Google Ads Assets: Definition and Types (formerly Ad Extensions)

Google Ads assets, formerly called ad extensions, are supplementary pieces of information attached to a search ad that expand what users see on the results page. A single result can display a phone number, additional page links, a business address, service prices, or a short promotional phrase, all attached to the same core ad. Google decides which assets to show for each individual search based on the query context and the predicted likelihood of improving performance.

What Are the Different Types of Google Ads Assets?

Google provides several asset types, each suited to a different communication goal:

• Sitelink assets add links to specific pages on your website below the main ad, pointing searchers toward a pricing page, a booking form, or a particular service.
• Callout assets are short highlight phrases displayed alongside the main ad text, suited for noting key differentiators such as "Same-day delivery" or "No long-term contracts."
• Structured snippet assets present a brief list under a category label such as "Services" or "Products," giving users a structured preview of your offering.
• Call assets show a phone number directly in the ad, letting mobile users initiate contact without visiting the site first.
• Location assets pull from a linked Google Business Profile to display an address alongside the ad, supporting businesses with a defined service area.
• Image assets attach a photo to the search result, increasing its visual footprint on the page.
• Price assets list individual products or services with their associated prices, helping users pre-qualify before clicking.
• Promotion assets label a current sale or time-limited offer with a dedicated callout.
• Business name and logo assets display your brand identity at the top of the ad, providing instant recognition before a user reads the headline copy.

Assets can be applied at account, campaign, or ad group level. Ad group settings override campaign settings, which in turn override account-level defaults, so you can maintain a broad baseline at account level and refine per campaign or ad group where your offering differs.

Assets and the Ad: Where the Boundary Lies

An asset is not the ad. The ad itself, in most search campaigns a Responsive Search Ad, consists of headlines and descriptions assembled by Google from the copy you provide. Assets are separate components attached to that ad. They supply additional context and entry points but do not replace the core headline and description copy.

Assets also differ from targeting settings. Keywords determine whether your ad competes in an auction for a given search. Assets determine what supplementary information appears if the ad wins a placement. Unlike keywords, assets do not serve as auction entry criteria; they provide supplementary information and, by influencing Ad Rank, can affect how prominently and how completely the ad is shown.

By giving users more relevant detail before they click, assets can raise click-through rate: a result that already shows a direct link to a service page, a visible phone number, and a price range answers common pre-click questions immediately. In B2B contexts this is particularly useful — sitelinks pointing to specific service or enquiry pages help qualify intent before any conversation begins.

Lead form assets are worth noting alongside the other types: they let users submit a contact request directly from the search results page, without first visiting the website, which can shorten the path from search to initial enquiry.

Example: A local heating engineer runs search ads for "boiler repair." Without assets, the result shows a headline and two lines of description. Adding a call asset, a location asset, and two sitelink assets pointing to "Emergency Callouts" and "Service Prices" means the same ad now answers three common follow-up questions, how to call, where the business operates, and what services cost, directly on the results page, before any click takes place.

Do Google Ads Assets Affect Ad Rank?

Google factors the expected performance impact of assets into its Ad Rank formula (Google Ads Help, 2024). An ad with well-configured, relevant assets can secure a higher placement in the auction than an equivalent ad without them, at the same or comparable bid. Assets can improve expected performance, depending on relevance.

Google also generates automated assets on your behalf, drawing on your website content and existing ad copy, without requiring manual input. Automated assets appear when Google predicts they will improve performance. You can review, retain, or disable specific automated assets in the account settings under the Assets tab. For a closer look at how bid efficiency interacts with ad placement, the entry on cost-per-click (CPC) covers the relationship between bids, quality signals, and actual ad cost.

Related Topics

For practical asset configurations across different campaign types and setup levels, the Google Ads tactics guide covers account-level and campaign-level decisions alongside other account settings. The Google Ads Transparency Center provides context on how Google surfaces ad information publicly, which is relevant when working with location and business name and logo assets.