Should you use image extensions (image assets) in Search campaigns?
In today’s Google Ads interface, what most advertisers still call “image extensions” are now managed as image assets. Functionally, the idea is the same: you add images that can appear alongside your Search ads to make them more visually compelling and to help users understand what you offer before they click.
In most mature accounts, my default recommendation is yes—use them, because they’re one of the few Search enhancements that can differentiate your ad visually without changing your core keyword strategy or landing pages. The platform data shared for this feature indicates that when image assets show, advertisers can see an average CTR lift (reported as ~6% on average). In practice, the impact varies by vertical, brand strength, and query intent, but it’s common to see improved engagement on high-intent non-brand searches where competitors look identical in text-only formats.
Where image assets can show (and what you can’t control)
Image assets can show on Google Search results pages, and they can also extend reach to YouTube Search through Search Partner inventory in eligible scenarios. They can render in multiple formats depending on auction dynamics and available space, including single-image layouts or multi-image “strips” (for example, multiple square images side-by-side). You can’t pick the exact layout—your job is to provide enough high-quality options (and the right aspect ratios) so the system has the inventory it needs to serve.
What they cost
Clicks on image assets are charged on a cost-per-click basis, comparable to standard Search clicks. Practically speaking, you should expect that adding more eligible assets can increase ad prominence, which can change click volume and sometimes your effective CPC—but you’re still bidding in the same auction with the same fundamentals (Ad Rank, expected impact, relevance, etc.).
When image assets are most likely to help (and when to be careful)
Use image assets when the visual adds clarity or trust
Image assets tend to perform best when they reduce uncertainty and increase confidence. If the image helps a user instantly “get it” (what the product looks like, what the service experience is, what the brand quality feels like), they can lift CTR and improve the quality of the click.
They’re especially strong for product-led searches (even if you’re not running Shopping), local services with clear “proof” visuals (team, location, before/after where allowed), and branded experiences where trust signals matter (professional photography, recognizable packaging, clean hero shots).
Be cautious when your ads require legal disclosures or strict messaging
If your compliance team requires specific text to always appear, image assets can introduce a formatting tradeoff: the second description line may be truncated when an image shows. When you have legally required copy (disclaimers, eligibility notes, or regulated language), plan your RSA pinning strategy so required text is protected.
Also note that eligibility isn’t universal. Sensitive verticals and sub-verticals (for example, sexual content and gambling) are not eligible for image assets, and accounts need sufficient history and policy compliance to access the feature.
Quick eligibility checklist (so you don’t waste time wondering “where did the feature go?”)
- Your account has been open for more than 60 days.
- Your account has a good history of policy compliance.
- You have active campaigns and active text ads.
- Your account has been accruing Search campaign spend for at least the last 28 days.
- You’re in an eligible vertical/sub-vertical (some sensitive categories aren’t eligible).
How to implement image assets the “high-performance” way
Start with relevance: ad group level vs campaign level
If your account is well-structured (tight themes, clear intent per ad group), add image assets at the ad group level first. This typically produces the best relevance because the same image set is being evaluated against a narrower query set.
If you have broader campaigns where the same visuals truly apply across all ad groups (for example, a brand campaign, or a single-service campaign), campaign-level image assets can be a faster rollout. The risk is that broad image sets can dilute relevance, which can reduce serving frequency and performance.
Upload enough images to actually earn consistent serving
Most advertisers under-supply image assets and then conclude “they don’t work.” In reality, they often don’t show because the system doesn’t have enough eligible options to match formats, screens, and auctions.
A practical baseline that aligns with platform guidance is to aim for at least 4 unique images at the ad group or campaign level, including both required and recommended aspect ratios. You can upload up to 20 images per campaign, so plan your rollout: prioritize your highest-volume ad groups first, then expand coverage.
Follow the specs that prevent disapprovals (this is where most accounts stumble)
For Search image assets, square (1:1) is required and landscape (1.91:1) is optional but strongly recommended. Use clean, sharp images and keep key content in the center “safe area” (roughly the center 80%) so your subject doesn’t get clipped on different devices.
From a compliance standpoint, the biggest gotchas are creative rules that are stricter than many advertisers expect. In particular, images can be disapproved if they contain text or graphic overlays, if they look like collages, if they have excessive blank space, if they’re blurry, distorted, or poorly cropped. If you’ve been using “promo banner” style creatives in other channels, don’t reuse them here—create dedicated, policy-safe Search image assets.
Protect required messaging with smart RSA pinning
If an image asset shows, the system may truncate the second description line. When you must show specific legal language every time, pin that language to a protected position (for example, a pinned headline position or the first description position). This is one of those small configuration details that prevents big compliance headaches later.
Should you also turn on dynamic image assets (automated image selection)?
Yes, in most cases you should run both: advertiser-uploaded image assets plus dynamic image assets. Dynamic image assets are an account-level automated option that can pull relevant visuals from your landing pages and serve them when predicted to help performance.
The advantage is coverage and agility: if your landing pages have strong imagery (category pages, service pages, product detail pages), dynamic image assets can fill gaps where you haven’t uploaded enough images yet, and they can help the system find the “right” visual for long-tail queries.
The tradeoff is governance. While you can remove dynamic image assets that you don’t like and you can opt out at the account level, you should still treat this like automation: monitor it early, especially if you operate in a brand-sensitive or regulated environment.
Critical monitoring habit: review asset reporting, not just campaign KPIs
Don’t evaluate image assets only by looking at blended campaign CTR or CPA. Use asset-level reporting to confirm (1) whether your image assets are getting impressions, (2) which images are actually serving, and (3) whether certain creative styles are dragging performance down. Also check the “source” of assets so you can differentiate what you uploaded versus what was automatically created.
If your image assets aren’t showing: the fastest diagnostic path
Non-serving is usually an eligibility, coverage, or relevance problem—not a “feature is broken” problem. Here’s the shortest checklist I use when troubleshooting.
- Confirm eligibility: account age, policy compliance history, active Search spend history, and vertical eligibility.
- Confirm supply: at least 4 unique images in the ad group/campaign, including 1:1 and 1.91:1 coverage.
- Check disapprovals/limitations: look for text overlays, collage-like creatives, excessive whitespace, or quality issues (blur/crop/distortion).
- Confirm relevance: images must match the queries, the ad copy theme, and the landing page content users will see after the click.
- Remember auction dependency: even approved assets won’t show every time; they serve when predicted to improve performance and when the auction layout allows.
- If needed, enable dynamic image assets: especially helpful when your landing pages have strong images and you want faster coverage.
The bottom line
If your account is eligible and you can provide clean, high-quality, policy-safe visuals, image assets are one of the most straightforward upgrades you can make to Search campaigns. They won’t replace fundamentals like keyword intent, landing page quality, or bidding strategy—but they frequently improve engagement and help your ads stand out in crowded auctions. Implement them with tight relevance, enough creative volume, and disciplined reporting, and you’ll typically see the best upside with the least risk.
Let AI handle
the Google Ads grunt work
| Area | Summary from blog | Recommended action | Key Google Ads documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall recommendation | For most mature accounts, you should use image assets in Search campaigns. They visually differentiate your ads without changing keywords or landing pages and often lift CTR, especially on high‑intent non‑brand queries. | Enable and roll out image assets across Search campaigns, prioritizing your highest‑value, high‑intent ad groups first. | See ad assets overview for how assets extend your text ads and where they show. |
| Where image assets can show | Image assets can appear on Google Search results and, in some cases, via Search Partner inventory such as YouTube Search. Layout (single image vs. multi‑image strip) is controlled by the auction, not the advertiser. | Don’t try to control layout; instead, upload enough high‑quality images in required aspect ratios so the system can choose appropriate formats automatically. | Review image assets requirements for supported ratios and counts. |
| Cost & CPC impact | Clicks on image assets are charged on a CPC basis similar to standard Search clicks. More assets can increase prominence and click volume, which can affect effective CPC, but the underlying auction and Ad Rank fundamentals remain the same. | Factor potential CPC changes into your bid strategy, but treat image assets as an incremental efficiency play rather than a separate bidding surface. | See about assets for how clicks on assets are charged alongside your core ads. |
| Best use cases | Image assets work best when visuals add clarity or trust: product‑led searches (even without Shopping), local services with strong proof images, and brand experiences where professional photography and packaging reinforce quality. |
Prioritize image assets on:
|
Use the image assets requirements page to confirm recommended image volumes and formats and align creative plans. |
| Compliance & legal messaging | When an image asset shows, the second description line can be truncated. Accounts with strict legal or regulatory disclosures must plan around this to ensure required text still appears. | Pin mandatory legal or compliance copy to a protected position in your responsive search ads (for example, a fixed headline or the first description) so it always shows, even when images render. | Use asset guidance together with your internal legal policies to define which lines must be pinned and which can be flexible. |
| Eligibility checklist |
Non‑serving is often due to eligibility. The blog notes that you typically need:
|
Before troubleshooting “missing” image assets, confirm that the account age, policy history, spend, and vertical all meet Google’s eligibility requirements. | For automated options, check the requirements section in dynamic image assets, which outlines similar eligibility and policy expectations. |
| Ad group vs. campaign‑level setup | Ad group‑level image assets usually improve relevance when your structure is tight by theme or intent. Campaign‑level image assets are faster to roll out but can dilute relevance if the same visuals don’t make sense for every ad group. |
|
Consult the ad assets overview for how assets can be associated at different levels (account, campaign, ad group). |
| Required volume & coverage | Many advertisers under‑supply images and then assume the feature “doesn’t work.” A practical baseline is at least 4 unique images per ad group or campaign, covering required and recommended aspect ratios. You can upload up to 20 images per campaign. |
For each priority ad group or campaign:
|
Use the image assets requirements table to align your image count and supported ratios with Google’s guidelines. |
| Creative specs & disapprovals | For Search image assets, square (1:1) is required and landscape (1.91:1) is strongly recommended. Disapprovals commonly result from text or graphic overlays, collage‑style images, excessive blank space, or low image quality (blur, distortion, poor cropping). |
|
Reference the image assets requirements page for supported ratios, recommended sizes, and technical limits. |
| RSA pinning & required copy | Because image assets can affect how much text shows, especially on the second description line, misconfigured responsive search ads can accidentally hide crucial legal or qualification text. |
Audit each RSA in image‑enabled campaigns and:
|
Use asset and RSA guidance in ad assets overview alongside your internal compliance checklist to define pinning rules. |
| Dynamic image assets | The blog recommends running both uploaded image assets and dynamic image assets. Dynamic image assets automatically pull relevant visuals from your landing pages and can fill coverage gaps, but require careful monitoring in brand‑sensitive or regulated environments. |
|
Follow setup and policy details in dynamic image assets, including how to turn them on and where to find their reports. |
| Monitoring & reporting | Evaluating only campaign‑level KPIs can hide what’s happening at the asset level. You should track whether image assets actually get impressions, which creatives serve most often, and whether certain styles hurt or help performance. |
|
Reporting steps for automated visuals are documented under dynamic image assets, which explains how to access asset‑level performance views. |
| Troubleshooting non‑serving | If image assets rarely or never show, it’s usually due to eligibility, insufficient supply, disapprovals, weak relevance, or auction dynamics—not a platform bug. |
Use this quick diagnostic flow:
|
Cross‑check your setup against the image assets requirements and eligibility details in dynamic image assets. |
| Bottom line | When your account is eligible and you can supply clean, on‑brand, policy‑safe visuals, image assets are a low‑risk, high‑impact upgrade to Search campaigns. They don’t replace fundamentals (intent, landing pages, bidding) but often improve engagement and help your ads stand out. |
Make image assets a standard part of Search build and optimization:
|
Use a combination of ad assets overview, image assets requirements, and dynamic image assets to align implementation with Google’s current specs and best practices. |
Let AI handle
the Google Ads grunt work
In most mature Google Ads accounts, yes—adding image assets (often called “image extensions”) to Search campaigns is typically a low-risk way to make your text ads stand out and can lift CTR, especially on high-intent non-brand queries, without changing your keywords or landing pages. To get reliable coverage, upload enough clean, policy-safe visuals (a square 1:1 is required and a 1.91:1 landscape is strongly recommended), aim for at least four unique images per priority ad group, and don’t worry about controlling whether Google shows a single image or a strip—auction and layout decide that. Keep an eye on compliance, since images can reduce how much description text appears (pin mandatory legal copy where it must always show), and consider enabling dynamic image assets to fill gaps while monitoring what’s served. If you want a faster way to audit eligibility, spot disapprovals, and see which creatives actually get impressions at the asset level, Blobr plugs into your Google Ads and runs specialized agents that turn best practices into clear, prioritized actions you can review and apply on your terms.
Should you use image extensions (image assets) in Search campaigns?
In today’s Google Ads interface, what most advertisers still call “image extensions” are now managed as image assets. Functionally, the idea is the same: you add images that can appear alongside your Search ads to make them more visually compelling and to help users understand what you offer before they click.
In most mature accounts, my default recommendation is yes—use them, because they’re one of the few Search enhancements that can differentiate your ad visually without changing your core keyword strategy or landing pages. The platform data shared for this feature indicates that when image assets show, advertisers can see an average CTR lift (reported as ~6% on average). In practice, the impact varies by vertical, brand strength, and query intent, but it’s common to see improved engagement on high-intent non-brand searches where competitors look identical in text-only formats.
Where image assets can show (and what you can’t control)
Image assets can show on Google Search results pages, and they can also extend reach to YouTube Search through Search Partner inventory in eligible scenarios. They can render in multiple formats depending on auction dynamics and available space, including single-image layouts or multi-image “strips” (for example, multiple square images side-by-side). You can’t pick the exact layout—your job is to provide enough high-quality options (and the right aspect ratios) so the system has the inventory it needs to serve.
What they cost
Clicks on image assets are charged on a cost-per-click basis, comparable to standard Search clicks. Practically speaking, you should expect that adding more eligible assets can increase ad prominence, which can change click volume and sometimes your effective CPC—but you’re still bidding in the same auction with the same fundamentals (Ad Rank, expected impact, relevance, etc.).
When image assets are most likely to help (and when to be careful)
Use image assets when the visual adds clarity or trust
Image assets tend to perform best when they reduce uncertainty and increase confidence. If the image helps a user instantly “get it” (what the product looks like, what the service experience is, what the brand quality feels like), they can lift CTR and improve the quality of the click.
They’re especially strong for product-led searches (even if you’re not running Shopping), local services with clear “proof” visuals (team, location, before/after where allowed), and branded experiences where trust signals matter (professional photography, recognizable packaging, clean hero shots).
Be cautious when your ads require legal disclosures or strict messaging
If your compliance team requires specific text to always appear, image assets can introduce a formatting tradeoff: the second description line may be truncated when an image shows. When you have legally required copy (disclaimers, eligibility notes, or regulated language), plan your RSA pinning strategy so required text is protected.
Also note that eligibility isn’t universal. Sensitive verticals and sub-verticals (for example, sexual content and gambling) are not eligible for image assets, and accounts need sufficient history and policy compliance to access the feature.
Quick eligibility checklist (so you don’t waste time wondering “where did the feature go?”)
- Your account has been open for more than 60 days.
- Your account has a good history of policy compliance.
- You have active campaigns and active text ads.
- Your account has been accruing Search campaign spend for at least the last 28 days.
- You’re in an eligible vertical/sub-vertical (some sensitive categories aren’t eligible).
How to implement image assets the “high-performance” way
Start with relevance: ad group level vs campaign level
If your account is well-structured (tight themes, clear intent per ad group), add image assets at the ad group level first. This typically produces the best relevance because the same image set is being evaluated against a narrower query set.
If you have broader campaigns where the same visuals truly apply across all ad groups (for example, a brand campaign, or a single-service campaign), campaign-level image assets can be a faster rollout. The risk is that broad image sets can dilute relevance, which can reduce serving frequency and performance.
Upload enough images to actually earn consistent serving
Most advertisers under-supply image assets and then conclude “they don’t work.” In reality, they often don’t show because the system doesn’t have enough eligible options to match formats, screens, and auctions.
A practical baseline that aligns with platform guidance is to aim for at least 4 unique images at the ad group or campaign level, including both required and recommended aspect ratios. You can upload up to 20 images per campaign, so plan your rollout: prioritize your highest-volume ad groups first, then expand coverage.
Follow the specs that prevent disapprovals (this is where most accounts stumble)
For Search image assets, square (1:1) is required and landscape (1.91:1) is optional but strongly recommended. Use clean, sharp images and keep key content in the center “safe area” (roughly the center 80%) so your subject doesn’t get clipped on different devices.
From a compliance standpoint, the biggest gotchas are creative rules that are stricter than many advertisers expect. In particular, images can be disapproved if they contain text or graphic overlays, if they look like collages, if they have excessive blank space, if they’re blurry, distorted, or poorly cropped. If you’ve been using “promo banner” style creatives in other channels, don’t reuse them here—create dedicated, policy-safe Search image assets.
Protect required messaging with smart RSA pinning
If an image asset shows, the system may truncate the second description line. When you must show specific legal language every time, pin that language to a protected position (for example, a pinned headline position or the first description position). This is one of those small configuration details that prevents big compliance headaches later.
Should you also turn on dynamic image assets (automated image selection)?
Yes, in most cases you should run both: advertiser-uploaded image assets plus dynamic image assets. Dynamic image assets are an account-level automated option that can pull relevant visuals from your landing pages and serve them when predicted to help performance.
The advantage is coverage and agility: if your landing pages have strong imagery (category pages, service pages, product detail pages), dynamic image assets can fill gaps where you haven’t uploaded enough images yet, and they can help the system find the “right” visual for long-tail queries.
The tradeoff is governance. While you can remove dynamic image assets that you don’t like and you can opt out at the account level, you should still treat this like automation: monitor it early, especially if you operate in a brand-sensitive or regulated environment.
Critical monitoring habit: review asset reporting, not just campaign KPIs
Don’t evaluate image assets only by looking at blended campaign CTR or CPA. Use asset-level reporting to confirm (1) whether your image assets are getting impressions, (2) which images are actually serving, and (3) whether certain creative styles are dragging performance down. Also check the “source” of assets so you can differentiate what you uploaded versus what was automatically created.
If your image assets aren’t showing: the fastest diagnostic path
Non-serving is usually an eligibility, coverage, or relevance problem—not a “feature is broken” problem. Here’s the shortest checklist I use when troubleshooting.
- Confirm eligibility: account age, policy compliance history, active Search spend history, and vertical eligibility.
- Confirm supply: at least 4 unique images in the ad group/campaign, including 1:1 and 1.91:1 coverage.
- Check disapprovals/limitations: look for text overlays, collage-like creatives, excessive whitespace, or quality issues (blur/crop/distortion).
- Confirm relevance: images must match the queries, the ad copy theme, and the landing page content users will see after the click.
- Remember auction dependency: even approved assets won’t show every time; they serve when predicted to improve performance and when the auction layout allows.
- If needed, enable dynamic image assets: especially helpful when your landing pages have strong images and you want faster coverage.
The bottom line
If your account is eligible and you can provide clean, high-quality, policy-safe visuals, image assets are one of the most straightforward upgrades you can make to Search campaigns. They won’t replace fundamentals like keyword intent, landing page quality, or bidding strategy—but they frequently improve engagement and help your ads stand out in crowded auctions. Implement them with tight relevance, enough creative volume, and disciplined reporting, and you’ll typically see the best upside with the least risk.
