How to Stop Google Ads Campaigns: A Step-by-Step Guide

Running a Google Ads campaign can be an effective way to drive traffic and reach potential customers. However, there are times when you may need to stop your campaigns — whether due to budget constraints, a completed promotion, or a shift in your marketing strategy. Stopping Google Ads campaigns properly ensures that you avoid unnecessary charges and maintain control over your account’s performance data. In this guide, we’ll explain exactly how to stop your Google Ads campaigns, whether you want to pause them temporarily, remove them completely, or cancel your entire account.

Understanding Your Options in Google Ads

Before stopping your Google Ads campaigns, it’s important to understand the three main options available to advertisers:

Pausing a Campaign:
Pausing a campaign temporarily stops your ads from running but preserves all campaign settings, performance history, and data. You can resume a paused campaign at any time without needing to rebuild it.

Removing a Campaign:
Removing a campaign deletes it from your active campaigns list. Although the data remains accessible for reporting, you cannot reactivate a removed campaign. Removal is best if you’re sure you won’t need the campaign again.

Cancelling Your Google Ads Account:
Cancelling your account stops all campaigns and closes your account. This is a permanent action that prevents future ad delivery. Google may retain historical data for billing and reporting purposes, but your account will no longer serve ads.

How to Pause a Google Ads Campaign

Pausing a Google Ads campaign is the best option if you want to temporarily stop ads without losing any settings or data. Here’s how to do it:

1️⃣ Sign in to your Google Ads account at ads.google.com.
2️⃣ In the left-hand menu, click on “Campaigns” to view your active campaigns.
3️⃣ Locate the campaign you wish to pause.
4️⃣ Under the “Status” column next to the campaign name, click the current status (likely showing as “Enabled”).
5️⃣ From the dropdown menu, select “Pause”.

Once paused, your ads will stop running immediately, but you can return at any time to re-enable the campaign.

How to Remove a Google Ads Campaign

If you no longer plan to use a campaign and want to clean up your account, removing it is a good option. Keep in mind that removed campaigns cannot be reactivated, but their historical data will still be available for reporting.

Here’s how to remove a Google Ads campaign:

1️⃣ Log in to your Google Ads account at ads.google.com.
2️⃣ Navigate to “Campaigns” in the left-hand navigation menu.
3️⃣ Find the campaign you want to remove.
4️⃣ Check the box next to the campaign name to select it.
5️⃣ Click the “Edit” dropdown above the table.
6️⃣ Select “Remove” from the menu.

After removal, the campaign will no longer appear in your active campaigns list and will not serve ads. However, you can still view its historical performance data in reports.

How to Cancel Your Google Ads Account

If you want to stop all advertising activities and close your Google Ads account completely, you can cancel the account. This is a permanent step that stops all current and future campaigns, but you will still have access to historical data for reporting.

Follow these steps to cancel your Google Ads account:

1️⃣ Sign in to your Google Ads account at ads.google.com.
2️⃣ In the top right corner, click the “Tools & Settings” icon (wrench symbol).
3️⃣ Under the “Billing” section, click “Settings”.
4️⃣ Look for the “Account cancellation” section.
5️⃣ Click “Cancel my account” and follow the prompts to confirm.

Once cancelled:

• All campaigns stop immediately.
• You will not be billed for any future activity, though outstanding balances will remain payable.
• You can reactivate the account later if needed, but no campaigns will run until reactivation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Stopping Campaigns

When stopping Google Ads campaigns, it’s important to avoid some common pitfalls that could lead to unintended charges or account issues:

• Forgetting to pause all campaigns:
  Pausing just one campaign may not stop ads from other active campaigns or ad groups. Always review your entire account to ensure all campaigns you want to stop are paused or removed.
• Assuming account cancellation happens immediately:
  While campaigns stop as soon as you cancel the account, outstanding balances will still need to be settled. Also, refunds are not always automatic — review your billing status carefully.
• Removing campaigns without exporting data:
  Once removed, campaigns cannot be reactivated. Make sure to export any reports or data you may need before removing them.
• Not checking shared budgets:
  If you’re using shared budgets across multiple campaigns, pausing one campaign may not stop spend entirely. Check your budget settings to prevent unexpected costs.

By being thorough when stopping campaigns, you can avoid unnecessary charges and preserve important account data for future reference.

Conclusion

Stopping your Google Ads campaigns correctly is essential for managing your advertising budget and maintaining control over your account. Whether you’re pausing a campaign temporarily, removing it permanently, or cancelling your entire account, following the proper steps ensures a smooth process without unintended charges. Always double-check your account settings and billing to confirm everything has been stopped as intended. When managed carefully, stopping campaigns allows you to pause, adjust, or end your advertising efforts efficiently while retaining valuable performance data for future reference.