The Shift From Responsive Display Ads to Demand Gen

In June 2026, Google began moving its responsive display ads into Demand Gen to improve both discoverability and actionability. This guide will help advertisers managing Display or Demand Gen creative get the most from responsive ads in this new environment.

In this blog, Ignite Visibility’s SVP of Paid Media, Meghan Parsons, will explain the transition and go over how to create highly effective Google Responsive Display Ads using the Demand Gen workflow.

What You’ll Learn

What Are Responsive Display Ads?

Responsive display ads, or responsive ads for short, are an asset-based ad format designed to fit into various ad spaces across YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and the Google Display Network.

Unlike traditional static ads, responsive ads adjust their size, appearance, and format to match the available space and device based on provided assets.

Responsive display ads are different from responsive search ads in that while paid search ads appear solely in Google search results, display ads appear across Google platforms and affiliate sites. They’re also different from uploaded image and HTML5 ads, which are fixed image ads using external creative elements without the kind of dynamic advertising of responsive ads.

They are not to be confused with dynamic display ads, which pull personalized content from feeds like service feeds and Google Merchant Center product catalogs. While it’s possible to personalize product ads with responsive ads, standard responsive display ads put together assets based on ad slots and performance signals.

Instead, Google responsive display ads will now function as Demand Gen ads that drive demand and encourage customers to take action.

Responsive display ads allow advertisers to combine text, images, videos, and logos for ad experiences. Machine learning algorithms evaluate asset combinations based on user interactions to support brand awareness, engagement, and conversions.

Now, with the Demand Gen migration, you can conduct formal campaign and asset A/B testing experiments, allowing you to launch two or more campaigns at once to see which assets yield the best performance.

Just remember that the responsive ad format controls creative assembly, while your campaign and ad group settings control targeting, working together to help you reach the right people at the right time.

My Expert Opinion on Responsive Display Ads

As the world of paid media advertising continues to evolve with developments like contextual AI and machine learning (ML), Google responsive ads for display campaigns provide a flexible way to deliver creative across diverse ad placements.

Display ads reach users across the web, complementing search ads with visual banners and other formats. Responsive ads allow messaging and visuals to adapt to different ad slots.

In practice, the biggest RDA mistake I see is treating asset quantity as the strategy. Giving Google more variations can expand its ability to test, but the assets still need distinct messages, strong visual hierarchy and accurate conversion signals. Automation can assemble and distribute creative; it cannot fix unclear positioning, weak inputs or the wrong optimization goal.

Ignite Visibility has proven experience with Google Ads campaigns involving the use of Google responsive display ads, with one franchise client seeing a 56% increase in leads thanks in part to our Google Ads management services.

How Do Responsive Display Ads Work?

Google’s responsive display ads work by assembling and optimizing ad creatives based on the available ad space and user context. When a user visits a website or app across YouTube, Discover, Gmail, or the Google Display Network, Google’s algorithms analyze the available ad space and user data to select an ad combination to display.

Through dynamic creative optimization, users see image and text combinations selected by the system based on context and performance signals.

This flexible approach allows responsive ads to adapt to different ad spaces, screen sizes, and devices. Google’s algorithms continuously evaluate user interaction signals to adjust asset serving over time.

Google’s generative AI is now enhancing the way you can use dynamic creative, using Imagen 4 and expanded Asset Studio image generation to produce relevant creative assets, which can go a long way in improving Google responsive ads for display functionality.

These ads work using the following steps:

1. Advertisers supply eligible assets, including images, videos, or text.
2. Campaign settings determine the precise inventory and target audiences.
3. Google assembles eligible asset combinations based on devices and performance signals.
4. The ad system learns from those performance signals to optimize future ads.
5. Advertisers evaluate campaign results and perform experiments to boost performance.

Google may omit certain creative assets or show ads without images.

How Dynamic Feed Ads Work

Demand Gen also allows advertisers to develop ads based on product feeds and current inventory. They’re great for presenting audiences with shoppable ads for a seamless ecommerce experience, showing the most relevant products to users based on their likely interests and intent.

They also help with remarketing campaigns by reconnecting with people who have already visited your site but neglected to make a purchase.

Responsive Display Ad Dimensions

Knowing the recommended dimensions for Google Display ads, the latest responsive display ads specs, and how to implement Google advertising with video content can help you maintain consistent compliance and keep your ads functioning optimally with every campaign.

Let’s review the current ad specs:

Asset Type	Aspect Ratio	Recommended Dimensions	Minimum Dimensions	Character / File Limit	Required vs. Optional	Demand Gen Migration Differences
Landscape Image	1.91:1	1200 x 628 px	600 x 314 px	5 MB (.jpg/.png)	Required, 1-15	Standardized behavior from legacy Display/Discover campaigns
Square Image	1:1	1200 x 1200 px	300 x 300 px	5 MB (.jpg/.png)	Required, 1-15	Identical specs to Display Network ads required for multi-channel delivery
Logo	1:1	1200 x 1200 px	128 x 128 px	5 MB (.jpg/.png)	Optional, 1-5	Strictly square logos are allowed, with the ability to automatically crop them into circular forms in mobile feeds
Videos	16:9, 1:1, 4:5, 2:3, 9:16 (for YT Shorts)	1:1 – 1080 x 1080 px, 16:9 – 1920 x 1080 px, 4:5 – 1080 x 1350, 9:16 – 1080 x 1920 px	Same as image ratios	256 GB (.mpeg-2/.mpeg-4)	Optional, 5	Replaces Video Action Campaigns, and videos under 10 seconds can’t play as in-stream ads on YouTube
Headlines	N/A	N/A	N/A	30 characters	Required, 1-5 (Google recommends 5 for variability)	Standardized character length across Display ad configurations
Descriptions	N/A	N/A	N/A	90 characters	Required, 1-5 (Google recommends 3)	Standardization across modern automated Google campaigns
Business Name	N/A	N/A	N/A	25 characters	Required, 1	N/A
Final URL	N/A	N/A	N/A	2,048 characters	Required, 1	N/A

5 Benefits of Responsive Display Ads

Why are responsive display ads so important for a successful advertising strategy? And what’s one benefit of using responsive display ads? Turns out, there are a few. Let’s take a closer look at their advantages and how they can take your digital marketing to the next level.

1. Broader Eligible Inventory

One key benefit is access to more ad inventory, as Demand Gen campaigns will automatically resize assets to fit nearly any available ad slot within the Google Display Network for websites and apps.

2. Faster Creative Production

What’s one benefit of using responsive display ads for asset creation? Unlike other types of display ads, these ads only require advertisers to upload a few core assets, including images, headlines, and descriptions for automated combinations, helping you develop versatile ads without as much manual creation.

3. Automated Combination Testing

Using machine learning, Google can test multiple asset combinations and automatically deliver top-performing iterations to your audiences, helping you connect with the right people with every ad.

4. Support for Video and Dynamic Feeds

Another advantage of Google responsive display ads is the ability to integrate videos and dynamic product feeds into your ad campaigns, driving more engagement with high-quality and, in the case of dynamic product feed ads, personalized ads to speak to your audiences’ needs and interests.

5. Lower Creative Production Requirements

Seeing as Demand Gen automatically handles layout and resizing of assets, design teams don’t need to spend as much time or effort on formatting ads. Simply upload the core assets and experiment with variations to fine-tune.

Limitations to Consider

While there are plenty of advantages to using Demand Gen ads for your campaigns, there are some limitations that could affect them, including:

• Reduced control over final layouts, as Demand Gen campaigns automatically format ads
• Assets may appear in unexpected combinations, making experimentation and optimization critical
• Not every asset will be shown in ads
• Ad Strength doesn’t predict business performance
• Weak conversion tracking may misguide automation
• Brand-sensitive advertisers may still require uploaded ads

Create Your Own Responsive Display Ads

Now that you know the benefits of responsive display ads, the proper dimensions for Google display ads, and how to create the most engaging Google Ads image and video content, it’s time to get into how to create responsive display ads.

Keep in mind that the following steps may vary as Google’s user interface updates. Always refer to Google’s UI to see if the process has changed.

Let’s review the steps to migrate an existing campaign into Demand Gen, along with the process of creating a new Demand Gen campaign.

Migrating an Existing Campaign

If you have a display ad campaign, you can migrate it into Demand Gen via the Google Ads dashboard, if the migration tool is available.

Before migrating, review any unsupported settings before migration, including formats, brand exclusion, negative keywords, and targeting options unavailable in Demand Gen.

Next, you can upgrade with the following steps:

1. Open the Google Ads dashboard and, in overview, select Display campaigns from the All campaigns dropdown menu.

2. Select Campaigns in the sidebar menu.

3. Select the specific display campaigns you want to migrate.

4. Click on Edit above, and choose Upgrade to Demand Gen in the dropdown if available.

5. Confirm the migration by clicking Upgrade.

Following migration, confirm all transferred budgets, bidding, audiences, exclusions, and creative.

Also, recheck approvals after migration to ensure a successful transfer.

Note: You cannot reverse migrations, and same-day spending could reset against the migrated campaign’s daily budget.

Creating a New Demand Gen

When should you use responsive display ads with a fresh start? If you don’t have a display ad campaign to migrate, or your campaign is ineligible for migration, you can start a new one directly within Google Ads.

Take these steps to launch a new campaign:

1. Open Google Ads and launch a new campaign.

2. Select your objective.

3. Select Demand Gen in the campaign type menu below.

4. Narrow down the specific goals you want to achieve based on your objective.

5. Select Continue and, on the next page, configure your goals, bidding, audiences, exclusions, and conversion tracking.

6. Create your first ad group and your first ad, where you can add all assets.

7. Review all automated enhancements and generated assets.

8. Preview and launch your campaign.

Best Practices for Google Responsive Display Ads

Setting up your responsive display ads correctly is crucial for success. Here are some key display ads best practices to keep in mind:

Optimize Your Images

Upload images in both square and landscape formats to ensure they look great in different ad spaces. This is especially important because images may get scaled down to fit into the appropriate space. For example, if you’re advertising a travel agency’s safari trips, choose images that are clear and easy to understand even when scaled down. Avoid images that become unclear or confusing when reduced in size.

Don’t Skip Any Sizes

 Treat all creative sections as required to ensure your ads look their best across various placements. Even if some sections are labeled as optional, filling them out can improve the overall appearance of your ads.

Be Flexible With Your Logo

Your logo is an important part of your brand identity (one of the key brand pillar), but it may need some adjustments to fit well in different ad formats. Consider making small changes to your logo, such as using only the icon portion or adjusting the alignment, to ensure it looks good in both square and landscape spaces.

Craft Your Text Carefully

When creating headlines and descriptions, remember that they may not always appear together. Craft your headlines to be informative and engaging on their own, and avoid repeating the same message in both headlines and descriptions. Also, front-load important information in case the text gets cut off. For instance, if you’re promoting a sale, make sure the discount percentage is mentioned early in the text.

Preview Your Ads

Use the preview feature in Google Ads to see how your ads will look in different formats. This can help you catch any issues with scaling or cropping before your ads go live. Share previews with your team for feedback to ensure your ads are visually appealing and effective.

Evaluate Ad Strength

You can gauge your responsive display ad setup by using Google’s automated Ad Strength evaluation tool. The tool evaluates whether you have provided sufficient asset variety and coverage according to Google’s guidelines, on a scale of “Incomplete” and “Poor” to “Excellent.” However, Ad Strength measures ad configuration rather than actual conversion performance.

Harness the Power of Video

Even the most engaging Google Ads image content can fall short of video, making this kind of content potentially some of the best to use, though it is optional. Using video marketing the right way can get more people’s attention and lead to as much as a 2x increase in conversions, helping you get the most from your ads. Thanks to Google, advertising with video content is easy using the available tools in Google Ads.

Ensure You Consider Brand Saftey and Regulations

Ensure your ads comply with brand safety and regulatory requirements. Some industries may have strict rules about what can be included in ads, so make sure your ads meet these guidelines. If necessary, consult with legal or compliance teams to ensure your ads are compliant.

While the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) provides a good framework for making content “safe,” you also need to consider brand suitability based on Google’s brand suitability controls. Suitability will depend on factors like inventory types, excluded content themes, excluded content keywords, and surface coverage.

Avoid Overlaid Logos

Google advises avoiding overlaying logos, as this can lead to formatting issues or make the image appear “messy.” In fact, Google could automatically overlay your logo asset onto the image when rendering.

Avoid Excessive Text Overlays

Using too much text over your ad images can make them look cluttered, and those overlays could become illegible if Google resizes the image for smaller placements for mobile devices.

Do Not Add Fake Buttons to Images

Adding fake buttons like “Buy Now” and “Click Here” could violate Google’s policy around misleading content, culminating in the disapproval of ads. Generally, any misleading click bait like that can also lead to distrust among your audiences and hurt your brand reputation.

Avoid Collages and Unclear Compositions

Incorporating too many images and cluttered backgrounds can make your ad’s message less clear. Instead, use a single, high-quality image for each visual asset.

Make the Product or Service the Visual Focus

Ensure your offerings are distinctly identifiable in every frame, and make use of negative space around the main subject to keep Google from cropping it out when resizing your images.

Supply Horizontal, Square, and Vertical Assets

Google requires horizontal and square images for ads, making them necessary to include for every image ad. While optional, it’s also best to upload a vertical image for your ads to optimize them for mobile devices.

Also, keep in mind that logo requirements can change in Demand Gen.

Make Each Headline and Description Work Independently

Google dynamically pairs headlines with descriptions, which is why you should avoid using any copy that relies on another compatible text component. Headline/description combos for each ad should be interchangeable.

Align the Ad Promise With the Landing Page

Make sure all corresponding landing pages work with your ads to create a seamless customer journey. Your promotions, pricing, and tone in each ad must match the landing page details, leading to lower bounce rates and higher conversion rates.

Review Generated Assets Before Approval

Check all combination previews within the asset library to spot any awkward or mismatching image and text couplings before launching your campaign, and confirm whether the Google display ad specs work with each format.

Check Live Ads Because Previews Do Not Represent Every Possible Layout

Even after checking the previews, make sure the actual ad turns out right based on Google’s automated formatting. Also, regularly review live ad performance metrics and asset reports to determine which headline/description/visual combination gets the best (or worst) results.

Measurement and Testing

When measuring and testing your display ads, consider the following:

Conversion Tracking

You’ll want to track conversions for your ads with the help of Google Tag Manager or Google Analytics 4 (GA4), as accurate conversion tracking feeds Google’s Smart Bidding models for better ad optimization.

View-Through Conversions

These metrics account for when users see RDA banners without clicking on them, only to complete a conversion on your site later. This measurement can indicate top-of-funnel brand lift.

Engaged-View Conversions

For video ads, Google can track engaged-view conversions, which indicates whether users watch skippable in-stream video ads for at least 10 seconds or in-feed/Shorts ads for at least five seconds without clicking but ultimately convert within the lookback window.

Attribution Windows

You can also use lookback or attribution windows to determine if your RDAs account for a conversion after exposure. Standard click-based conversion windows are 30 days, while engaged-view conversion windows sit for three days for web campaigns, and view-through conversions have a tighter window of 24 hours.

Campaign-Level CPA, ROAS, Conversion Rate, and Conversion Value

Other critical metrics to track at the campaign level include:

• Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA): This metric measures the total cost of acquiring each lead, customer, or transaction.
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): The total amount of revenue generated for each dollar spent on ads.
• Conversion Rate: The percentage of users who click on or otherwise engage with an ad and subsequently complete a desired action, such as a newsletter signup or a purchase.
• Conversion Value: The total monetary value assigned to each conversion.

Asset Reporting Limitations

Although campaign metrics can provide precise dollar amounts, you won’t find these figures in individual RDA asset reports. The reason for this limitation is that Google can’t accurately segment conversions based on individual headline or image combinations, as Google generates as many as thousands of real-time combinations.

However, you can gauge the performance of assets based on the qualitative ratings of “Low,” “Good,” or “Best.”

Demand Gen A/B Experiments

Test two or more of your RDAs with clean user separation using Demand Gen A/B testing tools, switching out a single variable to determine which combination performs best.

Statistical Confidence and Minimum Data Requirements

You shouldn’t conclude ad experiments early based on brief performance spikes. Wait for a high level of statistical confidence before selecting a creative winner (Google sets the default confidence interval at 80%).

Why Ad Strength Should Not Be Treated as an Outcome Metric

Ad Strength indicates whether you’re providing Google with sufficient raw data for testing, e.g., asset coverage, text diversity, and formatting variety. However, it’s not a direct indicator of overall campaign success, as even ads with an “Excellent” score due to variability may have copy or creative combinations that fail to convert.

Examples of Effective Responsive Display Ads

Want to see the advantages of using Google responsive ads for display campaigns? Check out the following examples of some of the most engaging Google Ads image and video ad campaigns:

COSMEDIX

This beauty brand used Google responsive display ads featuring auto-generated promotional videos. By incorporating clear calls-to-action and vibrant colors, they achieved a 5% increase in conversion rates.

Key Takeaways:

• The versatility of visuals grabs people’s attention
• Effective calls to action help move more people along the customer journey.

Bloomberg Media

Partnering with Kelpers in 2022, Bloomberg Media tested both standard and responsive display ads to boost viewership and subscribers. The results showed that responsive display ads outperformed standard ads, with an 81% lower cost-per-site visit and an 8% lower cost-per-action. Bloomberg’s success can be attributed to minimalist designs, diverse ad versions, and effective use of colors.

Key Takeaways:

• Simplicity is sometimes best
• Many ads using various Google Display Ad specs lend versatility
• Color is key

Why Your Responsive Display Ads Are Not Serving

There are a few key reasons why RDAs might not show up in the Google Display Network, such as:

• Targeting and Audience Issues: Your audience pool might be too small for remarketing purposes (you need at least 100 active users in the last 30 days), you may be layering too many targeting criteria at the same time, or you could have strict exclusion parameters in place.
• Bidding and Budget Restraints: Ads might have unrealistic Smart Bidding targets without sufficient baseline data, your ads could be targeting maximum budgets that are too low, or you may have exhausted your daily budget.
• Policy, Review, and Feed Statuses: Google can take up to 48 hours to review visual assets in RDAs, the platform may flag and disapprove ads for policy violations, or dynamic feeds could feature broken links or have fewer than the minimum six approved items in the feed.

FAQS About Responsive Display Ads

1. How do responsive display ads use automation?

Responsive display ads use automation by dynamically adjusting their size, appearance, and format to fit different ad spaces across the Google Display Network. This automation simplifies things for advertisers by allowing them to create just one ad that adjusts to various placements.

2. What’s the advantage of responsive display ads?

One advantage of using responsive display ads is that they help expand reach by automatically fitting various placements across YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and the Google Display Network.

3. When should you use responsive display ads?

​Responsive display ads are ideal for advertisers looking to streamline their ad creation process and reach a broad audience. They are especially useful for businesses with limited resources or those looking to test different ad formats and placements. Additionally, responsive display ads are well-suited for campaigns where targeting a diverse audience across multiple devices is essential.

4. What are the limitations of responsive display ads?

To get the most from responsive display ads, it’s important to know Google display ad specs for these ads and when you should use responsive display ads. The main limitation you will likely encounter is a lack of creative control, as Google automates the final ad units, and performance insights are more limited.

5. How many assets can I include in an RDA?

In responsive ads, you can include up to 15 images, 5 logos, 5 short headlines, one long headline, 5 descriptions, 5 videos, and one business name. Google on Display will then determine the best combinations based on your audience targeting, including contextual advertising.

6. Can RDAs improve my campaign performance?

You might ask, “Why use display advertising with Google on Display?” The fact is that responsive display ads can help you by making your ads more dynamic, connecting you with your target audiences at the right place and at the right time with adaptable campaigns.

7. What’s one benefit of using responsive display ads?

You might wonder: When should you use responsive display ads? These ads are ideal if you want:

• More access to better inventory
• More efficient creative production
• Automated combination testing
• Support for video and dynamic ad feeds
• Reduced creative production requirements

8. Are responsive display ads being discontinued?

RDAs are not disappearing as an asset-based ad format, but the campaign environment used to create and manage Google Display advertising is moving into Demand Gen.

9. How does the Demand Gen migration affect RDAs?

The Demand Gen migration shifts campaign workflow into a consolidated interface. It impacts setup by requiring Demand Gen campaign structures, affects bidding models and audience controls, and changes reporting layouts while consolidating Display, YouTube, and Discover placement management.

10. What is the difference between an RDA and a responsive search ad?

While RDAs work using visual elements like images and videos that appear across the Google Display Network, responsive search ads are text-based ads that only appear in Google Search results alongside organic rankings.

11. Are logos and videos required?

Logos are optional assets in responsive display ads, though providing one helps ensure consistent brand presentation. Videos are also optional but recommended to drive engagement across visual inventory.

12. Why is my responsive display ad not serving?

There are multiple reasons why Google might not display your ads, such as pending policy or billing approvals, narrow audience targeting, or restrictive bid strategies. Your ads could also fail to appear if you neglect to include any visual assets.

13. What is the minimum remarketing audience size?

To serve remarketing ads on the Google Display Network, you need a remarketing list with a minimum of 100 active visitors or users within the last 30 days.

14. Does an Excellent Ad Strength rating guarantee better performance?

No, having an “Excellent” Ad Strength does not guarantee that your ads will perform well. Ad Strength simply measures asset variety and coverage based on your ads’ adherence to Google’s best practices for display ads. The quality, market fit, and messaging of your ads will more directly affect performance.

15. Can Google create AI-generated RDA assets?

Yes, Google can use generative AI tools in the asset library to produce images using text prompts, develop automated slideshows from images, and expand backgrounds.

16. How do I turn off or review automatic asset enhancements?

You can manage automatic asset enhancements for RDAs during ad creation and editing by expanding the “Advanced options” or “Ad enhancements” tab in the RDA builder, at the bottom. You can then use this feature to turn off features like auto-generated video, asset enhancements, and native formats.

17. Should I use RDAs or uploaded image ads?

RDAs offer more scalability than standard uploaded image ads, but it may be best to use one or the other or both. Uploaded image ads are more suitable for advertisers in industries with stract requirements regarding how their ads look based on legal and brand guidelines, giving them more control over ad appearance.

Meet Your Marketing Goals With Ignite Visibility

In the world of online advertising, responsive display ads provide essential reach and creative flexibility. Strategic oversight remains crucial to ensure your creative assets and campaign structures deliver optimal performance.

With the help of our experts, you can:

• Determine when you should use responsive display ads for your campaigns
• Develop high-quality responsive display ads that target your ideal audience
• Use dynamic creative to deliver the most relevant ads to every audience segment
• Continually monitor and measure results to gauge effectiveness
• Perfect your Google responsive display ads over time with gradual optimization
• And more!

Ready to elevate your advertising strategy? Find out what our display advertising services can do for your RDA campaign today.