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A responsive search ad, RSA for short, has been the only text ad you can create on the Google search network since 2022. You do not write one ad; you write a set of parts: up to fifteen headlines and four descriptions. For each search Google picks which three headlines and which two descriptions appear together.
That makes writing hard. Every headline has to stand next to every other headline, in any order. A headline that only works as the second line will sooner or later produce an odd sentence. And in Google Ads you only see your text as a list with character counters.
This responsive search ad preview tool shows the ad the way a searcher sees it, on desktop and on a phone. Press Another combination to see what else Google may show. Meanwhile the tool counts your characters and checks what Google refuses: an exclamation mark in a headline, words in capitals, stars and repeated text. Everything runs in your browser; your ad never leaves your computer.
Two ways to write the same ad
Both fit the limits. Only one passes review and reads well in every order.
- Headline 1
- Written to shoutFREE delivery!!
- Written to be mixedPlumber in Leeds
- Headline 2
- Written to shoutThe BEST bikes
- Written to be mixedLeaks Fixed Today
- Headline 3
- Written to shout★ Top Brands ★
- Written to be mixedFixed Price Up Front
- Description
- Written to shoutBuy buy buy!!! This week only
- Written to be mixedDripping tap or blocked drain? We come out the same day.
- Google review
- Written to shoutrefused for capitals, punctuation and symbols
- Written to be mixedapproved
- Combinations
- Written to shoutfour headlines, one repeated
- Written to be mixedeight headlines, each a message of its own
Both examples are built into the tool. Load them and compare the findings.
The limits of a responsive search ad
| Part | Minimum | Maximum | Characters each |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headlines | 3 | 15 | 30 |
| Descriptions | 2 | 4 | 90 |
| Display paths | 0 | 2 | 15 |
A headline of 31 characters cannot be saved; Google Ads returns an error. Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters count double. An emoji or symbol counts too, and is usually refused.
Three headlines is the minimum, but few advertisers stop there. The more distinct headlines you give, the more combinations Google can test and the higher the ad strength in your account. We aim for eight to fifteen. The tool warns below eight; that threshold is ours, not Google's.
What Google refuses in your text
Google's editorial policy is about form, not content. An ad that tries to be loud falls through.
| Rule | Refused | Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Exclamation mark | in a headline | once in a description |
| Capitals | FREE, BEST | a brand name or an acronym such as VAT |
| Punctuation | !!, ??, ... to catch the eye | an ordinary sentence with a full stop |
| Symbols | stars, arrows, ticks, emoji | the pound or euro sign with a price |
| Spacing | F r e e, double spaces | a normal space |
| Repetition | the same headline twice | two headlines with their own message |
The tool checks every row of that table. What it cannot check is whether your claim is true. Write "cheapest in Leeds" and you need to back it up, and a landing page that promises something other than the ad costs you Quality Score.
Headlines that work in any order
Put your keyword in two or three headlines, each in a slightly different form, so one of them is almost always on show. Write each headline as a statement on its own; none should start with "and" or finish a previous one. Spread the rest over four jobs: what you do, where you do it, why you (fixed price, same day) and what the searcher should do now (call, book, order). Let the description open with the searcher's problem, not your company name.
Responsive search ads, answered
Can I pin a headline to the first position?
Yes, to position 1, 2 or 3. Use it sparingly: every pinned headline cuts the combinations and Google lowers your ad strength. Pin two or three headlines to the same spot so Google still has a choice.
What is ad strength?
A rating from Poor to Excellent that Google gives your ad, based on how many headlines and descriptions you add and how different they are. It says nothing about results, but an ad rated Poor gets fewer impressions.
Does Google always show three headlines?
No. On a narrow screen Google may show two headlines and one description. Every pair of headlines should already make a complete message.
How many ads should one ad group hold?
Google recommends one responsive search ad per ad group with plenty of headlines. A second one can test another landing page; more than three rarely adds anything.
From one ad to a campaign
A good ad is part of the job. What makes a click worth paying for is what follows: a page that keeps the promise, tracking of every enquiry and a budget that suits your keywords. See how many clicks your budget buys with the Google Ads budget calculator and whether they pay off with the ROAS calculator. For the full build, from keyword to conversion, read how to set up Google Ads. Ads from other trades, with what they do well, are in Google Ads examples. Test how your page title would look in the organic results with the SERP preview, and read what a good CTR is to know what to expect.
The ad behind the preview
Every ad you test here is a responsive search ad: the standard text ad in Google Search since expanded text ads stopped in 2022. You give Google up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, Google picks up to 3 and 2 per search, and over time it shows the combinations that get clicked most. That is why every headline has to work on its own and next to any other.
Pin a headline only where you must, such as a legal line or the brand name. Every pin narrows the combinations Google can try, and the ad strength drops with it.