Google Ads Extensions Guide 2026: Boost CTR with Ad Assets

Google Ads extensions (now officially called “assets”) add additional information to your ads — extra links, phone numbers, addresses, promotions, prices, or structured information — that appear below the main headline and description.

Extensions don’t cost extra when clicked (you pay the same CPC as the main ad), but they significantly increase click-through rate by making your ad larger, more informative, and more relevant to what the searcher wants to know.

Google’s recommendation: use every eligible extension for your campaign type. Extensions that aren’t relevant won’t show, but eligible ones will, and they consistently improve performance.

---

Why Extensions Matter

Increased ad size: Extensions make your ad take up more real estate on the search results page. Larger ads are harder to ignore.

Higher CTR: According to Google, adding extensions can increase CTR by 10-15% — and some studies show higher improvements for specific extension types.

Quality Score impact: Google factors the expected CTR from extensions into Quality Score calculations. Better extensions → higher Quality Score → lower CPCs and better positions.

More information without extra clicks: Extensions pre-answer questions (What’s the price? Where are you located? What else do you offer?) — filtering for higher-intent clicks and reducing bounce rates from mismatched expectations.

---

Extension Types: Complete Guide

Sitelink Extensions

Additional links appearing below the main ad, directing to specific pages on your website.

How they work: Each sitelink has a title (up to 25 characters) and an optional description (up to 35 characters each, two lines). Google chooses which sitelinks to show based on relevance to the search query.

Create at minimum: 6-8 sitelinks per campaign or ad group (Google can show 2-8 at a time; more gives Google more options to show the most relevant ones).

Best sitelinks for different campaign types:

For SaaS/B2B:

• Features → /features
• Pricing → /pricing
• Integrations → /integrations
• Case Studies → /case-studies
• Free Trial → /trial
• Book a Demo → /demo

For E-commerce:

• Bestsellers → /bestsellers
• New Arrivals → /new
• Sale Items → /sale
• Free Shipping Details → /shipping
• Customer Reviews → /reviews
• Return Policy → /returns

For Service Businesses:

• Services Overview → /services
• About Us → /about
• Portfolio/Gallery → /portfolio
• Testimonials → /testimonials
• Get a Quote → /quote
• FAQ → /faq

Sitelink descriptions: Add descriptions to all sitelinks — they appear in certain ad formats and provide additional context. Include a benefit or CTA in each description.

Callout Extensions

Short phrases (up to 25 characters each) highlighting key product or service features, benefits, and differentiators.

Unlike sitelinks: Callouts are not clickable — they’re additional descriptor text. Up to 10 callouts can be added; Google shows 2-6 at a time.

Effective callouts:

• “Free Shipping Over $50”
• “24/7 Customer Support”
• “No Contracts”
• “Cancel Anytime”
• “Used by 10,000+ Businesses”
• “HIPAA Compliant”
• “Award-Winning Service”
• “Same-Day Delivery”
• “Free Returns”
• “Money-Back Guarantee”

Best practice: Mix factual differentiators with proof points. Avoid generic callouts like “Great Service” — be specific.

Structured Snippets

Structured Snippets display predefined categories of information in a specific format: “[Header]: [Value 1], [Value 2], [Value 3]”

Available headers:

• Amenities (hotel, property)
• Brands (what brands you carry)
• Courses (education)
• Degree programs
• Destinations (travel)
• Featured hotels
• Insurance coverage
• Models (automotive)
• Neighborhoods
• Service catalog (most commonly used — list your key services)
• Shows
• Styles
• Types

For most businesses, “Service catalog” is the most useful: “Service catalog: SEO, PPC, Social Media, Email Marketing, Content Marketing”

Minimum values: Google requires at least 3 values per structured snippet.

Call Extensions

Adds your phone number directly to the ad, with a click-to-call button on mobile.

Why it matters: For businesses where phone calls are valuable leads (local services, healthcare, legal, financial services), call extensions drive direct calls without a website visit.

Setup options:

• Show a phone number that routes to your existing business number
• Use Google’s forwarding number for call tracking (tracks which ads generated calls, records call duration)

Scheduling: Set call extensions to only appear during business hours (prevents calls at 2am when no one can answer).

Call tracking: Use Google’s call reporting to see which campaigns, ad groups, and keywords generate the most calls — essential data for budget optimization.

Location Extensions

Shows your business address below the ad. Clicks open Google Maps showing directions to your location.

Requirements: Link your Google Business Profile to your Google Ads account.

Best for: Brick-and-mortar businesses where physical visits are a conversion goal — retail, restaurants, service businesses with a physical location, and professional offices.

Affiliate Location Extensions: For brands sold through third-party retailers, show nearby retail partner locations where the brand’s products are available.

Lead Form Extensions

A form that opens directly within the Google search results — allowing users to submit their information without leaving Google.

Fields: Name, email, phone, zip code, company, job title (select which to include).

Best for: B2B lead generation where the conversion goal is a form submission. The reduced friction (no click-through required) can significantly increase lead volume.

Follow-up: Connect lead form data to your CRM via webhook or download leads from Google Ads UI.

Important consideration: Lead form extensions often generate lower-quality leads than website form submissions — the bar to submit is lower. Track quality metrics (MQL rate, close rate) separately from website-sourced leads.

Price Extensions

Displays pricing information for products or services directly in the ad.

Format: Header → Price → CTA link “Monthly Plan → $49/month → Start Free Trial”

Best for:

• SaaS and subscription services with clear pricing tiers
• Service businesses with standard service packages and prices
• E-commerce with specific high-conversion products

When to use: If price is a positive differentiator (you’re the lowest or best value) or if you want to pre-qualify clicks (only people comfortable with the price click through, reducing wasted ad spend from price-sensitive browsers).

Promotion Extensions

Highlights specific promotions and offers directly in the ad.

Format: Shows “🏷️ [Promotion Type]: [Offer description]” below the ad

Promotion types: Monetary discount ($20 off), percentage discount (15% off), free shipping, free gift with purchase

Best for: E-commerce seasonal sales, B2B time-limited offers, service businesses running introductory promotions.

Add start/end dates: Promotion extensions automatically stop appearing after the promotion expires — no manual removal needed.

Image Extensions

Visual image assets that appear alongside search ads (primarily on mobile).

Requirements: High-quality images (at minimum 1200 x 628px landscape or 1200 x 1200px square). Product images, lifestyle shots, or brand imagery.

When they appear: Google shows image extensions when the ad is shown in a position where images are eligible. Not available for all searches.

Best for: E-commerce brands with strong product photography; any brand where visual presence improves conversion.

App Extensions

Links to your mobile app from a search ad.

Shows: App name, store rating, and download link.

Best for: Businesses where the app is the primary conversion vehicle (fintech, food delivery, fitness, productivity apps).

---

Setting Up Extensions: Best Practices

Set extensions at account, campaign, and ad group levels:

• Account level: Broad extensions relevant to all campaigns (sitelinks to homepage, about, contact)
• Campaign level: Campaign-specific extensions (product-specific sitelinks for that campaign’s category)
• Ad group level: Highly specific extensions (sitelinks specifically about one product)

Google’s system selects the most relevant extension level to show — ad group overrides campaign, which overrides account.

Always use these extensions (if eligible):

• Sitelinks (at least 6 per campaign)
• Callouts (at least 4)
• Structured snippets (at least one relevant header)
• Call extensions (if phone calls are valuable)
• Location extensions (if physical locations matter)

Monitor extension performance: In Google Ads → Campaigns → Ads and Assets → Assets → Segment by asset. Review CTR, conversion rate, and cost data for each extension. Pause underperforming extensions and test new variants.

---

Pair Google Ads extensions with compelling ad copy written by AdsMG.ai — AI-powered advertising content that improves Quality Scores and drives higher-intent clicks.

Last updated: April 27, 2026