Start a Google Ads account under your own identity
Create the account yourself, under the practice's own Google identity, and it belongs to the practice from the first click – no transfer, no dependency on any one agency or person. This guide follows Google's own current documentation (fetched August 11, 2026) step by step. Google changes this flow often – if what you see differs, tell us and we'll walk it with you.
Before you start
Have these ready. Two settings in step 1 – currency and time zone – can never be changed afterward, so decide them before you start.
- –A business-controlled Google identity – an account tied to the practice, not a personal inbox
- –A business payment method – a card or bank account in the practice’s name
- –The website domain the ads will point to
- –The main phone number prospective families call
- –A short list of services and locations to advertise
1. Create the account under your own identity
Sign in with the practice's business Google identity and start a new Google Ads account at ads.google.com. Google's setup flow asks for business information, a campaign goal and budget, and payment details in sequence.
Gotcha
The default path steers new accounts toward a Smart campaign, a simplified mode with fewer controls. Google's own setup guidance says it is possible to skip campaign creation entirely and reach a plain account, and separately that switching out of Smart mode into full Expert mode is possible at any time. The exact control for this has moved around in Google's interface and is not consistently documented – look for language like “switch to Expert Mode” or “create an account without a campaign” during setup, and do not accept a Smart campaign as the account's permanent mode without confirming that option was offered.
Gotcha – this one is permanent
Google states plainly that currency and time zone are locked at setup: “your currency is permanently set when you set up your account” and “your time zone is permanently set when you set up your account”, because both are load-bearing for billing and reporting. A standard account cannot change either afterward – the only fix is creating a new account with the correct settings.
Confirm the billing currency matches how the practice actually pays, and the time zone matches where the practice operates, before moving past this screen.
2. Confirm currency and time zone before you finish creating the account
This happens on the same screen as step 1, not as a separate step afterward. Currency and time zone can never be changed once the account is created – see the gotcha above – so confirm both match the practice before you move past that screen.
3. Set up billing
Add a business payment method – a credit or debit card, or a bank account for direct debit, depending on what Google supports for the account's country and currency. Google does not accept prepaid cards for automatic payments. Choose a payment setting too: automatic payments charge after ads run, while manual payments require funding the account before ads run.
4. Verify advertiser identity when Google asks
Google verifies advertiser identity on its own schedule and emails you when it's your turn. Complete it the day that email arrives – the review can take up to five business days and sits on the critical path to going live.
Gotcha
Google does not publish what happens to a campaign if verification isn't finished in time. Treat the deadline in its email as hard.
5. Invite ABAOps
With the account created, currency and time zone confirmed, billing set, and verification started, the last step is granting access. From the account's Admin menu, open Access and security, add a new user by email, and choose an access level. Google offers five levels – Email-only, Billing, Read-only, Standard, and Admin – each narrower or wider than the last.
Start with read-only. It is a short, revocable invitation, not a transfer of ownership – it can be withdrawn from the account's own access settings at any time, and removal takes effect immediately. Read the full breakdown of what each access stage can and cannot do on the Trust, Access & Data page.
Send the invitation to the address in the message that pointed you here – it must go to that exact address for us to see it. If you don't have it, reply to that message and we'll confirm it.
Launch timing depends on billing being confirmed, Google's advertiser verification completing, and the website being ready to receive traffic – there is no fixed timeline to promise here.
Google changes this interface often. If what you see doesn't match, tell us and we'll walk it with you.
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