, services, locations, or brand. | Ad groups where product or service imagery is accurate, approved, and more specific than campaign images. | Images are disapproved, outdated, or not relevant to the ad group's intent. |
| Call assets | Phone-call entry point from the ad. | Ad groups where phone calls are a valid conversion path and call handling is ready. | No call routing, wrong business hours, or calls are not a useful conversion for the offer. |
| Price assets | Price-led product or service options shown in the ad. | Offers with clear, stable pricing that Google Ads policy allows and the business can maintain. | Pricing changes frequently, is negotiated, or is not allowed by category policy. |
| Promotion assets | Sale, discount, or limited-time offer messaging. | Active offers with defined start and end dates, correct terms, and verified landing pages. | Promotion has expired, terms are unclear, or the landing page does not reflect the offer. |
| Mobile app assets | Link from the ad to an app install or in-app experience. | Advertisers with a relevant app and a measurable app conversion path. | No app, or the app conversion path is not set up and tracked. |
| Lead form assets | A lead capture form attached directly to the ad. | Only after confirming consent language, CRM routing, lead quality expectations, and follow-up ownership. | Lead handling, consent copy, or qualification criteria are not in place. |
| Business name | Verified advertiser identity shown alongside ads. | When brand identity should appear and is correctly verified in Google Ads. | Brand name is not yet verified or does not match the advertiser entity. |
| Business logo | Verified visual brand identity shown alongside ads. | When the logo is current, approved, and fits the advertiser's brand guidelines. | Logo is outdated, disapproved, or not yet verified in Google Ads. |
#How to read your results
Each row in the table represents one ad group. The row shows last-30-day spend alongside four signal columns: missing assets, campaign-level assets, and account-level assets. Together, these tell you both where a gap exists and why coverage is partial.
Coverage signal reference
| Signal | What it means | Typical interpretation | Suggested action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missing asset | The asset type is not active at the ad group, campaign, or account level. | The ad group may be serving without a useful ad enhancement that could improve visibility or relevance. | Decide whether the asset type fits the offer and conversion path, then add it at the appropriate level. |
| Campaign-level only | The asset is active at campaign level but not added directly to the ad group. | Coverage exists but may be broader than the ad group's specific intent or theme. | Keep campaign coverage if it is accurate, or add a more specific ad-group-level version for high-spend or tightly themed ad groups. |
| Account-level only | The asset is active at account level but not added at campaign or ad group level. | The ad group has broad fallback coverage, but it may not reflect the exact product, service, location, or offer. | Review whether account-level coverage is sufficient, or whether campaign or ad-group assets should override it. |
| Spend (last 30 days) | How much the ad group spent in the audit window. | Use spend to rank your review queue. Gaps on high-spend ad groups are usually more urgent. | Start with the highest-spend rows, then filter by the asset type that gives the clearest benefit. |
Common finding patterns
These patterns appear frequently when running the audit on active accounts.
| Pattern | Likely meaning | Recommended next step |
|---|---|---|
| High spend + missing sitelinks | A major ad group may be losing navigation depth and message variety. | Review whether distinct landing pages, category links, or offer pages exist that sitelinks could point to. |
| High spend + account-level callouts only | The ad group has broad proof points but they may not match the specific offer. | Keep strong account-level callouts and add specific benefit copy where the ad group has a distinct theme. |
| Campaign-level structured snippets across many ad groups | Consistent campaign coverage exists, but individual ad groups may deserve more precise lists. | Use campaign snippets for shared offerings and ad-group snippets for specialized categories. |
| Missing call asset | Phone calls are not set up at any level for this ad group. | Only add when calls are a valid conversion path, routing is ready, and business hours are confirmed. |
| Missing lead form asset | No lead form is attached to the ad group. | Do not add automatically; confirm lead handling, consent copy, qualification, and follow-up ownership first. |
| Low spend + many missing assets | The ad group may be new, recently paused, niche, or low priority. | Check business context before investing time in full coverage for a low-activity ad group. |
#Fixing coverage gaps
Once you have identified the gaps worth acting on, the most efficient approach is to batch changes by asset type, then work through ad groups in spend order within each type.
- Start with sitelinks and callouts on high-spend ad groups. These two types cover the most common and highest-value gaps.
- Add image assets where product or service imagery is accurate and available; confirm assets meet Google Ads policy before uploading.
- Upgrade from account-level to ad-group-level assets when the ad group has a distinct enough theme that more specific copy or links would improve the experience.
- For call, price, promotion, lead form, and app assets, confirm the full business capability before adding. Each of these creates a user expectation that must be fulfilled.
- Document intentional exceptions in a shared note or sheet so the same decision is not revisited unnecessarily on the next audit cycle.
#Limitations and known pitfalls
The Extensions Audit is a coverage audit. It tells you where assets are missing or only inherited, but it does not measure asset quality, approval status, or whether a given asset is actively contributing to performance.
Limitations to keep in mind
| Limitation | Why it matters | How to handle it |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage is not quality | An asset can exist and still be generic, outdated, disapproved, or irrelevant to the ad group. | Review copy, landing pages, approval status, and relevance as part of the fix, not just presence. |
| 30-day spend may understate context | New, seasonal, paused, or budget-limited ad groups can look low-priority even if they are strategically important. | Use business priority and planned activity alongside recent spend when ranking your queue. |
| Inherited assets are sometimes intentional | Campaign or account coverage is correct when the message is genuinely shared and accurate. | Only upgrade to ad-group level when specificity would meaningfully improve the ad experience. |
| The audit does not apply changes | The audit is a review and prioritization tool, not an automated change workflow. | Use findings to build an action queue, then create or edit assets through Google Ads directly. |
| Refresh timing | The audit updates automatically, but Google Ads changes may take time to appear in reporting data. | Recheck after a refresh and confirm important changes in Google Ads before treating them as done. |
#Best practices
- Start every audit session by sorting the table by last-30-day spend so the highest-impact gaps are always visible first.
- Use ad-group-level assets when the ad group has a distinct product, service, location, price point, or offer that differs from campaign-level messaging.
- Keep account-level assets reserved for messages that are genuinely accurate across the entire advertiser account.
- Use campaign-level assets for themes shared by most ad groups in the campaign, but verify that top ad groups do not deserve more specific versions.
- Review asset copy, landing page accuracy, approval status, and policy compliance before publishing changes.
- Only add call, lead form, price, promotion, and app assets when the business can fulfill the user action they create.
- Name assets consistently so future audits and Google Ads reviews can identify owner, scope, and intended duration.
- Document intentional exceptions (regulated offers, brand restrictions, unavailable landing pages, or unsupported conversion paths) so they are not reworked on the next cycle.
- Revisit the audit regularly because account restructures, new ad groups, and seasonal changes create fresh coverage gaps over time.
#Frequently asked questions
Why does the audit use the word extensions instead of assets?
The audit was built when Google Ads called them extensions, and the coverage categories still map directly to the original extension framework. Google now calls them assets in most places. The audit covers the same set of ad enhancements regardless of which term appears in the interface.
How does Adnine decide which ad groups to include in the audit?
The audit prioritizes ad groups that have spent budget in the last 30 days. Ad groups with no recent spend do not appear, which keeps the list focused on where coverage gaps can actually affect performance right now.
What does campaign-level coverage mean in practice?
It means the asset type is attached to the campaign that contains the ad group, and Google Ads makes it eligible for that ad group. The ad group does not have its own version of the asset. Campaign-level coverage is fine when the message is accurate and shared, but it may be too generic for ad groups with a distinct offer or theme.
Should every high-spend ad group have every asset type?
No. Not every asset type is appropriate for every ad group or business. Call, lead form, price, promotion, and mobile app assets each require specific capabilities or business conditions. The audit shows what is missing so you can decide, not so you act automatically.
Why does hovering the chart show more detail than the table row?
The chart hover is designed to give a quick breakdown of which specific asset types are missing for a given bar or segment, without requiring you to filter the full table. Once you know which types to focus on, switch to the table and filter by that type for a more precise action list.
How often does the audit refresh?
The audit updates automatically as your Google Ads data refreshes. There is no manual refresh needed. After you make changes in Google Ads, allow time for the new data to flow through before rechecking coverage status in Adnine.
Can the audit make changes to my Google Ads assets for me?
No. The Extensions Audit is a review and prioritization tool. It identifies coverage gaps and helps you decide where to act, but all asset creation and editing happens in Google Ads directly.
What should I do when a high-spend ad group intentionally has no call or lead form asset?
Document the exception in a shared note or internal tracking sheet. This ensures the gap is not flagged as urgent on future audit runs and avoids repeated review of a deliberate decision.