Expanded Text Ads (Legacy)

Expanded Text Ads (ETAs) were a Google Ads search ad format featuring three fixed headlines (30 characters each) and two descriptions (90 characters each) arranged in a static, advertiser-defined order. Google stopped allowing creation of new ETAs in June 2022, replacing them with Responsive Search Ads as the sole creatable search ad format. Existing ETAs continue to serve but cannot be edited.

Key Takeaways

• ETAs were retired in June 2022 — no new ETAs can be created or edited
• Existing ETAs continue to serve alongside Responsive Search Ads in ad groups where they remain active
• ETAs had 3 fixed headlines and 2 fixed descriptions with no dynamic assembly
• The advertiser controlled the exact ad copy shown to every user
• Google recommends pausing legacy ETAs if RSAs are outperforming them

What Were Expanded Text Ads

Expanded Text Ads were the standard search ad format from 2016 to 2022. They replaced the original “Standard Text Ads” (which had even shorter character limits) and were themselves replaced by Responsive Search Ads.

ETA structure:

Component	Count	Character Limit	Behavior
Headline 1	1	30 characters	Always shown first
Headline 2	1	30 characters	Always shown second
Headline 3	1	30 characters	Sometimes truncated on mobile
Description 1	1	90 characters	Always shown
Description 2	1	90 characters	Sometimes truncated
Display URL path 1	1	15 characters	Always shown
Display URL path 2	1	15 characters	Always shown

The defining characteristic of ETAs was predictability. You wrote an exact ad, and that exact ad was shown every time. No dynamic assembly, no machine learning variations, no headline shuffling.

How ETAs Compared to RSAs

The shift from ETAs to RSAs represents a fundamental change in ad creation philosophy:

Dimension	Expanded Text Ads	Responsive Search Ads
Control	Full — you define exactly what shows	Partial — you provide options, Google assembles
Headlines provided	3 (fixed)	Up to 15 (Google selects 3)
Descriptions provided	2 (fixed)	Up to 4 (Google selects 2)
Combinations tested	1	Thousands
Testing approach	Manual A/B with separate ads	Automated within a single ad
Optimization	Advertiser decides winner	Google optimizes per auction
Creation status	Retired (June 2022)	Active (current format)

Current Status and Migration

In the 2026 Google Ads interface, existing ETAs are visible under Ads & assets > Ads with a “Legacy” label. Their current operational status:

• Can be served: Yes, ETAs in active ad groups continue to enter auctions
• Can be created: No, the creation option was removed in June 2022
• Can be edited: No, existing ETAs cannot be modified (only paused or removed)
• Can be paused/removed: Yes, at any time
• Performance reporting: Full reporting remains available

Practical Example

An account manager evaluates whether to keep or pause legacy ETAs in a campaign with both ad types:

Ad Type	Format	Impressions	CTR	Conv. Rate	CPA
ETA 1	”Best Project Software - Try Free Today”	4,200	5.1%	3.2%	$88
ETA 2	”Project Management Tool - Start Free Trial”	3,800	4.6%	2.8%	$101
RSA 1	12 headlines, 4 descriptions	14,000	6.4%	4.1%	$62
RSA 2	10 headlines, 3 descriptions	8,000	5.8%	3.6%	$72

Analysis:

• RSAs outperform both ETAs on every metric
• RSA 1’s CPA ($62) is 30% better than the best ETA ($88)
• ETAs are receiving only 27% of impressions, indicating Google already favors the RSAs
• Keeping ETAs may fragment data and prevent RSAs from learning faster

Decision: Pause both ETAs. Redirect all traffic to RSAs.

Post-pause results (30 days):

• RSA impressions increase from 22,000 to 30,000
• RSA conversion rate improves from 3.9% to 4.3% (more data = better optimization)
• Overall CPA drops from $72 to $64

The consolidated impression volume allowed the RSAs to optimize more effectively.

Why It Matters

Understanding ETAs matters for three reasons. First, many active accounts still have legacy ETAs running, and managers need to make informed keep-or-pause decisions based on comparative performance data. Second, the ETA-to-RSA transition illustrates a broader trend in Google Ads: the shift from advertiser-controlled to AI-optimized ad delivery. Third, advertisers who learned ad writing during the ETA era need to adjust their approach — instead of crafting one perfect ad, they now provide diverse asset pools that Responsive Search Ads can draw from.

The general recommendation in 2026 is to pause ETAs unless they demonstrably outperform RSAs in the same Ad Group on your primary conversion metric. Most accounts see better results from consolidating around well-built RSAs with strong Ad Strength scores.