Call-Only Ads Are Being Retired: Your Migration Plan for 2026

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Google is retiring call-only ads. New creation ends in February 2026, and existing call-only ads stop serving entirely in February 2027. If you’re running call-only campaigns, the move now is to audit them and migrate to responsive search ads (RSAs) with call assets before the window closes.

This is part of Google’s broader push toward RSA automation, folding standalone formats into one flexible ad type that adapts based on device, intent, and auction signals. Waiting until the deadline is the riskiest option.

Do this now:

Pull a performance baseline from every active call-only campaign (calls, cost per call, conversion rate).
Build RSAs with call assets in the same ad groups, and run both formats side by side.
Set a target to have your highest-volume campaigns fully migrated well before the creation cutoff.

Key Takeaways

Migrating call-only ads to responsive search ads with call assets before February 2026 is the only way to protect existing call volume through the 2027 sunset.

Point	Details
Two hard deadlines	Creation ends February 2026; all serving stops February 2027.
Audit before migrating	Capture 90 days of call, cost, and conversion data as your baseline.
Run both formats in parallel	Keep call-only and RSA campaigns live together for 2 to 4 weeks before pausing anything.
Set duration thresholds carefully	Use 60 to 90 second call-duration minimums to avoid counting hang-ups as conversions.
Managed migration option	Netco Design audits accounts, builds call-focused RSAs, and integrates call tracking for advertisers who want hands-on execution.

Call Only Ads Timeline: What Each Deadline Actually Means

Google signaled this shift in October 2025, when it began pushing advertisers toward call assets inside RSAs rather than the standalone call-only format. That announcement wasn’t a suggestion. It was the opening bell on a phased retirement with two hard dates.

February 2026: Google removes the ability to create new call-only ads. Existing ones keep running, but you can no longer build fresh call-only campaigns.
February 2027: Google stops serving existing call-only ads entirely. Anything not migrated by then simply goes dark.
API deprecation: For programmatic accounts, CallAdInfo creation is no longer supported in the Google Ads API, so automated campaign builders need to shift to RSA asset endpoints before February 2026.

A practical internal target: get your top revenue-driving campaigns fully migrated and validated by Q3 2026. That leaves roughly six months of buffer before the 2027 sunset, enough runway to fix anything that breaks without scrambling at the deadline.

How Call-Only Ads Worked and Why Advertisers Relied on Them

Call-only ads showed up exclusively on mobile devices with a tap-to-call button instead of a headline link. Tapping the ad initiated a phone call directly. No landing page, no form, no extra click.

That mechanic made call-only ads a favorite for businesses where a phone conversation converts faster than a web visit: emergency plumbers, locksmiths, personal injury attorneys, HVAC repair, urgent dental care. When someone searches “24 hour locksmith near me,” they want a person on the phone, not a page to read.

Each call-only ad required:

A business name and two description lines.
A verified phone number tied to a verification URL.
A display URL, shown for context even though clicking it did nothing. It just built trust that a real business sat behind the number.

RSAs with call assets replicate this behavior. The system decides whether to show a call button or a website link based on predicted user intent, which means you lose some of the guaranteed tap-to-call certainty but gain flexibility across more search queries.

Step-by-Step Checklist to Migrate Call-Only Ads to RSAs

Migrating without losing call volume is a sequencing problem, not a technical one. Follow this order:

Audit existing campaigns. Export call counts, cost per call, and conversion rates from every active call-only campaign for the last 90 days. This baseline is what you’ll measure the RSA transition against.
Prep the account. Verify every phone number, confirm your business name matches your Google Business Profile, and turn on call reporting so you can track duration and outcomes.
Build the RSAs. Write 5 to 15 headlines per ad group, with 5 to 7 written specifically around calling, urgency, or availability (“Call Now, Open 24/7”).
Add call assets. Attach phone numbers as call assets at the campaign or ad-group level, then confirm at least one RSA exists in each ad group before the creation cutoff, per Google’s own migration guidance.
Run both formats in parallel for 2 to 4 weeks. Compare cost per call and call volume against your baseline before pausing the old call-only campaigns, a sequence PPC practitioners consistently recommend to avoid a volume cliff.

Pro Tip: Migrate your single highest-volume call campaign first, not last, and consider using tools like the AI Content Optimization Audit to review your RSA creatives for AI-readiness and headline optimization. It gives Google’s algorithm the longest possible learning window before the deadline crunch, and it surfaces creative or tracking problems while you still have time to fix them.

Bid, Schedule, and Copy Settings That Protect Call Volume

Three levers determine whether your migrated RSAs match or beat your old call-only numbers: bidding, scheduling, and copy.

For bidding, start with Maximize Conversions if you’re new to call tracking, then shift to Target CPA once you have enough historical call-conversion data to set a realistic target. Benly’s optimization guide recommends this progression specifically for call-focused campaigns, since early data is too thin for CPA targets to work well.

Scheduling matters more for call ads than almost any other format. If nobody answers the phone, the click is wasted.

Restrict ad delivery to hours your staff or answering service actually covers.
If you get after-hours search volume, route those calls to a message-taking service rather than turning off ads entirely.
Bid up in ZIP codes with historically higher close rates, and layer in remarketing lists for repeat searchers.

For copy, lead with availability and speed: “Same-Day Service,” “Licensed Techs Available Now.” Mix in credibility signals like years in business or licensing. Review our ad copy examples for headline structures that translate well into call-focused RSAs, and check our Google Ads best practices guide for testing frameworks.

Pro Tip: Run headline tests on a two-week cadence, but judge winners by call quality, not just call count. A headline that generates more calls with a lower close rate isn’t actually winning.

Setting Up Call Tracking to Protect Your Bidding Data

Smart bidding only optimizes toward what it can measure, so the tracking setup you choose determines whether Google’s automation actually works for you.

Hands connecting cable to call tracking device

Enable call reporting and set a minimum call-duration threshold before counting a call as a conversion. Recommended thresholds run 60 to 90 seconds for most service businesses, long enough to filter out accidental dials or immediate hang-ups, short enough to still catch legitimate short calls like appointment confirmations.

Google’s own forwarding numbers make setup faster since tracking is built in, but a dedicated tracking number from your own provider gives you more granular data, like caller ID matching against your CRM.

Enable call reporting at the account level before your first RSA goes live.
Importing offline outcomes, meaning which calls actually became sales, sharpens bid automation toward revenue rather than just call volume.
Track cost per call, calls by ad group, and call-to-sale rate weekly during the migration window.

Pro Tip: If you can only import one offline signal into Ads, make it call-to-sale outcomes. It’s the single data point that shifts Smart Bidding from chasing cheap calls to chasing calls that actually close.

Common Mistakes That Cause Lost Calls During Migration

Most call-volume drops during migration trace back to the same handful of errors, all avoidable.

Pausing call-only campaigns before RSAs prove parity leaves a gap where nothing is generating calls.
Unverified phone numbers or mismatched verification URLs trigger disapprovals that quietly kill an ad group.
Ads running outside staffed hours waste spend and generate bad reviews from unanswered calls.
Call-duration thresholds set too low count hang-ups as conversions, poisoning your bidding data.
Ignoring call quality, meaning volume climbs but close rates drop, signals a targeting problem worth fixing before it scales.

Why Netco Design Handles This Migration for Clients

Migrating call assets correctly takes more coordination than most in-house teams have bandwidth for: campaign audits, RSA creative, tracking setup, and offline conversion imports, all before a hard deadline.

Netco Design manages this end to end for clients running phone-lead campaigns, particularly home services and contractor businesses where a missed call is a missed job. The scope typically covers:

Full audit of existing call-only campaigns and baseline performance capture.
RSA build-out with call-focused headlines and verified call assets.
Call tracking integration tied to offline sale outcomes for smarter bidding.

The Migration Advice Nobody’s Saying Out Loud

Most guides treat this migration as a technical checklist: swap the format, add the assets, done. That undersells what’s actually at risk. Call-only ads worked because they removed friction between search intent and a ringing phone. RSAs with call assets can replicate that, but only if you treat the copy and scheduling with the same discipline you gave the original format.

The conventional advice to “just add call assets and move on” misses the biggest variable: RSAs sometimes show a website link instead of a call button, depending on what Google predicts the searcher wants. If your business genuinely converts better on the phone, that unpredictability is worth fighting with copy that leads hard toward calling and audience settings tuned toward call-heavy segments.

Prioritize your highest-volume, highest-revenue campaigns first. A slow migration on your busiest campaign costs more than a rushed one on a low-spend campaign ever will. Everything else, from headline testing to duration thresholds, matters less than getting that sequencing right.

Get Your Call-Only Ads Migrated Before the Deadline

Netco Design manages the entire call-only migration for advertisers who’d rather not risk phone leads on a DIY transition, from campaign audits and RSA creative to call-tracking setup and offline conversion imports that sharpen your bidding data.

Netco Design

If your account still runs call-only campaigns, the smart move is a full audit now, not in six months. Netco Design’s team reviews your current call performance, builds the RSA replacements with call assets, and sets up tracking so Smart Bidding optimizes toward calls that actually close. Explore our digital marketing strategies for small businesses to see how this fits into a broader growth plan, then reach out to request your account audit.

Sources

FAQ

Is Google Phasing Out Call-Only Ads?

Yes. Google is removing the option to create new call-only ads in February 2026 and will stop serving existing ones in February 2027.

How Do I Set Up Call-Only Ads in Google Ads Now?

New call-only ads can still be created until the February 2026 cutoff, but Google recommends building RSAs with call assets instead, since that format will keep working after the deadline.

Are Call-Only Ads Being Deprecated by Google Ads API Users Too?

Yes. The Google Ads API no longer supports CallAdInfo creation, so advertisers using automated or programmatic campaign builders need to switch to RSA asset endpoints ahead of the same deadline.

Why Am I Getting Clicks but No Sales From My Call Ads?

This usually points to a call-quality or tracking problem: your duration threshold may be counting short hang-ups as conversions, or your ad scheduling is running outside staffed hours when calls go unanswered. Reviewing call recordings and tightening your duration threshold to 60 to 90 seconds usually clarifies whether the issue is lead quality or missed answers.

Should I Migrate All My Call-Only Campaigns at Once?

No. Migrate your highest-volume campaign first so it has the longest learning window, run it alongside the old call-only version for a few weeks, then move to lower-priority campaigns once you’ve confirmed the RSA is matching performance.