Google Ads Eligible But No Impressions? Why? 

You launch a campaign. 
Your card is linked. 
Google says “Eligible.” 

And then… nothing. 

No impressions. No clicks. Just silence. 

I still remember the first time this happened to me. I refreshed the dashboard every 10 minutes like that would somehow make Google feel pressured to show my ad. Spoiler: it didn’t. 

If you’re seeing Google Ads eligible but no impressions, here’s the reality — and I say this with love — your account is not broken. You’re just not winning the auction or you’ve accidentally tied Google’s hands with your settings. “Eligible” only means you passed the policy check. You didn’t violate trademark rules or run shady content. That’s it. It does not mean Google owes you traffic.  Let’s walk through the real reasons your ads are approved but not showing — and how I personally troubleshoot this step by step. 

1. Your Bids Are Too Low (You’re Showing Up With Lunch Money to a Steakhouse) 

Google Ads runs on auctions. Every single search triggers one. If your bid isn’t competitive, you don’t get in. Simple as that. I’ve seen this dozens of times: an advertiser bids RS.25 thinking they’re being “efficient,” while competitors are bidding Rs.40- Rs.60. The ad never even gets a chance. 

This comes down to Ad Rank, which is basically: 

Bid × Quality Score = Your competitiveness.

If that number is too low, your ad just sits there looking pretty and invisible. How I Check This Fast? Go to your Keywords tab → Modify columns → Add: 

• Est. first page bid 
• Est. top of page bid 

Now compare. If Google says first page = RS. 50 and you’re bidding Rs.20… yeah, you’ve found your problem. 

The Smart Bidding Trap (I’ve Fallen Into This Too) Automated strategies like Maximize Conversions sound amazing. Until you use them on a brand-new account with zero data. Google’s algorithm basically shrugs and says, “I don’t know who converts yet, so I’ll… do nothing.” I’ve had campaigns sit in “learning” while spending Rs.0

Fix: Switch to Manual CPC or Enhanced CPC for a few weeks. Force Google to actually enter auctions. Once you get conversions, then go back to automation. 

2. Your Targeting Is So Specific It’s Basically a Unicorn Hunt 

Specific targeting is powerful… until you overdo it. I once audited an account targeting: 

• 10km radius 
• Age 30–40 
• Household income top 10% 
• In-market audience 
• Super long-tail keywords 

Technically perfect. Practically? No one qualified. If your campaign requires someone to match every single filter at the same time, impressions can drop to zero. 

Common Over-Restriction Mistakes 

• Tiny geo radius 
• Layered audiences on Search campaigns 
• Narrow age + income + device filters 
• Hyper-specific long-tail keywords 

RLSA Gotcha 

If you’re running remarketing lists for search ads, your list needs 1,000+ active users. I’ve seen campaigns “Eligible” for weeks that never ran because the list was at 600. 

Low Search Volume 

Check your keyword status. If you see “Low search volume,” Google basically shelves the keyword until demand rises. 

Quick Test I Use 

Create a test ad group: 

• Broader keywords 
• No audience layers 
• Wider location 

If impressions suddenly start? Your original targeting was choking delivery. 

3. Your Negative Keywords Are Accidentally Killing Your Ads

This one hurts because it’s self-inflicted. Negative keywords are essential. But broad match negatives can quietly block everything.

How This Happens

Let’s say you sell luxury apartments and add:

• Negative: apartments (broad)

You just blocked every search containing “apartments.” Including your best ones. Now you’ve got Google Ads eligible but no impressions — and no warning unless you go looking.

How I Diagnose It

Use the Ad Preview & Diagnosis Tool. Enter:

• Your keyword
• Location
• Device

If negatives are blocking you, Google will literally tell you. Also check Shared Library → Negative keyword lists. I’ve seen account-level lists wreck brand-new campaigns.

4. Your Budget and CPC Don’t Make Sense Together

Here’s a scenario I see constantly:

• Avg CPC = $6
• Daily budget = $10

Technically possible? Yes. Practically workable? Not really. Google tries to pace your budget throughout the day. If your budget can barely afford 1–2 clicks, the system often hesitates to enter auctions at all. So you end up with — you guessed it — eligible but no impressions.

Ad Schedule Makes This Worse

If you run ads 24/7 on a tiny budget, Google spreads delivery so thin it’s almost invisible.

My Rule of Thumb

Daily budget should be at least 5–10× your average CPC for stable delivery.

Also add the column:
Search Lost IS (budget)
If that number is high, money is the bottleneck.

5. Your Quality Score Is So Low Google Doesn’t Trust Your Ad

Google cares about user experience more than your budget. Quality Score looks at:

• Expected CTR
• Ad relevance
• Landing page experience

If your score drops to 1–3/10, your ad struggles to compete even with solid bids. No, it’s not a literal ban. But it can feel like one.

I’ve seen this with:

• Generic ads for very specific keywords
• Slow, cluttered landing pages
• Pages that barely mention the keyword

How I Fix It

I align everything:

• Keyword in headline
• Keyword in description
• Same keyword in landing page H1

When message match improves, impressions usually follow.

6. Billing or Account Review Is Quietly Holding Things Back

This one’s boring but real. New accounts and new cards often trigger a payment review. During that time, campaigns can show “Eligible” but not actually run.

Go to:
Tools & Settings → Billing → Summary

Look for:

• Card issues
• Pending payments
• Account review notices

If the account is brand new, sometimes you just need to wait 24–48 hours. If it’s longer, contact support.

7. There Just Isn’t Active Search Demand Right Now

Sometimes the problem isn’t your setup. It’s timing. I’ve paused campaigns, turned them back on, and thought something broke — when really:

• The keyword is seasonal
• Demand dropped this week
• It’s a niche term with inconsistent volume

Check Keyword Planner or historical data. If search volume is tiny, impressions will be too. Also — and this is a beginner mistake I see all the time —

(Beginner tip: Always change your date range to today. Google Ads often defaults to the last completed day, which makes it look like nothing is happening yet.)

Final Thoughts

Almost every advertiser goes through the “eligible but no impressions” phase. I definitely did. It feels like Google is broken — but it’s usually just a settings mismatch.

When I troubleshoot, I always check in this order:

• Bids vs estimated bids
• Targeting restrictions
• Negative keyword conflicts
• Budget vs CPC math
• Quality Score alignment
• Billing issues
• Search demand reality

Fix the bottleneck, and those zeroes usually turn into impressions pretty fast. And seriously — stop refreshing the dashboard every five minutes. I promise it doesn’t help.