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

Pausing your Google Ads can be a quick and easy process if you need to take a break from advertising or make adjustments to your campaign. All it takes is a few clicks in your Google Ads account to put your ads on hold without permanently cancelling them.

Step by Step Tutorial on How to Pause Google Ads

Before we dive into the steps, understand that pausing your Google Ads campaign allows you to stop your ads from running temporarily. This can be useful if you want to make changes to your campaign or if you have reached your advertising budget for a certain period.

Step 1: Sign in to your Google Ads account

Log into your Google Ads account where your campaign is located.

Signing in to your Google Ads account is the starting point. Make sure you have your username and password handy. If you manage multiple accounts, ensure you’re logging into the correct one.

Step 2: Click on ‘Campaigns’

Go to the left-hand menu and click on ‘Campaigns’.

Once you’re in, you’ll see a menu on the left side of the screen. ‘Campaigns’ is where all your active and paused campaigns are listed. Clicking it will bring up a list of all your campaigns.

Step 3: Select the campaign you want to pause

Find the campaign you wish to pause from the list and click on it.

You’ll see all the campaigns you’re running. Look for the one you want to pause – it might be a good idea to double-check to ensure you’re pausing the right one.

Step 4: Click on ‘Status’

In the campaign dashboard, find the ‘Status’ column.

The ‘Status’ column shows if the campaign is currently enabled, paused, or removed. It’s a dropdown menu that allows you to change the status of your campaign.

Step 5: Change status to ‘Paused’

In the ‘Status’ dropdown menu, select ‘Paused’.

By selecting ‘Paused’, you are telling Google to stop showing your ads immediately. You can always come back and change the status to ‘Enabled’ when you’re ready to start advertising again.

After completing these steps, your selected Google Ads campaign will be paused. Your ads will stop appearing in search results and on websites until you choose to reactivate the campaign. This action doesn’t delete any of your campaign settings, and you can resume your ads whenever you’re ready.

Tips for Pausing Google Ads

  • Always double-check which campaign you are pausing to avoid any mistakes.
  • Consider pausing your campaign instead of deleting it if you plan to use it again in the future.
  • Remember that pausing a campaign doesn’t remove any accrued costs; you’ll still have to pay for any activity that happened before the pause.
  • Use the pausing feature to test and compare different campaign strategies.
  • Keep an eye on your campaign’s performance after re-enabling it to make sure it picks up where it left off.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will pausing my Google Ad campaign affect its performance when I resume it?

Once you resume a paused campaign, it should continue to perform as it did before the pause, although there might be a slight delay while Google’s algorithm re-learns the best ways to display your ads.

Can I pause a single ad within a campaign?

Yes, you can pause individual ads within a campaign by following similar steps and selecting the ad you wish to pause in the ‘Ads & extensions’ tab.

Is there a limit to how long I can keep my campaign paused?

There is no time limit for how long a campaign can remain paused. You have full control over when you’d like to resume your ads.

Does pausing a campaign stop the charges immediately?

Pausing a campaign will stop future charges, but you will still be responsible for any accrued costs before the pause.

Can I schedule a campaign to pause and resume automatically?

Yes, Google Ads allows you to set specific start and end dates for your campaigns, which can include scheduled pauses.

Summary

  1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
  2. Click on ‘Campaigns’.
  3. Select the campaign you want to pause.
  4. Click on ‘Status’.
  5. Change status to ‘Paused’.

Conclusion

Pausing Google Ads can give you the breathing room needed to assess your campaign’s performance or make essential tweaks without discarding your hard work. It’s a feature that offers flexibility and control over your advertising efforts. Whether you’re pausing your ads for budgetary reasons or strategic adjustments, the process is straightforward and reversible.

Remember, the key is to double-check everything before you hit pause — it’s easy to make a mistake if you’re managing multiple campaigns. And once you’re ready to jump back in, your campaign settings will be waiting for you, just as you left them. If you’ve found this article helpful, why not dive deeper into Google Ads and discover more ways to optimize your campaigns for success? Happy advertising!