The End of Call Ads: What This Major Google Update Means for Your Business

If your business relies on phone calls to drive sales, a major change is coming to your marketing toolkit. Google has officially announced that it will phase out the dedicated “Call-Only” ad format, with the transition beginning in February 2026.

For years, Call-Only ads have been a staple for service-based industries, allowing businesses to bypass a website and drive leads directly to their phone lines. However, Google’s move to sunset this format marks a significant shift in how “click-to-call” marketing will function moving forward.

What is Changing?

Google is moving away from standalone Call Ads in favor of Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) with Call Assets.

While the ability to generate phone calls isn’t going away, the way you capture them is evolving. The traditional call-only layout—where a phone number was the only clickable element—is being replaced by a more flexible, AI-driven format. This change requires a different strategic approach to ad copy, landing pages, and lead tracking to ensure your conversion rates don’t plummet when the old format disappears.

The Deadlines to Watch

The phase-out will happen in two critical stages:

• February 2026: You will lose the ability to create any new call-only ads.
• February 2027: Any remaining call-only ads will stop serving entirely.

While 2026 may seem far off, the shift to AI-driven RSAs requires a “learning period” for Google’s algorithm. Waiting until the deadline to pivot could result in a significant spike in your Cost-Per-Lead (CPL) and a drop in call volume.

Our Recommendations

Navigating this transition requires more than just clicking a few buttons. To protect your lead flow, we recommend the following:

• Conduct a Comprehensive Campaign Audit: It is vital to identify which parts of your current account are dependent on the legacy call format and assess how much of your revenue is tied to these specific ads.
• Initiate an Early Transition to RSAs: Switching to the new format now—well ahead of the deadline—allows you to gather the data necessary to optimize your ads. This ensures that when the old format is officially retired, your new campaigns are already seasoned and performing at peak efficiency.

The landscape of Google Ads is becoming increasingly automated. Staying ahead of these platform shifts is the difference between a phone that’s ringing off the hook and one that stays silent.

Not sure if your ads are up to date? Contact 1SEO today for a free Google Ads audit.