How to Delete a Google Ads Account in 2025
If you’re ready to stop advertising on Google—whether due to budget changes, strategy shifts, or platform fatigue—you’ll need more than just turning off ads. Properly canceling or deleting your Google Ads account helps you avoid unexpected charges, preserve key data, and ensure a clean transition.
This guide covers everything you need to know to cancel or permanently delete your Google Ads account. We’ll walk through each step clearly and highlight important warnings to protect your campaigns, billing records, and team access.
The Difference Between Canceling and Deleting
Canceling your account means you’re temporarily disabling it. You stop running ads and pause all charges, but your account data and structure remain intact. You can log back in and reactivate it within 60 days if needed.
Deleting an account, on the other hand, is permanent. It erases all historical campaign data, user settings, and billing information. Once deleted, you can’t reactivate or recover the account. You’ll need to create a new one if you decide to advertise again in the future.
Before You Cancel: Key Things to Prepare
To avoid issues during or after cancellation, here are a few things you should check off:
Pause or remove your campaigns. Go into the Campaigns section and make sure everything is paused or ended to avoid further ad spend.
Settle all outstanding balances. Head to your Billing section and pay off any invoices. If charges remain after cancellation, Google will still attempt to collect them.
Download reports and export data. If you want to keep performance metrics, billing records, or campaign settings, download them now. Access becomes limited after cancellation and disappears entirely if you delete the account.
Review account access. Make sure no one else is actively using the account and remove users if necessary, especially in team environments.
Double-check the account you’re closing. If you manage multiple accounts under a manager (MCC) account, be sure you’re closing the correct one.
Requirements to Cancel a Google Ads Account
To cancel your account, you must be the account administrator and have a complete billing setup. For those managing client accounts under an MCC structure, you also need admin access to the manager account and ownership rights to the client account you're canceling.
How to Cancel Your Google Ads Account
Once you're ready, follow these steps:
Sign in to your Google Ads account.
Click the Admin icon in the upper right corner.
Go to Account Settings.
Under "Account Status," select “Cancel my account.”
Follow the confirmation prompts.
If your account was never fully set up, you might also see a trash or delete icon in the account list to remove it directly.
After confirming, your account will be marked “Closed.” You’ll no longer be able to run ads, and access to some features will become limited over time.
What Happens After You Cancel?
Once you cancel, all ads and campaigns stop running immediately. The account is deactivated, but it isn’t deleted. Google retains your account data for a limited time, usually up to 60 days.
Your remarketing lists, including any Customer Match segments, will stop accepting new users. Within about a month, those lists will reset their membership duration to just one day, essentially wiping them clean. Dynamic remarketing data is also removed.
While your campaigns are paused, you’re still responsible for any charges incurred before cancellation. If there’s any unpaid balance, Google will charge your default payment method within 31 days.
Refunds After Cancellation
Google doesn’t automatically issue refunds when you cancel your account. Here’s what you should know:
If there’s unused credit remaining after settling all charges, you may receive a refund. Refunds are sent to your original payment method and typically take up to two weeks, although this may vary based on your bank or card provider.
Google will not refund any spend that’s already been used for running ads. Promotional credits, if available, are forfeited and cannot be converted to cash or carried over to another account.
To ensure proper refund handling, always verify that your payment information is up to date and monitor your transaction history in the Billing section.
How to Permanently Delete Your Google Ads Account
To fully delete your Google Ads account, including all campaigns and billing data, you need to go beyond cancellation. Deleting is irreversible and should be done only when you're certain you won't need the account again.
Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Backup everything.
Before deleting your account, download your campaign reports, invoice records, ad performance data, targeting settings, and any other essential files. This data will be lost after deletion.
Step 2: Cancel active campaigns.
Head into the Campaigns section and pause or remove any ads that are still running. This ensures no new charges occur during the deletion process.
Step 3: Pay any remaining charges.
Go to the Billing tab and make sure your balance is zero. If there are unpaid invoices, clear them to avoid complications.
Step 4: Access the account settings.
Click the Tools icon at the top, go to Account Settings, and under “Account Status,” select “Cancel my account.” Follow all prompts.
Step 5: Confirm deletion.
After cancellation, deletion may involve an additional confirmation via email or phone. Complete any verification steps if required.
After deletion, you will lose all access to your data. You can’t log in, recover old reports, or use the account again.
Reactivating a Canceled Account
If you change your mind after cancellation, you can reactivate your account within 60 days.
Here’s how:
Log in with your original credentials.
If eligible, a “Reactivate” option will appear.
Follow the prompts to confirm.
Update your payment details if needed.
Resume or recreate campaigns, since they may not automatically restore.
Once you go beyond 60 days, the reactivation window closes, and your account remains permanently closed.
Note that promotional credits won’t be reinstated and Google may place your account under a compliance review before allowing full use again.
Common Issues When Canceling
Here are a few common issues advertisers face and how to avoid them:
Unexpected charges
Make sure campaigns are fully paused and invoices paid before canceling. Also check if billing is set to monthly or post-pay.
Data loss
Download reports and export everything before canceling. Once the reactivation window ends, that data is gone for good.
Wrong account closure
Always confirm the account ID, especially when managing multiple accounts. Closing the wrong one could disrupt live campaigns.
No refund received
Refunds only apply to unused balances. If there’s no leftover credit, nothing is refunded. Double-check your billing activity.
If you need help during the process, Google offers live chat and support ticket options through the Help Center.
How to Remove Ads Without Deleting the Account
If you simply want to stop certain ads, you don’t need to cancel your whole account. Here’s how to remove ads only:
Log into Google Ads.
Go to Campaigns and select the “Ads” section.
Choose the ads you want to stop.
Click “Remove.”
Confirm your choice.
Removed ads won’t show anymore, but the data stays in your account for analysis.
How to Delete an Entire Campaign
To delete a campaign (not just an individual ad):
Log into Google Ads.
Go to the Campaigns tab.
Find the campaign you want to delete.
Click the settings icon or “More” menu.
Choose “Remove.”
Confirm deletion.
This stops the entire campaign, but keeps your account intact.
Final Thoughts
Canceling or deleting a Google Ads account doesn’t need to be complicated—just thorough. Take time to settle balances, pause campaigns, back up your data, and follow Google’s account management prompts closely.
For businesses that manage multiple accounts or run high-volume campaigns, it's a good idea to consult with an expert or use agency support to avoid mistakes.
If you plan to return later, cancellation gives you more flexibility. But if you're done for good, deletion clears the slate.
Either way, following the right steps helps you stay in control of your budget, data, and advertising future.
Source: https://agrowth.io/blogs/google-ads/how-to-delete-google-ads-account
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