How do you fix “Destination not working” in Google Ads?

Common causes

• The destination returns an HTTP error, such as 403, 404 or 500, to Google AdsBot.
• DNS errors, redirect loops or server timeouts.
• The page requires a login, so the crawler cannot reach it.
• A typo in the final URL, tracking template or deep link.

How to fix it

• Check final URLs, tracking parameters and deep links for typos.
• Test the page on common browsers and devices and confirm it returns HTTP 200.
• Use Chrome DevTools to set the user agent to Google AdsBot and load the page as the crawler does.
• Make sure your robots.txt file does not block Google AdsBot.
• File an appeal once the destination works.

Google says violations of this policy won’t lead to account suspension without warning; it issues a warning at least 7 days before any suspension.

In practice

For App campaigns the destination is a store listing or deep link. Check that any third-party tracker redirects to the right app on the right store, that deep links open correctly, and that the app is available in every country you target.

See how we run App campaigns on our Google Ads agency page.