Google Ads links not working?

Open the affected ad, keyword, sitelink, or asset in Google Ads. If Google Ads shows "Destination not working" or "Destination mismatch", open the Status column or Policy details for the same item.

Use the URL field that matches the affected click:

• Search click with a matched keyword that has its own Final URL: use that keyword Final URL.
• Search click with no keyword Final URL: use the ad Final URL.
• Non-keyword ad or headline click: use the ad Final URL.
• Sitelink click: use the sitelink asset Final URL.
• Mobile problem: use the Final mobile URL for the same ad, keyword, or sitelink asset if one exists.
• Landing URL or Expanded URL shown in Status or Policy details: test that reported URL first, because it may already include URL options or redirects.

Do not use the Display URL, a preview URL, or a guessed website URL. The Display URL is what the ad shows; it is not always the landing URL the browser opens after a click.

Before you open the URL, name the expected destination. A Google Ads landing page checker can only tell you if the link is right when you know what right means for this click.

Use the ad or sitelink copy, offer brief, landing page plan, client instruction, or a known-good campaign to set these expectations:

• expected domain
• expected page, product, offer, or funnel step
• expected country or language, if that matters for this campaign

Use the Google Ads status or policy reason as context for the test, not as the expected destination.

Paste the URL you selected in step 1 into a clean or private desktop browser window. Do not search for it in Google, and do not edit the URL before opening it.

If you have both a reported Expanded URL and a configured Final URL, test them one at a time. Treat each one as a separate test, because the reported Expanded URL may already include URL options or redirects.

After loading stops, compare three things:

• the Google Ads URL field you tested
• the final URL in the browser address bar
• the visible page: expected page, wrong page, error page, blank page, loading screen, login wall, or access block

Choose the result that matches the desktop test:

• The URL does not open or the page is unusable.
• The URL opens the wrong domain, product, offer, country, or language.
• The URL opens the right page, but Google Ads still rejects it.
• The URL opens the right page and Google Ads has no destination warning.

If the right page opens and Google Ads has no destination warning for that item, stop this destination check. Test a different affected item, or use the tracking guide if the only problem is missing click data.

If the right page loads but UTM or GCLID data is missing, this is a tracking problem, not a broken destination. Use the Google Ads tracking parameters guide.

If someone else needs to fix the issue, include only the useful handoff details: screenshot, device, exact Google Ads status, HTTP or DNS error, and redirect chain if you have them.

Run a mobile test when the affected item has a Final mobile URL, the complaint is mobile-only, desktop works but Google Ads still shows a destination issue, or the destination could vary by device.

Open the Final mobile URL if one exists. Otherwise open the same URL you tested on desktop. Compare the final mobile URL and visible page against the same expected destination.

Fix only the part that matched step 5. Then test the same Google Ads URL, device, and status path that failed before.

• If you changed an ad, keyword, sitelink asset, or Final mobile URL, wait for automatic review and watch the status.
• If you fixed the page, redirect, DNS/CDN, firewall, or tracking template, request review or file an appeal if the Google Ads status does not clear.
• If the right page loads but UTM, GCLID, or other tracking parameters are missing, use the Google Ads tracking parameters guide instead of this checklist.