Key Takeaways
Lifetime warranty? Free shipping? Cancel anytime? The more benefits you show upfront, the faster customers decide to click. That's exactly why Google created callout extensions.
Callout extensions are additional text snippets shown with your Google Search Ads that highlight specific information—typically your unique selling propositions. They help potential customers understand how your business differs from competitors before they click.
Common Callout Examples
Callout Extension Specs
How to Add Callout Extensions
Callout extensions can be implemented at account, campaign, or ad group level. Here's how to set them up:
1Select Your Campaign
Choose the campaign where you want to add callouts.
2Navigate to Ad Extensions
Click on Ad Extensions and select Callout Extensions from the View dropdown.
3Create New Callout
Click "+Extension" then "+ New Callout" button.
4Enter Callout Text
Add your callout text (maximum 25 characters).
5Save and Repeat
Save and repeat for all callouts. Add multiple—Google will select the best performers.
Callouts vs. Sitelinks: Key Differences
Both are ad extensions, but they serve different purposes. Understanding when to use each is critical for effective PPC campaigns.
| Feature | Callout Extensions | Sitelink Extensions |
|---|---|---|
| Clickable? | No | Yes - links to pages |
| Purpose | Highlight product features/USPs | Navigate to different products/pages |
| Description | Never has description | May include description |
| Creation | Manual (dynamic beta available) | Dynamic by Google |
Best Practice: Use callouts for benefits and features (Free Shipping, 24/7 Support). Use sitelinks to direct users to specific pages (Shop Sale, Contact Us, Pricing).
Need help managing complex PPC campaigns? Our dedicated marketing teams can optimize your Google Ads extensions for maximum CTR.
Callout Extension Best Practices
Do This:
Avoid This:
Scheduling Strategy
Custom scheduling lets you show different callouts at different times. This is powerful for:
Dynamic Callout Extensions
Google has introduced dynamic callout extensions that automatically generate callout text from your landing pages. Instead of manually creating callouts, Google's AI scans your site and pulls relevant selling points.
How Dynamic Callouts Work
Google automatically fetches information from your website about products or services and creates callout text for your ads.
Important: Dynamic callouts aren't available for all advertisers yet. Continue adding and optimizing manual callouts—they give you more control over messaging.
Running Google Ads at scale? Our PPC management teams can handle extension optimization across hundreds of campaigns.
Why Callout Extensions Improve Ad Rank
Google's Ad Rank formula includes expected impact from extensions. By adding relevant callout extensions, you:
✓Increase Expected CTR
More visible ads with clear benefits get more clicks.
✓Take Up More Real Estate
Larger ads push competitors down and capture attention.
✓Pre-Qualify Clicks
Users who click already know your key benefits, improving conversion rates.
✓Improve Quality Score Components
Extensions signal relevance and improve overall ad quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are callout extensions in Google Ads?
Callout extensions are non-clickable text snippets that appear below your ad, highlighting specific features or benefits of your products/solutions/software-outsourcing. Examples include "Free Shipping," "24/7 Support," or "No Contracts." They help differentiate your ad from competitors.
<div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question" class="bg-white rounded-xl p-5 shadow-sm border border-gray-200">
<h3 itemprop="name" class="font-bold text-gray-900 mb-2">How many characters can a callout extension have?</h3>
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<p itemprop="text" class="text-gray-600">Each callout extension can have a maximum of 25 characters. You can create multiple callouts, but Google will display at most 4 at a time. Having more callouts gives Google options to optimize which ones perform best.</p>
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<div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question" class="bg-white rounded-xl p-5 shadow-sm border border-gray-200">
<h3 itemprop="name" class="font-bold text-gray-900 mb-2">What is the difference between callouts and sitelinks?</h3>
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<p itemprop="text" class="text-gray-600">Callouts are non-clickable text highlighting features (like "Free Returns"). Sitelinks are clickable links to specific pages on your site (like a "Contact Us" page). Use callouts for benefits, sitelinks for navigation.</p>
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<div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question" class="bg-white rounded-xl p-5 shadow-sm border border-gray-200">
<h3 itemprop="name" class="font-bold text-gray-900 mb-2">Do callout extensions cost extra per click?</h3>
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<p itemprop="text" class="text-gray-600">No. Callout extensions are not clickable, so there's no additional cost. They can improve your CTR and Ad Rank at no extra cost per click—they're essentially free added value for your ads.</p>
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<div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question" class="bg-white rounded-xl p-5 shadow-sm border border-gray-200">
<h3 itemprop="name" class="font-bold text-gray-900 mb-2">What are dynamic callout extensions?</h3>
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<p itemprop="text" class="text-gray-600">Dynamic callout extensions are automatically generated by Google based on your landing page content. Instead of manually writing callouts, Google's AI extracts relevant selling points from your site. This feature is still rolling out to all advertisers.</p>
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