Follow the current steps to review and turn off auto-apply recommendations and account-level automated assets in Google Ads without guessing.
For a full campaign walkthrough, watch Darlington's Auto-Applied Recommendations and Assets.
Google Ads has two separate controls that are easy to confuse. Auto-apply recommendations can change campaign settings automatically. Account-level automated assets can create and show extra information with ads.
To stop automatic recommendation changes, open Recommendations and disable the selected auto-apply items. To stop a particular automated asset, open Assets, find the account-level automated-asset settings, and turn off that asset type. Review both areas because changing one does not necessarily change the other.
What is the difference?
| Control | What it can do | Where to review it |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-apply recommendations | Automatically apply selected recommendations involving ads, keywords, bidding, budgets, measurement, and other settings | Recommendations or Admin account settings |
| Account-level automated assets | Automatically create supporting assets such as dynamic sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, or other eligible additions | Assets and advanced account-level asset settings |
| Manual assets | Show information you created, such as calls, locations, or sitelinks | Assets |
Neither category is automatically good or bad. The important question is whether each setting supports the business goal and whether someone reviews the result.
How to turn off auto-apply recommendations
Google’s current instructions provide two routes.
From the Recommendations page
- Open Campaigns in Google Ads.
- Go to Recommendations.
- Select Auto-apply settings.
- Expand the available recommendation groups.
- Uncheck any recommendation you do not want applied automatically.
- Select Save.
From the auto-apply history
- Open Recommendations.
- Select Auto-apply settings.
- Open History.
- Select the recommendation you want to stop.
- Select Disable.
The history also helps you see what was applied and when. Use Change history to identify the user who enrolled the account when that matters.
Google also displays subscribed recommendations under Admin → Account settings → Auto-apply. Interface labels can change, so use the Google Ads search bar if the menu is not in the expected place.
How to turn off account-level automated assets
Google’s current steps are:
- Open Assets under Campaigns.
- Select Association from the table-view menu.
- Open the three-dot menu and select Account-level automated assets.
- Open the three-dot menu again.
- Select Advanced settings.
- Open Account-level automated assets settings.
- Select Turn off specific automated assets.
- Choose the asset type you want to disable.
- Select a reason and add comments if appropriate.
- Select Turn off.
Campaigns normally follow the account-level setting, but Google allows some campaign-level overrides. Review both levels if an unwanted asset keeps appearing.
What should you turn off?
Do not switch everything off simply because it is automated. Review each item according to the damage it could cause and the value it might add.
Usually require close review
- Budget increases
- Bid-strategy changes
- Broadening keyword coverage
- Changes to conversion goals
- Automatically created or modified ads
- Location expansion
- Settings that can shift spend between campaigns
These changes can alter who sees the ad, how much is spent, and what Google treats as success.
May be reasonable with monitoring
- Fixing certain technical issues
- Removing redundant keywords
- Using an automated asset that accurately reflects the website
- Applying a low-risk maintenance recommendation with a clear owner
The account still needs review after any automatic change.
Why business context matters
Google evaluates opportunities using platform data. It may not know:
- Which calls become qualified leads
- Which services have enough staff or inventory
- Which cities the business can serve profitably
- Which jobs create repeat customers
- Which offers are temporarily unavailable
- Which legal or brand rules apply
For example, an illustrative recommendation might raise a $200 daily budget to $260. That is a 30% increase:
($260 − $200) ÷ $200 × 100 = 30%
If the account spends the full extra $60 each day for 30 days, the added spend could be:
$60 × 30 = $1,800
That may be a smart investment if it produces profitable clients. It may be waste if the business cannot answer more calls or if the campaign is tracking weak actions as conversions. The recommendation cannot make that operational judgment on its own.
A safe review process
1. Confirm the real conversion goals
Before allowing bidding or budget changes, confirm which actions count as primary conversions. A page view or unqualified form should not guide the account like a completed sale or qualified call.
2. Read the recommendation in full
Identify exactly what will change, which campaigns are included, and whether the change can increase spend or broaden traffic.
3. Check the business constraint
Ask whether the business wants more volume, better lead quality, a different service mix, or more revenue from the same spend.
4. Apply selected changes manually when uncertainty is high
Manual application lets you control scope and timing. It also makes the result easier to measure.
5. Review Change history
Add Change history to the regular Google Ads audit. If performance changes unexpectedly, this is one of the first places to look.
6. Record the business result
Track clicks, qualified calls, clients, spend, and revenue after a meaningful change. An improved optimization score is not enough by itself.
Google states that an account can reach a 100% optimization score by applying or dismissing recommendations. That is another reason not to treat the score as a command to accept everything.
Automated assets deserve their own review
Automated assets can make an ad more useful by showing additional website information. They can also surface text or links the business would not have selected manually.
Check:
- The wording is accurate
- The destination page works
- The offer is current
- The phone number and location are correct
- The asset matches the campaign
- The information is appropriate for the brand
Where possible, create strong manual assets for the information the customer genuinely needs.
Frequently asked questions
Are Google Ads auto-apply recommendations on by default?
Specific recommendations must be subscribed to for automatic application. Because enrollment and interfaces can change, review the Auto-apply settings and History rather than assuming the account’s status.
Will turning off auto-apply recommendations hurt performance?
Not automatically. It means someone must review and apply useful recommendations manually. Performance depends on the decisions made, not whether the control is on or off.
Does dismissing a recommendation hurt the account?
Google says applying or dismissing recommendations changes the optimization score. A dismissed recommendation can reappear if Google later considers it relevant. Judge the recommendation against business results, not the desire to display 100%.
Are auto-apply recommendations the same as automatically created assets?
No. They are separate controls. Review both areas of the account.
Can I turn off one automated asset without turning off all of them?
Yes. Google provides controls to turn off specific account-level automated asset types. Some campaigns may also have their own overrides.
Sources
- Google Ads: Manage auto-apply recommendations
- Google Ads: Performance Max account-level automated assets
- Google Ads: About optimization score
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