What Callout Assets Are (and Why They Matter)
Callout assets (formerly called callout extensions) are short, non-clickable snippets of text that can show alongside your Search ads to highlight extra value a searcher won’t necessarily get from your headlines and descriptions alone. Think of them as your “supporting proof points” that help someone choose you faster: free shipping, 24/7 support, price matching, same-day service, veteran-owned, easy returns, and so on.
When callouts show, they typically increase the visible footprint of your ad. On desktop, callouts commonly appear in a single line separated by dots; on mobile and tablet, they often wrap into a more paragraph-like block. Depending on spacing and device, an ad can show multiple callouts (up to 10 may be eligible to display), and they can appear with ads at both the top and bottom of Search results.
Where Callouts Can Be Added (and How “Level” Affects Serving)
You can add callouts at the account, campaign, or ad group level. This is one of the most important levers for performance because it controls relevance and coverage. In general, account-level callouts are best for benefits that apply to your whole business (for example, “Free Returns” or “24/7 Support”), while ad group-level callouts are best for benefits that apply only to a specific product/service cluster (for example, “Bridal Alterations” or “Emergency Repair”).
One nuance that trips up a lot of advertisers: if you set even a single callout at the ad group level, that can prevent higher-level callouts from being eligible to serve for that ad group. In other words, layering isn’t always additive the way people expect. You want to be intentional about where you place callouts so you don’t accidentally shrink your eligible callout pool at the moment you need it most.
Manual Callouts vs. Dynamic Callouts (Automated)
Manual callouts are the ones you write and manage. Dynamic callouts are automatically generated based on signals the system finds (often from your landing page content) and can show alongside or instead of your manual callouts when predicted to improve results.
In most mature accounts, I recommend keeping dynamic callouts enabled unless you have a compliance-heavy vertical or very strict brand/legal requirements. Dynamic callouts can fill gaps you didn’t think to write, but you still maintain control: you can review what’s been created and pause or remove individual dynamic callouts that don’t match your messaging.
How Callouts Boost Campaign Performance
1) They Increase Ad Visibility Without “Rebuilding” Your Ads
Callouts add extra information beyond your core ad copy, which can make the ad feel more complete and more credible at a glance. That additional space tends to help you stand out, especially in competitive auctions where multiple advertisers have similar headline claims.
Just as importantly, callouts let you refresh messaging quickly (shipping changes, seasonal promos, service availability) without touching your responsive search ads. You can update callouts without resetting their historical performance data, which makes them a clean optimization lever for ongoing iteration.
2) They Improve Click-Through Rate by Reducing Decision Friction
Most Search clicks come down to one question: “Is this the best next click for me?” Strong callouts answer that question faster. They work because they communicate “selection criteria” people care about (speed, price transparency, trust, convenience, availability) in a compact, scannable format.
If your headlines focus on the primary promise (what you sell), your callouts should focus on the buying accelerators (why buy from you). For example, “HVAC Repair” in the headline pairs naturally with callouts like “Same-Day Service,” “Licensed & Insured,” and “Upfront Pricing.”
3) They Pre-Qualify Clicks (Often Helping Conversion Quality)
A subtle but powerful benefit: callouts can discourage the wrong clicks. When you clearly state constraints or positioning (for example, “Enterprise Plans,” “Serving Dallas Only,” or “By Appointment”), you may give up a small amount of click volume, but you often gain conversion efficiency because the clicks you do earn are better aligned with what you actually offer.
In lead-gen accounts especially, this “pre-qualification” effect can reduce low-intent form fills and improve down-funnel metrics like qualified lead rate, close rate, and cost per opportunity.
4) They Help You Compete More Efficiently Than “Buying Position”
There’s no fee to add callouts, and you’re charged for clicks as usual. The platform also caps charges to no more than two clicks per impression across the ad and its assets. Practically, that means callouts can increase engagement opportunities without opening the door to unlimited charges on a single impression.
One reality to be aware of: ads with richer asset coverage can sometimes see higher average CPCs because the ad is more prominent and competes in higher-value auctions. However, in many accounts the incremental cost of improving prominence through assets is still more efficient than trying to “force” higher placement purely via bidding.
Best-Practice Strategies to Leverage Callouts for Maximum Impact
Build a Callout Architecture (Account → Campaign → Ad Group)
To get both coverage and relevance, structure callouts intentionally. Start by creating a tight set of account-level callouts that are true for every campaign. Then add campaign-level callouts that match the theme of that campaign (for example, “0% Financing Available” for a financing campaign). Finally, use ad group-level callouts sparingly and only when the benefit is genuinely specific to that ad group’s intent.
This approach prevents the two most common problems I see: accounts with “random” callouts scattered everywhere (inconsistent messaging), and accounts that overuse ad group callouts (accidentally limiting eligibility and reducing how often callouts can show).
Write Like You’re Paying Per Character (Because You Are)
Callout text has strict character limits (25 characters in most languages, and 12 characters in double-width languages). That constraint is a feature, not a bug: the best callouts are crisp, specific, and “benefit-dense.” Shorter callouts can also increase how many can fit on the page, improving your odds of showing multiple proof points at once.
Strong callouts usually fall into a few repeatable categories: trust (for example, “Top Rated,” “Certified Techs”), convenience (“Online Booking,” “Same-Day Pickup”), risk reversal (“Free Returns,” “Warranty Included”), speed (“24-Hour Turnaround”), and differentiation (“Family-Owned,” “Custom Built”). Pick categories that matter to your buyers, not the ones that feel good internally.
Use Scheduling to Keep Callouts Accurate and High-Intent
Scheduling is one of the most underused features for callouts. If a callout is only true during a window (holiday shipping cutoffs, sale dates, weekend support hours), schedule it. Accurate callouts build trust; inaccurate callouts create post-click friction and can damage conversion rate, customer satisfaction, and brand perception.
In practical terms, scheduling also helps you avoid “set it and forget it” assets that become stale. If your account runs ongoing promotions, treat callout scheduling like a lightweight promotional calendar that keeps messaging aligned with reality.
Stay Policy-Safe: Avoid Gimmicks That Trigger Disapprovals
Callouts are subject to standard advertising policies, and there are a few common disapproval triggers that come up repeatedly. Overusing punctuation or symbols purely to draw attention (for example, excessive exclamation marks or decorative characters) is a frequent issue. Another big one is repetition: callouts can be disapproved if they repeat within themselves or duplicate wording already present in other callouts, ad text, or sitelinks at the same level scope.
In regulated or brand-sensitive categories, also be careful with trademark usage, superlatives, and claims that require substantiation. If you can’t prove it or it isn’t consistently true, don’t put it in a callout.
How to Measure and Optimize Callout Performance (Without Guesswork)
Use Asset Reporting to Separate “What’s Written” from “What’s Working”
Callouts should be managed like performance components, not decorative add-ons. In asset reporting, you can review impressions, clicks, CTR, and cost for your assets, and segment to understand interaction behavior (for example, overall clicks when the asset served versus other click types). This is where you spot patterns like “these callouts serve a lot but don’t lift CTR” or “these serve less often but correlate with stronger conversion intent.”
Also pay attention to reporting context: totals can differ from the sum of individual rows because multiple assets can serve together on the same impression, and reporting may deduplicate in total lines. The goal isn’t perfect attribution; it’s directional clarity for iterative improvement.
Critical Diagnostic Checklist If Your Callouts Aren’t Showing
- Confirm eligibility and association: Make sure callouts are associated to the right level (account/campaign/ad group) and that the campaign/ad group is active.
- Check ad rank realities: Assets generally show more often when your ad position and Ad Rank are strong enough to earn the extra real estate.
- Review scheduling: Verify the callout schedule matches when your ads are actually eligible to run.
- Look for accidental “override” behavior: If you added ad group-level callouts, you may have unintentionally blocked higher-level callouts from being eligible in that ad group.
- Audit policy and disapprovals: Check policy details for disapprovals or limitations (punctuation/symbol issues and repetition are common culprits).
- Reduce redundancy across assets: If your callouts repeat your sitelinks or ad copy too closely, they may be less likely to serve (or may be disapproved in repetition scenarios).
- Improve “fit” with intent: If callouts are generic or vague, the system may predict lower incremental value and choose other assets or formats instead.
A Simple Optimization Workflow That Works in Real Accounts
Start by ensuring you have a clean baseline set of account-level callouts that are universally true and high-intent. Then add campaign-level callouts that reinforce each campaign’s unique angle. After that, measure which callouts actually serve and which correlate with stronger CTR and conversion outcomes, pruning anything redundant, unclear, or outdated.
Finally, treat dynamic callouts like a “suggestion engine.” Let them run, review what appears, and promote the winners into well-written manual callouts where you can control phrasing, compliance, and scheduling. Over a few cycles, you’ll build a callout set that doesn’t just add words to the ad—it adds measurable advantage in the auction.
Let AI handle
the Google Ads grunt work
Let AI handle
the Google Ads grunt work
Callouts (now “callout assets”) boost Google Ads performance by adding short, non-clickable proof points like “Free Shipping” or “24/7 Support” that increase your ad’s visual footprint, reduce decision friction, and help pre-qualify clicks, often improving CTR and lead quality without rebuilding your ads; the biggest gains typically come from writing concise, benefit-led callouts, structuring them thoughtfully at the right level (account vs. campaign vs. ad group so you don’t accidentally limit what can show), keeping dynamic callouts enabled when it fits your brand, and reviewing scheduling, policy status, and asset reporting to keep everything accurate and serving. If you’d like help turning those best practices into a repeatable workflow, Blobr connects to your Google Ads account and runs specialized AI agents—like a Callout Extension Optimizer that reviews recent performance and suggests stronger, on-brand replacements—so you can iterate on assets consistently while staying fully in control.
What Callout Assets Are (and Why They Matter)
Callout assets (formerly called callout extensions) are short, non-clickable snippets of text that can show alongside your Search ads to highlight extra value a searcher won’t necessarily get from your headlines and descriptions alone. Think of them as your “supporting proof points” that help someone choose you faster: free shipping, 24/7 support, price matching, same-day service, veteran-owned, easy returns, and so on.
When callouts show, they typically increase the visible footprint of your ad. On desktop, callouts commonly appear in a single line separated by dots; on mobile and tablet, they often wrap into a more paragraph-like block. Depending on spacing and device, an ad can show multiple callouts (up to 10 may be eligible to display), and they can appear with ads at both the top and bottom of Search results.
Where Callouts Can Be Added (and How “Level” Affects Serving)
You can add callouts at the account, campaign, or ad group level. This is one of the most important levers for performance because it controls relevance and coverage. In general, account-level callouts are best for benefits that apply to your whole business (for example, “Free Returns” or “24/7 Support”), while ad group-level callouts are best for benefits that apply only to a specific product/service cluster (for example, “Bridal Alterations” or “Emergency Repair”).
One nuance that trips up a lot of advertisers: if you set even a single callout at the ad group level, that can prevent higher-level callouts from being eligible to serve for that ad group. In other words, layering isn’t always additive the way people expect. You want to be intentional about where you place callouts so you don’t accidentally shrink your eligible callout pool at the moment you need it most.
Manual Callouts vs. Dynamic Callouts (Automated)
Manual callouts are the ones you write and manage. Dynamic callouts are automatically generated based on signals the system finds (often from your landing page content) and can show alongside or instead of your manual callouts when predicted to improve results.
In most mature accounts, I recommend keeping dynamic callouts enabled unless you have a compliance-heavy vertical or very strict brand/legal requirements. Dynamic callouts can fill gaps you didn’t think to write, but you still maintain control: you can review what’s been created and pause or remove individual dynamic callouts that don’t match your messaging.
How Callouts Boost Campaign Performance
1) They Increase Ad Visibility Without “Rebuilding” Your Ads
Callouts add extra information beyond your core ad copy, which can make the ad feel more complete and more credible at a glance. That additional space tends to help you stand out, especially in competitive auctions where multiple advertisers have similar headline claims.
Just as importantly, callouts let you refresh messaging quickly (shipping changes, seasonal promos, service availability) without touching your responsive search ads. You can update callouts without resetting their historical performance data, which makes them a clean optimization lever for ongoing iteration.
2) They Improve Click-Through Rate by Reducing Decision Friction
Most Search clicks come down to one question: “Is this the best next click for me?” Strong callouts answer that question faster. They work because they communicate “selection criteria” people care about (speed, price transparency, trust, convenience, availability) in a compact, scannable format.
If your headlines focus on the primary promise (what you sell), your callouts should focus on the buying accelerators (why buy from you). For example, “HVAC Repair” in the headline pairs naturally with callouts like “Same-Day Service,” “Licensed & Insured,” and “Upfront Pricing.”
3) They Pre-Qualify Clicks (Often Helping Conversion Quality)
A subtle but powerful benefit: callouts can discourage the wrong clicks. When you clearly state constraints or positioning (for example, “Enterprise Plans,” “Serving Dallas Only,” or “By Appointment”), you may give up a small amount of click volume, but you often gain conversion efficiency because the clicks you do earn are better aligned with what you actually offer.
In lead-gen accounts especially, this “pre-qualification” effect can reduce low-intent form fills and improve down-funnel metrics like qualified lead rate, close rate, and cost per opportunity.
4) They Help You Compete More Efficiently Than “Buying Position”
There’s no fee to add callouts, and you’re charged for clicks as usual. The platform also caps charges to no more than two clicks per impression across the ad and its assets. Practically, that means callouts can increase engagement opportunities without opening the door to unlimited charges on a single impression.
One reality to be aware of: ads with richer asset coverage can sometimes see higher average CPCs because the ad is more prominent and competes in higher-value auctions. However, in many accounts the incremental cost of improving prominence through assets is still more efficient than trying to “force” higher placement purely via bidding.
Best-Practice Strategies to Leverage Callouts for Maximum Impact
Build a Callout Architecture (Account → Campaign → Ad Group)
To get both coverage and relevance, structure callouts intentionally. Start by creating a tight set of account-level callouts that are true for every campaign. Then add campaign-level callouts that match the theme of that campaign (for example, “0% Financing Available” for a financing campaign). Finally, use ad group-level callouts sparingly and only when the benefit is genuinely specific to that ad group’s intent.
This approach prevents the two most common problems I see: accounts with “random” callouts scattered everywhere (inconsistent messaging), and accounts that overuse ad group callouts (accidentally limiting eligibility and reducing how often callouts can show).
Write Like You’re Paying Per Character (Because You Are)
Callout text has strict character limits (25 characters in most languages, and 12 characters in double-width languages). That constraint is a feature, not a bug: the best callouts are crisp, specific, and “benefit-dense.” Shorter callouts can also increase how many can fit on the page, improving your odds of showing multiple proof points at once.
Strong callouts usually fall into a few repeatable categories: trust (for example, “Top Rated,” “Certified Techs”), convenience (“Online Booking,” “Same-Day Pickup”), risk reversal (“Free Returns,” “Warranty Included”), speed (“24-Hour Turnaround”), and differentiation (“Family-Owned,” “Custom Built”). Pick categories that matter to your buyers, not the ones that feel good internally.
Use Scheduling to Keep Callouts Accurate and High-Intent
Scheduling is one of the most underused features for callouts. If a callout is only true during a window (holiday shipping cutoffs, sale dates, weekend support hours), schedule it. Accurate callouts build trust; inaccurate callouts create post-click friction and can damage conversion rate, customer satisfaction, and brand perception.
In practical terms, scheduling also helps you avoid “set it and forget it” assets that become stale. If your account runs ongoing promotions, treat callout scheduling like a lightweight promotional calendar that keeps messaging aligned with reality.
Stay Policy-Safe: Avoid Gimmicks That Trigger Disapprovals
Callouts are subject to standard advertising policies, and there are a few common disapproval triggers that come up repeatedly. Overusing punctuation or symbols purely to draw attention (for example, excessive exclamation marks or decorative characters) is a frequent issue. Another big one is repetition: callouts can be disapproved if they repeat within themselves or duplicate wording already present in other callouts, ad text, or sitelinks at the same level scope.
In regulated or brand-sensitive categories, also be careful with trademark usage, superlatives, and claims that require substantiation. If you can’t prove it or it isn’t consistently true, don’t put it in a callout.
How to Measure and Optimize Callout Performance (Without Guesswork)
Use Asset Reporting to Separate “What’s Written” from “What’s Working”
Callouts should be managed like performance components, not decorative add-ons. In asset reporting, you can review impressions, clicks, CTR, and cost for your assets, and segment to understand interaction behavior (for example, overall clicks when the asset served versus other click types). This is where you spot patterns like “these callouts serve a lot but don’t lift CTR” or “these serve less often but correlate with stronger conversion intent.”
Also pay attention to reporting context: totals can differ from the sum of individual rows because multiple assets can serve together on the same impression, and reporting may deduplicate in total lines. The goal isn’t perfect attribution; it’s directional clarity for iterative improvement.
Critical Diagnostic Checklist If Your Callouts Aren’t Showing
- Confirm eligibility and association: Make sure callouts are associated to the right level (account/campaign/ad group) and that the campaign/ad group is active.
- Check ad rank realities: Assets generally show more often when your ad position and Ad Rank are strong enough to earn the extra real estate.
- Review scheduling: Verify the callout schedule matches when your ads are actually eligible to run.
- Look for accidental “override” behavior: If you added ad group-level callouts, you may have unintentionally blocked higher-level callouts from being eligible in that ad group.
- Audit policy and disapprovals: Check policy details for disapprovals or limitations (punctuation/symbol issues and repetition are common culprits).
- Reduce redundancy across assets: If your callouts repeat your sitelinks or ad copy too closely, they may be less likely to serve (or may be disapproved in repetition scenarios).
- Improve “fit” with intent: If callouts are generic or vague, the system may predict lower incremental value and choose other assets or formats instead.
A Simple Optimization Workflow That Works in Real Accounts
Start by ensuring you have a clean baseline set of account-level callouts that are universally true and high-intent. Then add campaign-level callouts that reinforce each campaign’s unique angle. After that, measure which callouts actually serve and which correlate with stronger CTR and conversion outcomes, pruning anything redundant, unclear, or outdated.
Finally, treat dynamic callouts like a “suggestion engine.” Let them run, review what appears, and promote the winners into well-written manual callouts where you can control phrasing, compliance, and scheduling. Over a few cycles, you’ll build a callout set that doesn’t just add words to the ad—it adds measurable advantage in the auction.
