> Quick answer: Google Discovery ads require images in landscape, square, and portrait formats, headlines under 40 characters, descriptions under 90, and a campaign type set to "Discovery" in Google Ads. Follow the steps below to go from blank screen to live campaign.
What are Google Discovery Ads?
Discovery ads are a native, visual-first format. They reach people who are already browsing content across Google's properties.
When Discovery ads appear
Discovery ads appear on Google Discover (the mobile content feed), Gmail Promotions and Social tabs, and YouTube home and watch-next feeds. Per Google's Ads Help Center, the format is built to reach new customers when they're open to discovering something new.
Visual-first format across multiple Google properties
Discovery is its own campaign type. It is not a Display campaign or a Video campaign. The format is image-led. Strong creative is the biggest performance lever available. Poor images limit reach even with a solid targeting setup.
Discovery Ad Asset Requirements
Get your assets right before you open Google Ads. A missing spec means your ads won't run.
Image dimensions and aspect ratios (landscape, square, portrait)
Google requires images in three aspect ratios:
| Format | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Landscape | 1200 × 628 px |
| Square | 1200 × 1200 px |
| Portrait | 960 × 1200 px |
All three are required for a "Good" or better Ad Strength score. Per Google Ads documentation on Ad Strength for Discovery, full coverage across all three aspect ratios is the threshold for achieving that rating.
Text asset specs (headlines, descriptions, business name)
- Headlines: 40 characters maximum
- Descriptions: 90 characters maximum
- Business name: required in every ad
Write multiple headlines and descriptions. Google's system mixes them automatically to find best-performing combinations.
File size and quality guidelines
Every image must be under 5MB. Use high-resolution files. Low-quality images reduce delivery. Per Google's Discovery ads creative guidelines, you must own all legal rights to any image you upload, or have explicit permission from the rights holder.
Step 1: Prepare Your Creative Assets
Prepare all assets before opening Google Ads. This keeps the setup session fast and focused.
Generate or gather images in three aspect ratios
You need at least one image per aspect ratio. More variations improve performance. Coinis Image Ads generates creatives from a product URL and outputs all three Discovery aspect ratios in one workflow. Coinis Smart Resize then adjusts any image to hit exact pixel specs. Every asset saves automatically to Creative Library, so you pull them into Google Ads without hunting through your desktop folders.
One important note. Coinis publishes directly to Meta today. Google Ads direct publishing is on the roadmap. Use Coinis to build and perfect your creatives, then upload them to Google Ads manually.
Write headlines and descriptions
Keep headlines under 40 characters. Keep descriptions under 90. Write three to five of each. Focus each headline on a single benefit. Skip punctuation at the end of headlines.
Prepare logo and business name
Use a high-resolution logo file. Confirm your business name is spelled exactly as you want it displayed. Google shows both inside the ad unit.
Step 2: Set Up Your Discovery Campaign
Access Google Ads and create a new campaign
Log into Google Ads. Click "+ New campaign." Select your marketing objective. Sales, Leads, Website traffic, or No goal. Then choose "Discovery" as the campaign type. Do not pick Display or Video by mistake. They are separate types with different asset requirements.
Choose campaign objective and configure settings
Name your campaign clearly. Set location and language targeting. Choose a bidding strategy. Google recommends starting with Maximize conversions, then moving to Target CPA once the algorithm has collected enough conversion data.
Step 3: Add Assets and Ad Creative
Upload images in all three formats
Click "+ New ad" inside your ad group. Upload images for all three aspect ratios. Add your headlines, descriptions, business name, and logo. Set your final URL.
Review the asset mix
Add multiple headlines and descriptions so Google has more combinations to test. A richer asset set directly improves your Ad Strength indicator and gives the system more room to optimize.
Step 4: Configure Targeting and Budget
Set up audience targeting
Discovery campaigns run on Google's audience signals. Add custom segments, in-market audiences, or customer match lists from your CRM. Broad audience inputs help Google's system find the right people faster.
Define daily budget and bidding strategy
Your daily budget should cover at least 10 times your target CPA bid. Per HubSpot's Discovery ads campaign guide, this gives the algorithm enough volume to learn and optimize delivery. A budget that is too low stalls the learning phase.
Step 5: Review and Launch
Review ad strength score
Check your Ad Strength indicator before publishing. "Good" or "Excellent" requires images in all three aspect ratios plus strong headline and description coverage. Add more asset variants if the score shows gaps.
Check policy compliance
All Discovery ads must comply with Google Ads policies and personalized advertising guidelines. Note that Discovery ads are currently unavailable for users in Australia, France, and Germany.
Publish campaign
Click "Publish." Google reviews your ads before they go live. Approval typically takes one business day. Once active, monitor impressions, clicks, and conversions from your Google Ads dashboard.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need all three image aspect ratios for Google Discovery ads?
Yes. Google requires landscape (1200×628), square (1200×1200), and portrait (960×1200) images to reach a 'Good' Ad Strength score. Missing any one format lowers your score and can limit how widely your ads are delivered.
What is the character limit for Discovery ad headlines and descriptions?
Headlines are capped at 40 characters. Descriptions are capped at 90 characters. Write multiple versions of each so Google can mix and test combinations automatically.
Can I use Coinis to create images for Discovery ads?
Yes. Coinis Image Ads generates creatives from a product URL, and Smart Resize outputs all three required aspect ratios. You then upload those assets to Google Ads manually. Coinis does not publish directly to Google Ads today. That feature is on the roadmap.
What budget do I need to run a Discovery campaign?
Set a daily budget that covers at least 10 times your target CPA bid. This gives Google's algorithm enough conversion volume to learn and optimize. A budget that is too low keeps the campaign in a learning phase indefinitely.