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Freedom251 › Blog › AI Mode

How to Troubleshoot Google Ads Promotions That Don’t Appear in AI Mode

By Freedom251 Team · · 4 min read

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If a Google Ads promotion is missing from AI Mode, first check that the campaign and promotion asset are eligible and active—but don’t treat a successful check as a guarantee of AI Mode placement. Google’s 2025 statement describes a test of ads in AI Mode in the United States: ads may appear below or integrated into responses “where relevant.” It does not promise that a particular ad or promotion will appear in a specific response, and Google’s public guidance does not provide an AI Mode switch to force one to show. Google Ads’ AI Mode announcement

First identify which kind of promotion is missing

Google Ads has manually created promotion assets and Automated promotions. They work differently, so diagnose the one you are using before changing campaign settings.

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  • Manual promotion asset: You enter promotion details and control its configuration, including dates. Google documents these assets for Search ads, specified YouTube placements, and certain Maps contexts. The documentation does not promise placement in AI Mode. About promotion assets
  • Automated promotion: Google identifies and extracts offers from your website for eligible campaigns. These offers are subject to campaign and site requirements, and a running manual promotion can prevent them from applying. About Automated promotions

Also distinguish an asset missing from an otherwise serving Search ad from an ad that you cannot find in ordinary search results, and from an ad absent in AI Mode. The checks overlap, but one does not prove the others.

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Check the promotion’s requirements and status

For a manual promotion asset

  • Check its status and start and end dates, including any occasion-specific timing.
  • Check its level. When assets exist at multiple levels, the most specific one takes precedence: an ad-group asset overrides a campaign- or account-level asset; a campaign asset overrides an account-level asset. Google’s promotion asset guidance
  • For an occasion-specific asset, Google says it must be created or edited within six months of the occasion’s start date to be eligible. Assets that have not been modified for six months are automatically paused. These are Google’s documented rules, not a promise that an eligible asset will appear in every placement. About promotion assets

For an Automated promotion

  • Confirm the campaign is active and is a Search or Performance Max campaign.
  • Confirm location assets are attached and the campaign complies with Google Ads policies.
  • Check that the campaign does not already have a manual promotion running.
  • Make the offer, its terms, discount, and availability clear and current on the website so Google can verify it. Google says an automated offer may be eligible to serve for less than 24 hours at a time; if the system continues to verify it on the site, it may be re-enabled. About Automated promotions

Find the asset in Google Ads

  1. In Google Ads, open Campaigns → Assets.
  2. Filter by Asset type: Promotion.
  3. Check the Added by column. Google identifies Automated promotions as “Google AI”; hover over that entry for sourcing details.
  4. For a manual asset, inspect the relevant account, campaign, or ad-group level. Hover over the promotion name to see details such as its headline, then check whether a more specific asset takes precedence. Automated promotions Promotion assets

Diagnose ordinary Search delivery without repeatedly searching for your ad

Use Ad Preview and Diagnosis for the relevant search term. Google recommends this tool because it can help identify why a Search ad may not be serving without the impression impact of repeatedly searching for your own ad. Treat the result as a diagnostic snapshot: preview results can change over time and do not guarantee a future impression. About Ad Preview and Diagnosis

If the ad is not serving, review its status and the campaign’s setup, including:

  • Ad and campaign dates, approvals, and account or billing status.
  • Whether the relevant ad groups and assets are active.
  • Budget, bids, targeting, and negative keywords.

Google says most ads are reviewed within 24–48 hours; review can take up to five business days for new accounts or certain image and video formats. These are Google Ads Help’s stated review windows, not a delivery deadline or guarantee. Fix issues with your Search campaign

If Google Ads reports serving but you cannot see the ad yourself, follow Google’s troubleshooting flow and check whether the discrepancy is limited to a device or surface. If the campaign serves but the promotion asset is absent, investigate the asset’s status and precedence separately; general campaign serving does not establish that a specific asset was shown. Google Ads troubleshooting

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Choose the right promotion type for the job

Factor Manual promotion asset Automated promotion
Control You enter and manage the promotion details and dates. Google identifies and extracts offers from your website.
Eligibility Check asset status, dates, occasion timing, policy compliance, and precedence across account, campaign, and ad-group levels. Google Ads Help Requires an eligible active Search or Performance Max campaign with location assets and policy compliance; a running manual promotion can prevent it from applying. Google Ads Help
Offer details Configured in Google Ads. Drawn from the advertiser’s website; the offer must remain visible and verifiable there. Google Ads Help
Documented surfaces Search ads, specified YouTube placements, and certain Maps contexts; no AI Mode placement is promised in the cited guidance. Google Ads Help Eligible Search or Performance Max ads; no AI Mode placement is promised in the cited guidance. Google Ads Help
Maintenance Keep dates and occasion timing current; assets not modified for six months are automatically paused. Google Ads Help Keep the offer current and visible on the website so Google can verify it. Eligibility may be temporary. Google Ads Help
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What a successful diagnosis can—and cannot—tell you

Passing the campaign and asset checks supports that the underlying Search or Performance Max setup is eligible. It does not establish that an ad will be selected for a particular AI Mode response. Google’s public statement describes a US test and relevance-based placements, not an individual delivery guarantee or an AI Mode-specific diagnostic for why a promotion was absent. Availability and eligibility may change. Google Ads’ AI Mode announcement

Promotion assets are free to add, but clicking one is charged at the same rate as clicking the ad headline. Google says it will charge for no more than two clicks per ad impression. About promotion assets

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

AI ModeAutomated promotionsGoogle Adspromotion assetsTroubleshooting

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