October 2025 – Call-Only Ads Are Going Away: Transition to Call Assets Now

Granular analysis and first look

If you rely on phone calls as a key conversion type in your lead gen PPC strategy, you’ll want to act fast. On October 3, 2025, Google announced that call-only ads are being phased out, with a complete sunset by early 2027. Advertisers should now transition to call assets used within responsive search ads (RSAs) to maintain performance and phone lead volume.

What’s Changing?

Google is retiring call-only ads, a format designed solely to generate phone calls, in favor of call assets—an extension that adds a clickable phone number to RSAs.

Key Dates to Know:

• February 2026: You’ll no longer be able to create new call-only ads.
• February 2027: All existing call-only ads will stop serving completely.

Why the Shift to Call Assets?

This move is part of Google’s larger push toward AI-powered ad formats, like RSAs. Here’s why Google—and likely many advertisers—see value in the change:

1. More AI Optimization

Call assets within RSAs benefit from Google’s machine learning, which tests different headline/description combinations to maximize performance. That same optimization can now be applied to ads driving calls.

2. Greater Ad Flexibility

Instead of a one-purpose format, call assets make your phone number available in addition to a landing page URL—offering users a choice to call or click.

3. Improved Reporting

Call assets come with better call reporting metrics, including details like call duration and conversion tracking, giving you more insight into what’s working.

How to Transition from Call-Only Ads

Google recommends proactively transitioning your campaigns now. Here’s how to do it:

1. Create or edit RSAs in relevant ad groups.
2. Add call assets by entering your business phone number.
3. Enable call reporting and set up conversion tracking for phone calls.
4. Pause or remove call-only ads ahead of the February 2026 cutoff.

How Will This Impact Performance?

The effect depends on your vertical and how reliant you are on phone calls. But here’s what to keep in mind:

• You may see increased flexibility in user behavior, with some choosing to click instead of call.
• Ad visibility could improve thanks to the broader reach of RSAs compared to the limited real estate of call-only ads.
• Conversion quality may shift, so monitor performance closely after the transition—especially call duration and lead quality metrics.

If your campaigns are heavily reliant on mobile calls, now’s the time to test new setups to ensure volume and lead quality remain strong.

Key Takeaways

• Google is sunsetting call-only ads by February 2027.
• Use call assets in RSAs to continue generating phone leads.
• Transition before call assets in RSAs, when new call-only ad creation will be disabled.
• Expect broader ad reach and stronger reporting with the new format.
• Monitor performance to adjust bidding and creative strategy accordingly.

Google’s deprecation of call-only ads marks another shift toward more flexible, AI-powered ad formats. By transitioning to call assets within RSAs, advertisers can maintain their call volume while gaining new optimization tools and reporting capabilities. As always, early adopters stand to gain the most—so make the switch now to keep your PPC efforts ahead of the curve.