Short answer: A lead form asset puts a short form inside your Google ad, so people can send you their name, email or phone without visiting your site. You can add one to Search and Performance Max campaigns. You need a link to your privacy policy and a campaign set up for lead form conversions.
How a Google Ads lead form works
Google says lead forms let people submit their information in a form directly in your ad. You create the form in Google Ads and add it to a Search or Performance Max campaign. When people interact with an ad that has the form, they can open it and send their contact details.
The form serves only when the campaign meets a few conditions: responsive search ads, a conversion-focused bid strategy and a Google lead form conversion goal. Our guide to responsive search ads covers that ad format.
What you need before you start
Google asks for a good record with its policies and a business in an eligible category. You also need a link to your privacy policy, which appears at the end of the form. What that policy should include is in our guide to writing a website privacy policy.
Lead forms in Display or Video campaigns, or a Search ad whose headline opens the form, need more: a minimum total spend that Google sets, or a smaller spend plus advertiser verification.
Who can’t use lead forms
Google’s lead form requirements don’t allow ads with sexual, alcohol, gambling, healthcare or political content. Only first-party advertisers, or agencies with a direct relationship with what is offered, can use lead form ads; affiliate networks and lead generation businesses can’t.
If your ads fall under one of those categories, a form on your own landing page is the way to collect leads.
How to create a lead form in Google Ads
- Have the URL of your privacy policy ready.
- In Campaigns, select the plus button, then New campaign, and choose Leads as the objective.
- Add the Submit lead form (Google hosted) conversion goal and choose Search or Performance Max.
- In the Ads section of a Search campaign, select + Lead forms and create a new lead form.
- Write the headline, business name and description, and choose at least one contact question.
- Add your privacy policy URL, the message people see after they submit and a call to action.
- Choose how you’ll receive your leads, such as a webhook or email notifications, and save.
How to receive your leads
| Option | How it works | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| CSV download | You export your leads by hand | Covers only the last 30 days |
| Email notifications | You get an email for each lead | Set your address in the form’s Notifications section |
| Webhook | Leads go straight to your CRM | You write the code or use a third-party provider |
| Zapier | Leads go to your CRM automatically | Authorize Zapier in your account first |
| Google Ads API | Exports up to 60 days of leads automatically | Needs API access set up in Google Cloud |
Our summary of Google Ads Help, read November 6, 2026.
Leads expire after 60 days, so download them often or connect a CRM. For fast follow-up, Google recommends a webhook or Zapier over manual downloads. Meta’s version, the instant form, is in our guide to Facebook lead ads.
How to write the form
Google gives the form headline 30 characters, so it has to catch attention right away, and the description can explain your offer. Choose a call to action from Google’s list and use its 30-character description to prompt the next step.
Pick questions that match your campaign goal and collect what you need to follow up. You must choose at least one contact question, such as name, email or phone number, and you can add custom questions.
Before your lead form goes live
- Your privacy policy has a public URL.
- Your ads aren’t in a category Google keeps out of lead forms.
- The campaign runs responsive search ads.
- The bid strategy focuses on conversions and includes the lead form goal.
- You know where each lead arrives and who answers it.
- Someone downloads or syncs the leads before 30 days pass.
RememberConnect the form to your CRM or inbox before it goes live, and answer each lead quickly. Google keeps leads for only 60 days.
With our Google Ads service, your Google Search campaigns run from an ad account in your name. Reach us on WhatsApp or through the form.
Quick answers about Google Ads lead forms
Which Google Ads campaigns can use a lead form?
Google says you can add lead forms to Search and Performance Max campaigns. The ads have to be responsive search ads, and the campaign needs a conversion-focused bid strategy that includes a Google lead form conversion goal.
How do I get the leads from a Google Ads lead form?
You can download a CSV file, get an email for each lead, send them to your CRM with a webhook or Zapier, or use the Google Ads API. Google stores leads for 60 days, and a CSV download covers the last 30.
Do I need a privacy policy to use lead forms?
Yes. Google asks for the link to your business’s privacy policy when you create the form, and that policy appears at the end of the form people fill out.
Which businesses can’t use Google Ads lead forms?
Google’s lead form requirements don’t allow ads with sexual, alcohol, gambling, healthcare or political content. Affiliate networks and lead generation businesses without a direct relationship with what they offer can’t use them either.
How long can a lead form headline be?
Google’s best practices give the headline 30 characters, so it has to catch attention right away, while the description explains your offer. The call-to-action description also has 30 characters.
Sources
All read on November 6, 2026. Google Ads Help: About lead form assets. Create lead form assets. Download leads. Best practices for lead form assets. Advertising Policies Help: Lead form requirements.