Google Ads account setup takes three steps: add your business information, select your campaign goals and budget, and enter your payment details. Google recommends creating the account before the campaign, and you can skip all the campaign recommendations during sign-up if you'd rather build your first campaign later.
Here's the catch most people miss. The currency you pick in the budget step can't be changed afterwards, so if you invoice in pounds, choose pounds. The time zone matters too: Google's support page says your reports, statistics and billing are all affected by it, and tells you to choose carefully. And since a recent change, newly created accounts no longer support URLs in the account name.
What you set during sign-up, and what's fixed
Some choices are easy to change once you're in. Others follow you for the life of the account. Here's how Google's help pages describe them, as of October 2026.
| Setting | What Google says about it |
|---|---|
| Currency | Chosen in the budget section. It can't be changed, so choose carefully. |
| Time zone | Affects your reports, statistics and billing. Google says choose carefully. |
| Billing country | Decides which billing options are available for your location and currency. |
| Account type | Defaults to Organization. You can switch to Individual if that's right for tax purposes in your country. |
| Keywords | You can edit, remove or add them any time after you sign in. |
| Billing information | You can edit it at any time once you're signed in. |
| Campaign | You can pause it and make changes once you're signed in. |
How to sign up for Google Ads
- Go to the Google Ads homepage and click Start Now.
- Add your business name and website URL. Google uses these to pre-fill details later and tailor the sign-up to you.
- Link any existing accounts you want, such as a YouTube channel or Google Business Profile. Google then suggests keywords and headlines for you to review.
- Choose your campaign goal and budget, or create the account without a campaign.
- Pick your billing country and check the time zone.
- Enter a promotional code in the Introductory offer field if you have one, and click Apply.
- Select an existing payment profile or create a new one, then add a payment method such as a credit or debit card, PayPal or a bank account.
- Review everything, tick the box to agree to the terms and conditions, and click Submit to finish.
You can also set up conversion measurement as the final step, so you can measure the actions people take on your ads and website. Need someone else in the account? You invite them after you've created it and signed in, not during sign-up.
Building your first campaign inside the sign-up flow
If you do build a campaign as you sign up, you'll decide four things: how much to spend, where your ad shows, which keywords trigger it, and how you bid.
Budget
You set an average daily amount, not a monthly one. If you think in monthly terms, Google suggests dividing your monthly budget by 30.4, the average number of days in a month. Start with a budget you're comfortable with and review it after the campaign has run for a few weeks.
Locations and networks
You can target a whole country, several countries, regions, cities, postal codes, or a radius around an address, such as 5 miles from your shop. You can also exclude areas so you're not paying for clicks from people outside the places you serve.
This next point catches a lot of small businesses out. In the first-campaign flow your text ad is eligible for the Search Network by default, and Google's page says you're automatically opted in to the Display Network as well. If you only want search results, click the pencil in the Networks section and untick Display Network.
Keywords and bidding
Google recommends picking between 5 and 20 keywords, and says phrases of 2 or 3 words tend to work most effectively. By default keywords are broad matched, so experienced advertisers use match types to narrow which searches trigger an ad. For bidding you get two options: let Google set bids automatically to get the most clicks within your budget, which it recommends for new advertisers, or set a maximum cost-per-click bid yourself.
Your first ad
The first ad is a text ad with two headline fields of up to 30 characters each, shown side by side with a hyphen between them. Make sure each one makes sense on its own, as the headline may wrap on smaller screens. Put a keyword in the headline, a clear call to action in the description, and send people to the landing page that matches the ad. If you want calls, tick Enable phone calls from your ad; Google uses a forwarding number so you can track them, in select countries.
How billing works when you start
Most advertisers use the postpay setting, which means you're charged after costs build up rather than in advance. Google charges you either 30 days after your last automatic charge or when you reach a preset amount called your billing threshold, whichever comes first. You can also make manual payments at any time.
Two things surprise new advertisers at checkout. If you pay by card, you might see a temporary authorisation that's typically removed within a week, and the exact amount is shown during sign-up. Google may also ask for a small prepayment for verification. That prepayment funds future advertising costs and is fully refundable if you request a refund or close the account.
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You won't be charged until your ad is approved and starts getting clicks. Approval takes about a day. Once it's live, don't search for your own ad on Google; the Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool shows it without skewing your statistics.
If sign-up goes wrong
Google's help page lists the usual problems: an invalid email address error, a verification email that never arrives, a wrong email entered during sign-up, or an error saying the email already exists, which means reclaiming that Google Account. If you want to use an existing monthly invoicing credit line for a new account, you'll need to link your manager account to your Payments profile first.
My verdict on setting up Google Ads
I'd create the account first and skip the campaign until you're ready, so you're not rushing the bits you can't undo. Pick the currency and time zone you report in, untick the Display Network if you only want search results, and switch on measurement at the end. Before you spend anything, plan your keywords in Keyword Planner and set up conversion tracking so you can see what each click is worth.
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Frequently asked questions
How many steps does Google Ads account setup take?
Three: add your business information, select your campaign goals and budget, and enter your payment details. You can also set up conversion measurement as a final step.
Can I create a Google Ads account without a campaign?
Yes. Google recommends creating your account before creating a campaign, and you can skip all the recommendations to create a campaign during sign-up.
Can I change my Google Ads currency later?
No. The currency you select during setup can't be changed, so choose carefully.
When will Google Ads charge me?
Not until your ad is approved and starts getting clicks. On postpay you're charged 30 days after your last automatic charge or when you reach your billing threshold, whichever comes first.
Is the Google Ads verification prepayment refundable?
Yes. The small prepayment Google may request during sign-up funds future advertising costs and is fully refundable if you request a refund or close your account.
