How Do You Switch to Expert Mode in Google Ads?

Smart Mode vs. Expert Mode: what you’re actually switching (and why it matters)

Google Ads has two “levels” of account experience. Smart Mode is designed to get a business advertising quickly with fewer levers to manage, while Expert Mode is the full Google Ads interface that unlocks the deepest controls, reporting views, and campaign options you’ll want once you’re past the basics.

One important nuance: Smart campaigns are built to be created in Smart Mode, even though you can still manage and report on them after you move into the full interface. In other words, switching to Expert Mode doesn’t delete your Smart campaign—it changes what else you can build and how much you can control.

How to switch to Expert Mode in Google Ads (step-by-step)

Scenario A: You’re new and stuck in the “create your first campaign” setup flow

This is the most common scenario: you sign up and Google pushes you into a simplified setup wizard. The “switch” is usually presented inside that flow (not in the main account navigation), so you won’t see the normal menus yet.

1. Sign in to your Google Ads account in a desktop browser (this matters; the setup flow can be harder to navigate on mobile).
2. Continue forward until you’re on the campaign setup screens (where it asks about goals, business details, budget, etc.).
3. Look for a text link that references switching to Expert Mode (often positioned near the bottom of the page or in a less prominent area of the setup screen).
4. Click the option to switch to Expert Mode and confirm the change when prompted.
5. Once you land in the full interface, you can either build a campaign with advanced controls, or (if you’re not ready yet) create the account first and set campaigns up afterward.

Scenario B: You already have a Smart campaign and want the full interface

If you can already access your Smart campaign dashboard, you’re looking for an account-level control that typically lives in the top navigation area.

1. Sign in to Google Ads on desktop. If possible, use a browser that’s optimized for the Google Ads interface to reduce UI glitches while you’re hunting for account-level settings.
2. In the top-right area of the account, locate the settings/tools icon (the same area you’d use to access billing and account preferences in Smart campaigns).
3. Open that menu and look for an option labeled to switch to Expert Mode.
4. Confirm the switch.

After the switch, you should start seeing the more complete left-hand navigation patterns and management views (campaign structure, broader reporting tables, and more configuration surfaces).

What to do immediately after switching (so performance doesn’t dip)

Switching modes is a UI/access change, but it often triggers behavior changes in how advertisers manage the account. In my experience, performance drops don’t happen because Expert Mode is “worse”—they happen because people start making lots of edits without a plan, or they miss foundational setup items that Smart Mode kept out of sight.

Run this quick post-switch checklist first

• Confirm you can see full policy transparency. One of the practical reasons to use Expert Mode is that deeper policy detail and troubleshooting surfaces are available in the full web UI experience (helpful when something is “Eligible (limited)” or not serving as expected).
• Audit conversions before changing bidding. If you switch into Expert Mode and immediately change bidding strategies or goals without verified conversion tracking, you can create avoidable volatility.
• Re-check location intent vs. presence targeting. Smart setups often hide nuance here; make sure your location settings match how you actually sell (local presence vs. people researching from elsewhere).
• Don’t “rebuild” on day one. Keep existing Smart campaigns running while you introduce one new Expert Mode campaign at a time (for example, a tightly themed Search campaign or a controlled Performance-focused build), so you can attribute changes cleanly.

Troubleshooting: if you can’t find the “Switch to Expert Mode” option

If you don’t see the switch, it’s usually one of three things: you’re still inside a guided setup flow where the link is easy to miss, you’re viewing the account on a device/layout where the control is hidden, or you’re in a context (like certain account access states) where you’re not seeing account-level settings.

Most effective diagnostics (in order)

• Move to desktop and refresh the session. The Smart campaigns interface explicitly recommends a desktop web experience for smoother navigation, and it’s simply easier to find account-level controls there.
• Check the top-right area for billing/preferences access first. If you can’t even find where billing/preferences live, you’re likely not in the right navigation context yet (or you’re in a constrained UI state).
• If you’re using a manager (multi-account) setup, confirm which account you’re inside. Smart-campaign-style accounts can exist under multi-account structures, and the ability to move into Expert Mode is tied to the specific account you’re currently managing (not just the umbrella).

If you still can’t locate the switch after the steps above, the fastest way to resolve it is usually to identify which exact screen you’re on (setup wizard vs. campaign dashboard vs. manager-level view) and then back up to the nearest account-level navigation where billing/preferences are accessible—because that’s the area where mode-level controls typically surface.

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Once you’ve switched to Google Ads Expert Mode and unlocked the full set of controls (deeper reporting, more campaign types, and more granular settings), the next challenge is knowing what to review first without making changes that accidentally hurt performance. Blobr plugs into your Google Ads account and uses specialized AI agents to continuously analyze what’s happening across campaigns, ads, keywords, and landing pages, then turns common best practices into clear, prioritized actions you can choose to apply—whether that’s improving assets with a Headlines Enhancer agent, aligning messaging with a Campaign Landing Page Optimizer agent, or simply surfacing wasted spend and policy/status issues that Expert Mode makes easier to spot.