Search Ad Destination QA Checklist
Verify that an ad click reaches the intended working page with consistent URLs and a usable next step before requesting campaign publication.
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When to use this template
Use this before launch or after changing routing, tracking templates or hosting. Record actual responses and visible behavior instead of relying only on the page title in an ad preview.
Choose another approach when: You are treating one successful local page load as global availability, bypassing security controls, or using this worksheet as proof that Google has approved an ad.
Gather these inputs
- The proposed final, mobile and tracking URLs with no private tokens.
- The intended destination, offer and target device/location scope.
- An authorized way to inspect public responses and complete a safe test journey.
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Worked example
Illustrative example, not a Crany customer result. Replace every example detail with facts you can verify.
Fictional final URL points to /handoff-sample. Desktop returns the expected sample, but the mobile URL redirects to an obsolete /beta page returning 404. Decision: hold the mobile URL change and send the observed redirect sequence to the site owner. After a scoped fix, retest both paths and the sample's next action. The reviewer has not tested every target country or AdsBot access. Those limits stay visible. A green desktop check cannot erase the mobile failure or establish ad approval.
How to use it
- Follow each intended URL path and record the response and final content.
- Check safe desktop and mobile journeys, including the promised next action and tracking path.
- Resolve observed failures and retest affected paths before an authorized launch decision.
Check before using it
- The display and destination relationship is reviewed explicitly.
- A redirect is judged by its actual final content and host.
- Untested locations and crawler behavior are marked as unknown.
What to measure
Record failing paths, affected ads and successful retests. After release, distinguish destination uptime from offer completion and campaign results; a functional page is necessary evidence, not an acquisition guarantee.
Research and sources
Google lists destination functionality, consistency, access and crawlability requirements. The inspection record is original and intentionally narrower than a full policy or worldwide availability audit.
- Google Ads: Destination requirements — checked 2026-10-23. Functional, accessible, crawlable destinations and consistent URLs are required; a worksheet cannot certify approval.
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