How To Disable Auto Apply Recommendations In Google Ads

Google handles over 3.5 billion searches every single day? With numbers like that, it makes total sense why so many businesses are pouring time and money into Google Ads. It’s one of the best places to catch people exactly when they’re looking for what you offer.

However, while Google Ads gives you all kinds of tools to fine-tune your campaigns, it also comes with one sneaky little feature that often gets overlooked: automatic recommendations.

At first glance, those suggestions might seem helpful. They’re pitched as a way to “improve” your account’s performance. But sometimes? Google will go ahead and apply them without even asking. You blink, and suddenly your daily budget’s doubled or your targeting has gone in a different direction. That's obviously not ideal. So let’s talk about how to disable Google Ads’ automatic recommendations before they start running your account like it’s theirs.

How to Disable Google’s Auto-Apply Feature (Step-by-Step)

1. Log in to Your Google Ads Account

Start by going to ads.google.com, hit that blue “Sign In” button in the top-right corner, and open the account you want to adjust. (If you manage multiple accounts, make sure you’re in the right one.)

2. Head to the “Recommendations” Tab

Once inside the account dashboard, look to the left-hand menu and click “Recommendations.” It’s usually right below “Overview.” Don’t have a specific campaign selected when you do this, or you won’t see the full options.

3. Click on “Auto-Apply” in the Top Right Corner

Once the Recommendations page loads, scan the top-right corner and you’ll see a button labeled “Auto-apply.” Click that.

Not seeing it? Double-check that you're viewing all campaigns and not just an individual one. You can change this by clicking the campaign dropdown on the left and selecting “View all campaigns.”

4. Make Sure You’re on the “Manage” Tab

After clicking into Auto-Apply, you’ll land on a section with two tabs: Manage and History. Stay on the Manage tab that’s where the magic (or chaos) happens.

5. Open the Auto Apply Recommendations Options

Here’s where Google organizes the auto-apply categories.

• “Maintain Your Ads” usually involves small tweaks such as ad rotation or pausing low-performing ads.

• “Grow Your Business” contains more aggressive suggestions such as changing your budget, expanding targeting, or switching bid strategies.

Click both sections to expand them fully.

6. Uncheck Every Box You Don’t Want Applied Automatically

Go through each checkbox under both sections. If you want complete control over your account, uncheck every single one.

You might be okay with Google rotating your ads to test which one performs better, and that's fine. You can leave that on. But if you’ve ever been hit with a surprise budget increase or random bidding experiment, uncheck everything under the “Bidding” section in “Grow Your Business.” You will thank me later!

7. Click “Save” in the Top Right Corner

Done with your selections? Hit the blue “Save” button. And just like that, your settings are locked in, and no more mystery changes from Google.

Related: How To Choose The Right Keyword Match Types For Your Google Ads

Why This Matters More Than You Think

It’s easy to shrug off disabling Google Ads auto apply recommendations as a minor tweak but if you’re running multiple campaigns or working with a tight budget, these little auto-applied changes can quietly wreck your results.

Imagine trying to A/B test landing pages only to find Google paused one of them “for optimization.” Or having a carefully capped budget that gets bumped up without warning. Google might call it optimization but I just call that interference. You’re the advertiser. You should be calling the shots, not reacting to them.

TL;DR: Disabling Google Ads Auto-Applied Recommendations

• Sign in and go to Recommendations

• Click Auto-apply (make sure “All Campaigns” is selected)

• Stay on the Manage tab

• Open both sections: Maintain Your Ads & Grow Your Business

• Uncheck everything you don’t want applied automatically

• Click Save

Still Curious About Google Ads Strategy?

If you’re serious about squeezing the most performance out of every ad dollar, here at Open World Digital we’ve got you covered. Because your business deserves more than "set it and forget it." It deserves smart strategy, real control, and results that actually make sense.