Create a Google Ads account: How to sign up

Sign up with Google Ads to start reaching new customers with online ads tailored to your business goals and budget. This guide walks you through creating your Google Ads account and setting up your first ad campaign.

Before you begin

To create your Google Ads account, you’ll need an email address and website for your business. Even if you don’t have a website, you can still advertise on Google using Smart campaigns, the default Google Ads experience for new advertisers. You can also create your first ad in just 15 minutes.

Note: Newly created accounts will no longer support URLs in the account name.

SIGN UP FOR GOOGLE ADS

Instructions

Google Ads provides 2 modes when you’re creating an account. These are Smart Mode and Expert Mode. By default, you’ll create your account in Smart Mode. However, if you’re a professional marketer, you can switch to Expert Mode. Learn more About Smart Mode and Expert Mode

Note: After you create an account in Smart Mode, you can always switch to Expert Mode. However, when you switch your account to Expert Mode, you can’t revert to Smart Mode.

Smart Mode

When you create an account in Smart Mode, you’ll also have to create your first campaign.

1. In Google Ads, sign in to your existing Google Account or create a new one.
   • If you already have a Google Account (in other words, if you use any other Google product, such as Gmail), enter your Google email address and password, then click Sign in.
   • If you don’t have an existing Google Account, or want to use a different email address to sign in, click Create an account at the bottom of the screen and follow the instructions to create and confirm your new Google Account.
2. To create your first campaign, set up the following:
   • Campaign goal
   • Business name and website
   • Ad (including headlines, descriptions, and a phone number)
   • Keyword themes
   • Location settings
   • Budget
3. On the last page, set up your billing information by following these steps:
   1. Click the “Billing country” drop-down menu and select the country or territory where your billing address is located. Your billing country determines the billing options that are available for your location and currency.
   2. Make sure the correct time zone is selected. If not, click the drop-down menu to change it. Your reports, statistics, and billing are all affected by the time zone you select, so choose carefully.
   3. If you have a promotional code (also known as coupons or vouchers), enter the code in “Introductory offer” and click Apply.
   4. You'll be prompted to either select an existing payment profile or create a new one. Your “Account type” defaults to “Organization” but you can change to “Individual” if appropriate, for tax purposes in your country.
   5. Enter information for the payment method you want to use for this account, such as a credit or debit card, PayPal, or bank account. 
      Note: If you're using a credit or debit card, you might see a temporary authorization on your card account, which is typically removed within a week. The exact amount will be shown in your Ads account during sign-up.
4. Click Submit to create your campaign and complete your account setup.

After you’ve created your campaign and set up your account, it takes about a day to approve your ad. Then it can start showing to potential customers.

Expert Mode

When you create an account in Expert Mode, you can do so with or without a campaign at the start.

1. In Google Ads, sign in to your existing Google Account or create a new one.
   • If you already have a Google Account (in other words, if you use any other Google product, such as Gmail), enter your Google email address and password, then click Sign in.
   • If you don’t have an existing Google Account, or want to use a different email address to sign in, click Create an account at the bottom of the screen and follow the instructions to create and confirm your new Google Account.
2. On the “New campaign” page, click Switch to Expert Mode at the bottom of the screen.

From there, you can choose to create your account with or without a campaign by following either of the steps below:

With a campaign

1. If you’re creating an account with a campaign, you’ll need to set up the following:
   • Campaign goal
   • Campaign type
   • Campaign settings and features, depending on your chosen campaign type
   • Ad group
   • Ad
   • Billing, including payment method
2. Click Submit to create your campaign and complete your account setup.

Without a campaign

1. Click Create an account without a campaign to skip campaign creation.
2. Confirm your business information, including billing country, time zone, and currency.
3. Click Submit to complete your account setup.

To set up a campaign after you create your account, proceed to setting up your first campaign.

Tip

Do you need more people to access your new Google Ads account? You can invite them after you create your account and sign in to Google Ads. Learn more About access levels in your Google Ads account

How to fix a problem with creating or signing in to a Google Account

• If you have trouble creating an account, read about common issues and solutions.
• If you're getting an error that you have an invalid email address, read about invalid email addresses.
• If you have a problem finding the verification email or verifying your account, check out these common verification issues and solutions. Or, find out what to do if you entered the wrong email address during sign-up.
• If you get an error that the email already exists, learn how to reclaim your Google Account.

Related links

• Set up your first campaign
• Payment methods and settings