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A Step-by-Step Guide to Deleting Your Google Ads Account

Written by Andres Morales Zuleta | Jan 22, 2024 1:19:27 PM

Online advertising has become an integral part of marketing strategies for businesses of all sizes.  Google Ads, formerly known as Google AdWords, is one of the most popular advertising platforms, allowing businesses to display their ads across various Google services and partner websites. However, there may come a time when you no longer wish to maintain a Google Ads account. Whether it's due to changing advertising strategies or a shift in business focus, deleting your Google Ads account can be a straightforward process. In this step-by-step guide, we will walk you through the process of deleting your Google Ads account and provide insights into the implications of this decision.

Understanding Google Ads Account

Before diving into the deletion process, it's essential to understand what a Google Ads account entails. Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform that allows businesses to create and manage online advertisements. With a Google Ads account, you have access to a wide range of advertising features, including keyword targeting, ad scheduling, and performance tracking. Your account is linked to your Google account and contains information about your advertising campaigns, billing details, and account settings.

It serves as a centralized hub for managing your online advertising efforts. Within your account, you can create and group multiple advertising campaigns, each targeting specific audiences or promoting different products or services. Your account allows you to choose the desired ad format, set a budget, and customize various ad parameters such as keywords, geographic targeting, and ad placements. It also provides valuable insights and analytics on the performance of your advertising campaigns.


When you create a Google Ads account, you gain access to a powerful suite of tools that can help you reach your target audience effectively. The platform offers various ad formats, including text ads, image ads, video ads, and responsive ads. You can tailor your ads to appear on specific websites, in search engine results, or even on mobile apps, ensuring maximum visibility for your business.


Why Might You Want to Delete Your Google Ads Account?

There are several reasons why you might consider deleting your Google Ads account. Business priorities and strategies evolve over time, and you may find that Google Ads no longer aligns with your current advertising goals. Additionally, you may be shifting your advertising budget to other platforms or channels. Deleting your Google Ads account allows you to free up resources and focus on alternative marketing strategies that better suit your business objectives.

Furthermore, deleting your Google Ads account can be a strategic move if you have determined that your target audience does not engage with Google Ads or if you have found more cost-effective advertising channels. By redirecting your advertising budget towards platforms that yield better results, you can optimize your marketing efforts and drive higher returns.

It's important to note that deleting your Google Ads account is a permanent action. Once you delete your account, all associated campaigns, ad groups, and ads will be permanently removed. Therefore, it's crucial to carefully evaluate your advertising strategy and consider the potential impact before proceeding with the deletion process.

As you see, a Google Ads account offers businesses a powerful platform to create and manage online advertisements. It provides a wide range of advertising features, targeting options, and performance tracking tools to help you reach your target audience effectively..

Preparing to Delete Your Google Ads Account

Before proceeding with the deletion process, it's essential to make a few considerations and take a few precautionary steps to ensure a smooth transition.

Deleting your Google Ads account is a permanent action, and once deleted, the account cannot be recovered. Therefore, it's crucial to carefully assess the implications and consequences of this decision. Consider the following:

  • The impact on your ongoing advertising campaigns and their performance
  • Any remaining account balance or pending invoices
  • The loss of historical data and performance metrics
  • Alternative advertising platforms or strategies that could better serve your business goals

When you delete your Google Ads account, it's important to understand the potential impact on your ongoing advertising campaigns. Take a moment to evaluate the performance of your campaigns and consider whether deleting the account will disrupt any current marketing efforts. It's worth noting that once the account is deleted, all active campaigns will cease to run, and you will lose the ability to make any changes or optimizations.

Another aspect to consider is any remaining account balance or pending invoices. Ensure that you settle any outstanding payments before proceeding with the deletion process. Failure to do so may result in complications or financial issues down the line.

One significant consequence of deleting your Google Ads account is the loss of historical data and performance metrics. This data is valuable for analyzing past campaigns, identifying trends, and making informed decisions for future marketing strategies. Before deleting your account, take the time to export and save any important data or reports that you might need for future reference.

Google Ads provides various exporting options, such as downloading reports in CSV or Excel formats. By taking this step, you can maintain a copy of your valuable advertising data even after deleting your account. This backup can serve as a reference point or provide insights for future campaigns, ensuring that you don't lose valuable information.

Lastly, consider exploring alternative advertising platforms or strategies that could better serve your business goals. Deleting your Google Ads account opens up opportunities to try new marketing channels or approaches. Research and evaluate different platforms to determine if there are better options available that align with your objectives and target audience.

Detailed Steps to Delete Your Google Ads Account

Now that you have carefully considered the implications and backed up your data, let's dive into the step-by-step process of deleting your Google Ads account.

Navigating to Your Google Ads Account Settings

To begin the process, log in to your Google Ads account using your Google credentials. Once logged in, navigate to the "Settings" section of your account. This can typically be found in the top-right corner of the Google Ads dashboard.

Within the "Settings" section, you will find a variety of options and preferences that you can customize to suit your needs. It's important to familiarize yourself with these settings before proceeding with the deletion process.

Take a moment to explore the different tabs and menus within the "Settings" section. You may come across features and tools that you were not aware of, which could be useful for your advertising campaigns.

Initiating the Deletion Process

Once you have located the "Settings" section, scroll down to the "Preferences" section. Here, you will find an option to "Cancel this Google Ads account." Click on this option to initiate the deletion process.

Before proceeding, it's essential to understand the consequences of deleting your Google Ads account. Deleting your account will permanently remove all your campaigns, ad groups, ads, keywords, and other associated data. This action cannot be undone, so it's crucial to make sure you have a backup of any important information.

Consider reviewing your account performance and campaign history to ensure you have extracted any valuable insights or data that you may need in the future.

Confirming Account Deletion

Google Ads values the security of your account and requires you to confirm your intention to delete the account. Once you click on the option to cancel your account, you will be presented with a series of prompts and asked to enter your account password before being able to proceed.

Take your time to carefully review the information provided in these prompts. Google Ads wants to ensure that you fully understand the irreversible nature of this action and the potential impact it may have on your advertising efforts.

Consider the implications of deleting your account, such as losing access to historical data, performance metrics, and any ongoing campaigns. It's also important to note that deleting your Google Ads account will not affect your other Google services, such as Gmail or Google Drive.

Once you have reviewed and confirmed your understanding of the deletion process, enter your account password as requested. This additional step helps to ensure that only authorized users can delete an account.

After submitting the deletion request, your Google Ads account will be scheduled for permanent deletion. The exact timeframe for the deletion process may vary, but you will receive a confirmation email once the process is complete.

It's important to note that even after your account is deleted, Google may retain certain information for legal and regulatory purposes. However, this information will no longer be accessible to you or used for advertising purposes.

Deleting your Google Ads account is a significant decision, and it's essential to consider all the factors involved. If you are unsure about deleting your account, you may want to explore alternative options, such as pausing your campaigns or seeking assistance from a Google or Search Ads specialist.

What Happens After Deleting Your Google Ads Account?

Deleting your Google Ads account has immediate effects on your advertising campaigns and account access. It's important to be aware of these implications to manage the transition effectively.

Immediate Effects of Account Deletion

Once your Google Ads account is deleted, your ads will no longer be eligible to appear on Google search results, partner websites, or any other platforms within the Google advertising network. Additionally, access to your account, including campaign data and historical performance metrics, will be permanently revoked. Make sure to adjust any tracking or conversion pixels that were tied to your Google Ads account to avoid any discrepancies in your analytics.

Long-Term Implications of Deleting Your Google Ads Account

While the immediate effects are evident, there are long-term implications to consider as well. Deleting your Google Ads account may impact your advertising performance if you had campaigns running consistently. It might take time to transition to alternative marketing strategies or platforms, and the reach and visibility of your business could be affected during this period. However, by carefully planning and implementing a new advertising strategy, the long-term effects of deleting your Google Ads account can be managed effectively.

Reinstating Your Google Ads Account

If you have second thoughts or wish to reinstate your Google Ads account in the future, it's important to understand the options available.

Is Account Reinstatement Possible?

Once an account is permanently deleted, it cannot be recovered. Therefore, it's critical to be certain about your decision before confirming the deletion of your Google Ads account. However, if you wish to resume advertising with Google Ads in the future, you can create a new account and start afresh. Keep in mind that you will need to rebuild your campaigns and historical data will not be available.

Steps to Recover Your Deleted Google Ads Account

If you accidentally deleted your Google Ads account and wish to recover it, the best course of action is to reach out to Google Ads support for assistance. While there is no guarantee of account recovery, they may be able to provide guidance or explore any possible options.


Go For It If You Must


Deleting your Google Ads account is a significant decision that requires careful consideration. By following this step-by-step guide, you now have the information and insights necessary to make an informed decision about deleting your Google Ads account. Remember to evaluate the implications, back up your data, and plan alternative advertising strategies to ensure a smooth transition. While deleting your Google Ads account may come with short-term challenges, it can pave the way for a more focused and effective advertising approach that aligns with your evolving business goals.