Will Google Ads put old coupon codes from my website into my ads?
By Juli Anne Patty, Fractional CMO | The 60-Second CMO | October 12, 2026
In brief: Yes … but only if you have active Google Ads running. Here’s what you need to know: Google Ads implemented a new feature as of Oct. 12, 2026. It can now find promotions on your website and add them to your ads automatically. NOTE: The setting is on by default. For most small businesses, the best approach is to clean old offers off your website and leave the feature on, but there are some cases in which you might want to turn it off, such as special deals you want to keep but don’t want advertised to everyone. Instructions for how to turn it off are below. And just to be clear, if you don’t run Google ads, this doesn’t apply to you.
What are Google Ads automated promotions?
Automated promotions are created when Google scans your website, finds promotions (such as “20% off” or a coupon code), and inserts into your eligible ads (see below) without you setting anything up. Google turned the feature on by default on October 12, 2026. You don’t have to opt in. If you don’t want it, you have to turn it off yourself.
Which Google Ads campaigns are affected?
A campaign is affected only if all three of these are true:
You haven’t added any promotions to that campaign yourself. If you’ve already set up your own promotions, Google leaves that campaign alone.
It’s a Search or Performance Max campaign. Search ads show up in Google search results. Performance Max ads run across Google’s sites and apps. Other campaign types, like YouTube-only campaigns, aren’t affected.
Your business address is connected to the campaign. This usually means your Google Business Profile is linked to your Google Ads account, so your ads can show your address or a map. That’s why this mostly affects businesses with a physical location, like shops, restaurants, and service businesses.
If any of these isn’t true for a campaign, Google won’t add promotions to it.
Do I pay extra for automated promotions?
No. There’s no separate fee, just as with Google’s other ad add-ons. You pay only when someone clicks your ad, at your usual cost per click. The real risk is indirect: a customer who sees an expired discount in your ad may expect you to honor it.
Are there benefits to automated promotions?
There are a few benefits to consider. The main benefit, of course, is that you don’t have to do any of the setup. That’s one thing off your to-do list. Adding promo codes or discounts can increase the effectiveness of a Google ad because ads with promos are bigger and more eye-catching on the search page, which can bring more clicks. So if you've been running ads with no promos, it’s worth considering. Google says performance often improves, but it hasn’t shared numbers, so compare your own results before and after.
What’s the risk of leaving automated promotions on?
Google can’t read promotion end dates yet. So any offer still on your website can appear in your ads, even if it has expired. It’s a good practice to remove expired promotions from your website, regardless. Also note that Google might leave out the fine print, like “on orders over $100” or “members only.” A one-time partner deal or a subscriber-only discount could end up in front of every customer. You’d pay for clicks from people drawn in by a deal you didn’t mean to offer, and you might have to honor it to keep those customers happy.
Should I turn automated promotions off or leave them on?
For most small businesses, clean up your website and leave the feature on. Remove expired offers, and make it a habit to take each promotion down the day it ends. Turn the feature off if:
Your site has offers meant only for some people, like email subscribers, partners, or first-time customers.
Your offers have conditions that need to show with them.
You’re in a regulated industry like finance, legal, or health care, where Google rewording your offers could break pricing or advertising rules.
How do I turn off automated promotions in Google Ads?
In Google Ads, go to Campaigns → Assets → ⋮ More → Account-level automated assets → ⋮ → Advanced settings → Automated promotions, and switch it to Off. This setting covers your whole account. If you turned it off before October 12, check that it’s still off.
How can I tell if Google added a promotion to my ads?
In Google Ads, go to Assets and filter by Promotion. Promotions Google created are marked “Google AI” in the “Added by” column. Google checks each one about every 24 hours and keeps it running only while the offer is still on your website.
Juli Anne Patty is a fractional CMO who helps small and medium-sized businesses that have grown through referrals build marketing that brings in leads and sales. Get every 60-Second CMO tip in one free weekly email at juliannepatty.com.