Google Ads ad preview & character counter.
Write your responsive search ad, see every character count as you type, catch the issues that get ads disapproved, and preview how Google might show it on mobile and desktop.
Pre-filled with an example for a fictional accountancy firm.
Optional: sitelinks
Approximate preview: Google varies the layout, and shows assets only when they’re expected to help. Shuffle to see other combinations.
The image shows the preview as it is now: switch device or shuffle first. Share links contain your ad text, so anyone with the link can see it.
Free, no sign-up. Everything is calculated in your browser.
Writing responsive search ads that work.
Every Google search ad is now a responsive search ad (RSA). You write up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions; Google mixes them into different combinations and learns which work best for each search. Microsoft Advertising works the same way, with the same limits.
The character limits
- Headlines: 3 to 15, up to 30 characters each. Up to 3 show at once.
- Descriptions: 2 to 4, up to 90 characters each. Up to 2 show at once.
- Display path: two fields of up to 15 characters, shown after your domain.
- Business name: up to 25 characters. Sitelinks: up to 25 characters of link text.
How to write them
- Make every headline stand alone. Any three can appear together, in any order, so no headline should depend on another to make sense.
- Use your keyword in two or three headlines, so the ad clearly matches the search. Use the rest for different reasons to choose you.
- Cover different angles: what you do, prices or offers, proof (reviews, accreditations, years in business), speed or convenience, and a clear next step.
- Mix short and long headlines, and vary the descriptions: near-duplicates waste slots.
- Pin sparingly. Pinning limits the combinations Google can test. Use it for legal text or a brand name that must always show.
- Check the facts on the landing page. Prices, offers and claims in the ad should match the page: mismatches hurt conversion rates and can get ads disapproved.
What gets ads disapproved
The tool flags the most common issues: exclamation marks in headlines, more than one in a description, repeated punctuation like “!!”, words in all capitals that aren’t acronyms, phone numbers in ad text (use a call asset instead) and duplicate headlines. Google’s Ad Strength rating isn’t part of the auction, but variety still matters: more good headlines means more ways to match each search, which helps Quality Score and Ad Rank.
If you use AI Max, Google can also write extra headlines and descriptions from your landing page, so the page needs to say what you want your ads to say. Making social ads too? Check them with the safe zone checker. Build the keyword list with our keyword match type tool, check the rest of the account with the Google Ads audit checklist, or see our PPC management.
Keep calculating.
Social ad safe zone checker
Upload an image or video and see what Reels, Stories, TikTok and feed placements will cover or crop, then download the preview or blank templates.
Open tool →TrackingTracking checker
Enter your website and see which pixels and tags it runs, what fires before cookie consent, whether Consent Mode v2 and ad click IDs work, and if you have server-side tracking.
Open tool →TrackingUTM builder
Tag your links with presets for Meta, TikTok, Google, email and more, then see which GA4 channel each link lands in, and get dynamic URL parameters for your ad platforms.
Open tool →Google Ads ad questions.
01How many characters is a Google Ads headline?
Each headline in a responsive search ad can be up to 30 characters, each description up to 90, and each of the two display path fields up to 15. Sitelink text can be up to 25 characters. Microsoft Advertising uses the same limits.
02How many headlines and descriptions should I write?
A responsive search ad needs at least 3 headlines and 2 descriptions, and can have up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions. Aim for 8–10 or more genuinely different headlines and all 4 descriptions, so Google has enough combinations to test.
03How does Google decide which headlines to show?
Google mixes your headlines and descriptions into different combinations and learns which perform best for each search. An ad shows up to 3 headlines and up to 2 descriptions, so every headline should make sense on its own and next to any other.
04Should I pin headlines?
Only when you have to, for a legal disclaimer, say, or a brand name that must always appear. Pinning limits the combinations Google can test, which usually lowers Ad Strength. If you pin, pin two or three headlines to the same position rather than one.
05Does Ad Strength affect my ad’s performance?
Not directly. Google says Ad Strength isn’t a factor in the ad auction: it’s a guide to how much variety and relevance your ad gives the system to work with. More distinct, relevant headlines usually means more chances to match each search well.
06Can I use exclamation marks or capitals in Google Ads?
Headlines can’t contain exclamation marks, and descriptions can only have one. Repeated punctuation such as “!!” and words in all capitals (unless they’re acronyms or brand names) will also be disapproved. Phone numbers belong in a call asset, not ad text.
07Can I save or share my ad preview?
Yes. Download image saves the preview, mobile or desktop, exactly as shown, as a PNG for decks, emails or client sign-off. Copy share link creates a link that opens the tool with your ad filled in, ready to edit. The ad text is stored in the link itself, so it is never sent to or saved on our server.
08Is this preview exactly what Google will show?
It’s a close approximation. Google’s layout changes by device, position and search, it may show fewer headlines or descriptions, and assets such as sitelinks appear only when they’re expected to help. Check the final ad in the Google Ads preview before launching.
Ads tested against your landing pages and judged on leads and sales, not clicks. That’s how we run paid search.