In the Google Ads preview you see in real time how your text ad would look on smartphone and desktop before you create it in Google Ads.
What is the tool for?
The preview is a plain text tool. It doesn't run ads and doesn't connect to your Google Ads account either. You type your texts and immediately see whether the headlines fit together, whether the display path makes sense and whether the description gets too long.
You'll find the tool under Ads in the navigation (group Tools).
The fields
| Field | Purpose | Character limit |
|---|---|---|
| Final URL | Page the ad leads to. The ad's domain is derived from it. When signed in, your project domain is pre-filled. | - |
| Headline 1 | Most important headline | 30 |
| Headline 2 | Second headline | 30 |
| Headline 3 | Third headline, optional | 30 |
| Display path 1 | Readable addition after the domain | 15 |
| Display path 2 | Second addition, optional | 15 |
| Description line 1 | Description | 90 |
| Description line 2 | Further description, optional | 90 |
Below each field a counter runs backwards with the remaining characters. At 0 that's it, you can't type any more.
your-domain.com/offer. Put the topic of the ad or a benefit in there.
The live preview
On the right you see the ad in two variants:
- Ad on mobile devices
- Ad on desktop computers
The Ad label, headline, URL and description are built the way Google builds them:
- The headlines sit in one line separated by
|: Headline 1 | Headline 2 | Headline 3 - The URL consists of domain and display path:
domain.com/path1/path2 - The two description lines run one after the other as a single description
Empty fields show the sample text of the placeholder so the preview never stays empty. The headline is linked to the final URL.
How to write better ads
- Keyword in the first headline: whoever searches for "home help Dresden" should read exactly that
- Every headline has to be understandable on its own, because Google combines them differently
- Benefit instead of platitude: name price, service, region or waiting time
- A call to action like "Request now" or "Secure your offer"
- Use the path:
/enquiryor/offershows what awaits the click - Ad and landing page have to match: what you promise has to be there. The best way to check the landing page is the Page Audit
Frequently asked questions
Is the ad saved or run?
No, the preview saves nothing and runs nothing. Just copy the texts into Google Ads.
The final URL is pre-filled with my domain, can I change it?
Yes, you can change the field freely. Without signing in, an example domain is shown there.
Why may the headline only have 30 characters?
That's how much Google allows for a single ad headline in responsive search ads.