Do I Need to Switch to Google Ads Before My Google Local Service Ads Account Shuts Off? What to Know as Local Services Ads Are Moving Into Google Ads in 2026 and Ads Transition to Performance Max

You got the notice, you saw the words "Google Ads," and now you're wondering if you have to build something, sign something, or switch something before your Local Services Ads account shuts off. Fair worry, since nobody wants the phone to go quiet in the middle of busy season.

Here's the short answer for any Google Local Service Ads advertiser. Google says existing Local Services Ads campaigns are migrated to Google Ads automatically, so you don't have to rebuild your campaign yourself. What you can do is get ready, and that takes a lot less time than learning a whole new ad platform.

Does Your Google LSA Account Really Shut Off?

Not the way most people picture it. Google says Local Services Ads is transitioning into the Google Ads platform, and that your existing campaign gets migrated automatically to a specialized Performance Max campaign type built for pay per lead goals. The part that does go away is the old separate Local Services Ads dashboard. Once your LSA account has moved, Google says you can't open the original dashboard anymore, and logging in to it sends you to Google Ads.

So the thing that shuts off is the place you click, the old LSA dashboard, and the ads themselves keep running in local search and on Google Maps. Google says where and how your ads appear on Google Search and Google Maps "remains exactly the same," and that it expects minimal down time during the move.

What Does Google Say You Have to Do as Local Services Ads Are Moving Into Google Ads?

Google's pages we read don't give a "switch by this date" task list for advertisers who are being moved automatically. They do say what you'll get and when. Your account administrator receives an email 14 days before your date, with warning banners inside your current dashboard, and a final reminder 7 days later. Another email follows after the move.

We could not find anything in Google's pages that says you have to create a new Google Ads account first, or that says you can opt out of the move. If anyone tells you they know either way, ask where they read it. If you want a straight answer for your own account, call Google's migration support line at +1-844-205-0011, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 8 PM Eastern.

When Do Local Services Ads Advertisers Move?

Google's timeline puts the first phase in August 2026 for select home and storefront service advertisers in the United States, including plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and roofing. Late 2026 brings service-area businesses without physical storefronts and accounts with custom bidding or booking, and the rest follow in 2027. Your own date shows up in the 14 day notice, so it's worth knowing who gets that email. Our post on the Google Ads migration for contractors has the bigger picture.

What to Do Before Your Local Services Ads Move Into Google Ads

Think of this as a short pre-flight check for your Local Services Ads account as you migrate to Google Ads. None of it needs a Google Ads background.

1. 1Save your reports. Google says your historical performance reports won't transition, so take screenshots or download them. Here's how to export your LSA reporting history.
2. 2Check your Google Business Profile data. Your business name, address, and hours sync one way into Google Ads, and a big change can trigger a review that takes 24 to 48 hours. Read why editing your profile can pause your ads first.
3. 3Write down your weekly budget, your average cost per lead, and your lead count for the last 90 days, so you can compare after the move.
4. 4Keep one person opted in to lead email notifications, since Google says your account needs one active user opted in at all times.
5. 5Review your service areas and your ad schedule, since those are set inside Google Ads on their own.

How This Differs From Standard Performance Max Campaigns, and What You Don't Need to Do

You don't need to learn keywords. Google's pay per lead campaigns use no keywords, and they serve only in local search results and on Google Maps, unlike standard Performance Max campaigns that charge per click and can run across YouTube, Gmail, and the Google Display Network.

You also don't need to set a bid. Manual bidding, like a maximum cost per lead, is no longer supported. Maximize Conversions is the default, and Google says to only set a Target CPA if your campaign gets more than 15 leads a month and your cost per lead is higher than you'd like. A target set too low can keep your ads from showing.

One more thing that surprises people, Google says you can't create new campaigns with pay per lead goals directly within Google Ads at this time. If you need a new local campaign, Google says to keep using g.co/localservices.

Local Services Ads Migration: Is Google Local Service Ads the Same as Google Ads?

Not quite, and that's the part the move does not change. Standard Google Ads, the traditional kind, are built around keywords and clicks. Think of them as local search ads for home services. Local services ads are built around the services you offer, your service categories, and your service areas, and they show in local search results and on Google Maps when people search for services near them. So the ads are moving into Google Ads, but you're not turning into a keyword advertiser.

Google says your photos and service areas are pre-filled when your account moves, and that if you list multiple service categories, one campaign-level Target CPA is calculated for all of them. In plain words, the Google Ads interface becomes the new front door for your LSA ads, and the old dashboard goes away. Local customers see the same kind of ad they saw before.

What Happens to Your Google Business Profile Data, Badge, and Leads After the Move?

Your past lead history, with contact details, messages, and call recordings, moves over and stays accessible on the new Leads page, which replaces your old Local Services Ads inbox. Your verified status and Google Verified badge transfer automatically, and Google says insurance and license reverification are no longer required for the move. Your locations, service categories, service types, business hours, and ad schedule carry over too, and Google says Better Business Bureau callouts are no longer supported. Your weekly budget is divided by 7 to set a daily average, and your monthly spend is capped at that daily average times 30.4. Google says to allow up to two weeks for the move to finish and for performance to settle. If your leads slow down, read why your Local Services Ads leads stopped coming in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to switch to Google Ads before my Local Services Ads account shuts off?

Google says existing Local Services Ads campaigns are migrated to Google Ads automatically. The pages we read don't tell advertisers to switch on their own, and they don't say you can opt out.

Will my ads stop while the move happens?

Google says where and how your ads appear on Google Search and Google Maps remains exactly the same, and that it expects minimal down time.

Can I still open my old Local Services Ads dashboard?

Not after your account moves. Google says you can't open the original dashboard, and logging in sends you to Google Ads.

How will I know when my account moves?

Your account administrator gets an email 14 days before your date, plus warning banners in your dashboard, and a final reminder 7 days later.

Is Google Local Service Ads the same as Google Ads?

Not quite. Standard Google Ads charge per click and use keywords. Local Services Ads charge per lead and use no keywords. After the move, you manage your LSA campaign inside Google Ads.

Do I have to learn Google Ads keywords?

No. Pay per lead campaigns use no keywords, and you pay for valid leads, not clicks.

Nobody can tell you for certain how your leads will look once you move, and we won't pretend to. If you'd rather have someone check your profile, budget, and settings before the switch, the Migration Rescue is a flat $2,000, no retainer.

Want a second set of eyes, start with the free Migration Readiness Report, and if you want the whole job done for you the Migration Rescue is $2,000 flat. Start on the home page.