Keeping your grant: the rules that matter

Getting approved is step one. Keeping the grant means meeting Google's rules every month, and Google can suspend an account that breaks them without notice.

• Click-through rate of 5% or higher. Your account-wide CTR has to stay at 5% or above each month. Miss it two months in a row and the account is temporarily deactivated.
• Conversion tracking that records real results. You need at least one conversion a month from a meaningful action, like a donation, volunteer signup, email signup, or call. Time on site and homepage visits can be tracked but can't count as conversions.
• Smart bidding. Newer accounts must use a conversion-based Smart bidding strategy, such as Maximize conversions.
• Keyword rules. No single-word keywords (your own brand name and approved medical conditions are among the exceptions), no overly generic ones like "free videos," and nothing with a Quality Score of 1 or 2.
• Account structure. Each campaign needs at least two ad groups, and the account needs at least two sitelinks.
• Location targeting. Show your ads where people can actually use your services. A food bank serving one community should target that area only.
• Annual survey. Google sends a yearly program survey, and you have to complete it.

If your account is suspended

Fix what caused the suspension, then request reinstatement from Google.

Last checked against Google's published rules: September 29, 2026. Sources: Account management policy, Ad Grants Policy Compliance Guide.