March 1, 2024

How to Cancel Google Ads: A Step-by-Step Guide

Canceling a Google Ads account is a straightforward process that can be done at any time. Whether you're closing your business or simply taking a break from advertising, canceling your Google Ads account will stop all your ads within 24 hours. In this guide, we will show you how to cancel your Google Ads account and what you should know before you do so.

To cancel your Google Ads account, you will need to sign in to your account and navigate to the "Settings" menu. From there, you can select "Account status" and then "Cancel this account." It's important to note that canceling your account will not delete it permanently. If you change your mind, you can reactivate your account within 60 days of canceling it.

Before canceling your account, it's important to review your billing information and make sure that all outstanding balances have been paid. Additionally, if you have any active campaigns, you should pause them before canceling your account to avoid any unnecessary charges. By following these simple steps, you can cancel your Google Ads account and stop all your ads from running.

Understanding Google Ads Account Structure

Google Ads is a powerful advertising platform that allows businesses to reach their target audience through various ad formats. Before diving into how to cancel a Google Ads account, it's important to understand the account structure.

Account Hierarchy

A Google Ads account is structured in a hierarchical manner, starting with the account itself, followed by campaigns, ad groups, and finally, ads. At the top level, the account is where you can manage billing information, account preferences, and user access.

Below the account level, campaigns are created to organize ads around a specific goal, such as driving website traffic or increasing brand awareness. Each campaign can have multiple ad groups, which contain a set of ads that share a similar theme or target audience.

Campaign Organization

Campaign organization is crucial for a successful Google Ads account. When creating campaigns, it's important to keep the overall account structure in mind. For example, if a business has multiple products or services, it may make sense to create separate campaigns for each one.

Within each campaign, ad groups should be organized around specific themes or target audiences. This allows for more targeted ad copy and better performance. It's important to regularly review and update campaign organization to ensure optimal performance.

In addition to campaign organization, there are various other preferences that can be set at the account, campaign, and ad group levels. These preferences include things like language targeting, location targeting, and ad scheduling.

Understanding the Google Ads account structure and preferences is crucial for creating a successful advertising campaign. With this knowledge, businesses can create well-organized campaigns that reach their target audience and achieve their advertising goals.

Steps to Cancel Your Google Ads Account

Canceling a Google Ads account is a straightforward process that can be accomplished in just a few steps. In this section, we'll provide a step-by-step guide to canceling your Google Ads account.

Sign In and Access Settings

The first step in canceling your Google Ads account is to sign in to your account. Once you're signed in, navigate to the account settings by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. From here, select "Settings" from the drop-down menu.

Navigate to Account Settings

Once you're in the account settings, navigate to the "Account Access" tab. Here, you'll see a list of users who have access to your account. If you're the only user, you'll see your email address listed here. Click on the "Remove Access" button next to your email address to remove yourself from the account.

Confirm Cancellation

After you've removed yourself from the account, navigate back to the main account settings page and scroll down to the "Account Cancellation" section. Here, you'll see a button labeled "Cancel this account." Click on this button to initiate the cancellation process.

Before your account is canceled, you'll be prompted to confirm the cancellation. Once you've confirmed the cancellation, your account will be canceled, and all ads associated with the account will stop running within 24 hours.

In conclusion, canceling your Google Ads account is a simple process that can be accomplished in just a few steps. By following this step-by-step guide, you can cancel your account with confidence and ease.

Managing Campaigns and Advertisements

Google Ads allows you to manage your campaigns and advertisements with ease. Here are some of the basic tasks you can perform:

Pause or Remove Campaigns

If you want to temporarily stop running a campaign, you can pause it. This will stop your ads from running until you decide to resume the campaign. To pause a campaign, follow these steps:

Sign in to your Google Ads account.
Click on the "Campaigns" tab.
Select the campaign you want to pause.
Click on the "Pause" button.

If you want to permanently stop running a campaign, you can remove it. This will delete the campaign and all associated advertisements. To remove a campaign, follow these steps:

Sign in to your Google Ads account.
Click on the "Campaigns" tab.
Select the campaign you want to remove.
Click on the "Remove" button.

Edit Advertisements

Google Ads allows you to edit your advertisements at any time. Here are some of the basic tasks you can perform:

Change the text of your advertisement.
Change the landing page URL of your advertisement.
Change the image of your advertisement.

To edit an advertisement, follow these steps:

Sign in to your Google Ads account.
Click on the "Ads & extensions" tab.
Select the advertisement you want to edit.
Click on the "Edit" button.

It is important to note that changes to your advertisements may take up to 24 hours to be approved by Google. Additionally, if you are advertising products or services, make sure that your advertisements comply with Google's policies regarding advertising of such products or services.

By following these simple steps, you can effectively manage your campaigns and advertisements on Google Ads.

Financial Considerations and Refunds

Billing Set Up

Before cancelling a Google Ads account, it's important to review the billing set up to ensure that it is correct and up-to-date. Users can check their billing information by logging into their Google Ads account and navigating to the "Billing & payments" section. Here, users can view their current payment method, billing address, and other billing details.

Outstanding Balance

If a user has an outstanding balance on their Google Ads account, they will need to pay the balance in full before they can cancel their account. Users can view their account balance by navigating to the "Billing & payments" section of their Google Ads account. If a user has any questions regarding their outstanding balance, they can contact Google Ads support for assistance.

Processing Refunds

Google Ads offers refunds for unused account credit. Users can request a refund of their account credit by cancelling their Google Ads account. Once the account has been cancelled, any unused account credit will be refunded to the payment method that was used to make the original payment.

It's important to note that refunds can take up to 10 business days to process. Additionally, refunds will only be issued for account credit that was purchased within the last 60 days. For more information on requesting refunds, users can refer to the Google Ads Help Center.

After Cancelling Your Account

Once you've cancelled your Google Ads account, there are a few things that will happen. This section will cover what you need to know about reactivating your account and what happens to your data after cancellation.

Reactivating Your Account

If you change your mind and want to start advertising with Google Ads again, you can reactivate your account. According to Google Ads Help, "you can reactivate your account within 60 days of canceling it. After 60 days, your account will be permanently deleted and cannot be reactivated."

To reactivate your account, you'll need to sign in to your Google Ads account and follow the prompts. Keep in mind that your ads won't start running again until you've updated your billing information and any other necessary details.

Data Retention and Access

When you cancel your Google Ads account, your data is retained for a certain amount of time. According to SearchInventure, "Google will retain your account data for 90 days after cancellation. During this time, you can still access your account and download your data."

After the 90-day retention period, your account data will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. If you need to access your account data after cancellation, it's important to do so before the retention period ends.

It's also worth noting that some data may be retained even after your account is deleted. For example, if you've linked your Google Ads account to other Google services such as Google Analytics, your data may still be accessible through those services.

Overall, it's important to understand what happens to your account and data after cancelling your Google Ads account. By knowing your options for reactivating your account and accessing your data, you can make informed decisions about your advertising strategy.

Conclusion

Canceling a Google Ads account can be a straightforward process if you follow the right steps. As a business owner, you may want to cancel your account for various reasons, such as budget constraints or a change in business strategy. Whatever the reason may be, canceling your account can help you save money and resources.

To cancel your Google Ads account, you need to log in to your account and navigate to the "Billing" section. From there, you can select the "Cancel account" option, and Google Ads will stop all your ads within 24 hours. It is important to assess your advertising goals before canceling your account. You should determine if cancellation is the right decision, and if you have explored all the available options within Google Ads.

Canceling your Google Ads account does not mean the end of your online visibility. There are other ways to boost your online presence, such as optimizing your website for search engines, creating social media profiles, and using other advertising platforms.

In conclusion, canceling a Google Ads account can be a wise decision for businesses that need to cut costs or change their advertising strategy. By following the right steps, you can cancel your account and save money. However, it is important to assess your advertising goals and explore other options to maintain your online visibility.