How to Set Up Google Ads Sitelink Assets Correctly
To set up Google Ads sitelink assets correctly, map the campaign’s customer journey first, create labels that describe real secondary destinations, assign each sitelink at the right account, campaign, or ad-group level, then test every URL, preview, policy status, and measurement path. Keep links distinct, current, and useful; do not add generic destinations simply to fill space.
Sitelinks can help a person move from an ad to pricing, services, categories, locations, documentation, proof, or a contact path. They do not guarantee that all links will show on every impression. Google’s current asset guidance should be checked for campaign-specific fields and eligibility because the interface and serving options can change.
Plan the sitelink set before opening the editor
Write the campaign’s primary intent, offer, conversion, and main landing page. Then list the questions a visitor may ask before converting. A search for a service might need “Service areas,” “Pricing,” and “Book now.” A software campaign might need “Plans,” “Integrations,” “Security,” and “Demo.” The right set depends on the actual customer path, not on a standard list.
For every proposed sitelink, write a one-sentence promise and name the exact page that fulfills it. Remove the link if the promise is vague, the page is not ready, or the destination duplicates another link. This short planning step keeps the editor from becoming a place where unused pages are promoted without a clear reason.
Record the scope decision
Decide whether the sitelink is valid across the account, one campaign, or one ad group. A shared company contact page may be appropriate at account level. A product-specific comparison page should generally stay with the relevant campaign or ad group. Note the owner, URL, review date, and expiry rule.
Create and assign each sitelink
Open the campaign or ad group that owns the asset, select the sitelink option, and choose whether to create a new sitelink or reuse an existing one. Work from the approved map rather than copying text from an unrelated campaign. Enter the link text, final URL, optional descriptions, schedule, and any required fields shown in the current editor.
Use a label that makes the destination obvious. “Compare plans” should lead to a comparison page; “Locations” should show locations or service coverage; “Book a demo” should take the visitor to a working booking path. Avoid labels that promise an outcome the page does not provide. Keep text readable and specific instead of trying to combine several destinations into one label.
Add links at the intended level
At account level, use only links whose label, offer, and destination remain valid across the account. At campaign level, confirm that every ad group can honestly share the link. At ad-group level, use the most specific links for a product, service, location, or query theme.
After saving, inspect the effective asset list for a representative ad group. Do not assume that editing a campaign list tells you exactly which links a specific ad can inherit. If an unrelated link appears, narrow its scope or remove it from the shared set.
Add descriptions when they add context
If the current sitelink format offers description fields, use them to explain the page or give a distinct reason to visit. Do not repeat the label with different punctuation. A description for “Security” might explain what proof or documentation is available, while a description for “Pricing” can clarify that plans or a quote are shown. Keep claims aligned with the destination and the business’s approval process.
Check every destination and customer path
Open each final URL directly and on a mobile-sized viewport. Confirm the page loads, the visible heading matches the sitelink, the primary action works, and the page does not unexpectedly redirect to a generic or unavailable destination. Check forms, booking calendars, phone numbers, login gates, regional availability, and inventory when they affect the promise.
Use the account’s normal tracking convention for parameters. If sitelink interactions need separate analysis, verify that analytics can distinguish them without breaking the final URL. Do not use a link shortener or a chain of redirects just to make the URL look shorter.
Review time-bound links
If a sitelink supports a promotion, event, temporary service, or business-hour call path, set a schedule and a review or removal date. Confirm the time zone, offer terms, availability, and landing page before publishing. A schedule is useful for a real time boundary; it is not a substitute for maintaining stale assets.
Preview, review policy, and publish
Use the editor’s preview to see how the sitelink can sit beside the core ad. Check that the link label is not misleading when shortened, descriptions do not introduce an unsupported claim, and the combination does not imply that every visitor will receive a particular price, feature, or appointment. Review mobile presentation when available and test the destination outside the preview as well.
Resolve disapprovals and warnings before counting the setup as complete. A review can concern the wording, destination, offer, business category, or content of the linked page. Do not try to bypass policy checks with vague labels or punctuation changes. Fix the underlying claim or page, and keep an approved copy in the team’s change record.
Keep the source of truth current
Store each link’s label, URL, description, scope, owner, start date, and end date in the normal campaign record. When a product, phone line, offer, or service area changes, update or pause the sitelink at the same time as the landing page. A screenshot of the old editor state is not enough to safely recreate a link later.
Verify delivery and measure the outcome
After publishing, check the sitelink’s approval or eligibility state at the level where it was added and inspect a representative ad preview or report. Then monitor impressions, interactions, spend, conversions, qualified leads, sales, and value over the campaign’s normal conversion lag. A sitelink click is a useful diagnostic, but it is not automatically a successful result.
Annotate the change and compare it with a relevant baseline. Account for changes to budgets, bids, ads, audiences, landing pages, inventory, and seasonality. If a link receives clicks but produces weak downstream quality, check whether the label attracts the wrong intent, the page is too broad, or the form and sales process are failing to qualify the visitor.
Define a rollback test
Pause or replace a sitelink if the URL breaks, terms expire, the phone path is not staffed, the location is unavailable, or the wording is no longer true. Consider rolling back a recent addition when qualified outcomes or value fall and the change is the most plausible cause. Preserve the prior label, URL, and scope so the rollback is deliberate rather than improvised.
Google Ads sitelink setup checklist
Before you finish, confirm:
- The customer intent, offer, conversion, and page hierarchy are written down.
- Every label has one clear promise and a matching final URL.
- The account, campaign, or ad-group scope is intentional.
- Descriptions, tracking, schedules, prices, terms, and contact details are current.
- Links work on mobile and complete the promised customer journey.
- Preview, eligibility, policy status, and automated inheritance are checked.
- An owner and expiry or review date are recorded for every time-sensitive link.
- Baseline metrics, review window, qualified outcome, and rollback trigger are documented.
For the strategy behind the fields, read best Google Ads sitelink assets settings. For account-level review after the links are live, the adz.so product is the honest next step; sitelinks are still created and published in Google Ads.