What is the account audit feature?
The account audit is a structured health check that examines your Google Ads account across multiple domains and surfaces findings ranked by severity. The audit runs checks on campaign structure, tracking setup, keyword quality, and budget allocation, then scores each domain separately so you can see where your account is strongest and where improvements matter most.
An audit generates a list of findings with recommendations. You review each finding, approve a plan to fix it, and Vendably executes the change via the Google Ads API. After execution, the system measures the impact of the change so you can see whether it improved performance or cost.
This feedback loop - audit, recommend, approve, execute, measure - is how you keep your account healthy and your ad spend efficient over time.
Where to find the account audit
The account audit lives in your Vendably dashboard at: Channels > Paid Media > Google Ads > Account Audit.
Only Owner and Admin roles can trigger an audit or dismiss findings. If you have a different role, ask your account owner or administrator to run the audit.
What the audit checks
The audit examines your account across four domains:
| Domain | What it checks | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign structure | Ad group organisation, campaign naming, and grouping logic | Poor structure makes campaigns harder to manage and optimise, leading to wasted spend |
| Tracking setup | Conversion tracking, UTM parameters, and event logging | Missing or incorrect tracking means you cannot measure which keywords and ads actually drive sales |
| Keyword quality | Keyword relevance, match types, and bid efficiency | Low-quality keywords waste budget on clicks unlikely to convert |
| Budget allocation | Daily budgets, spending patterns, and pacing across campaigns | Misallocated budgets mean high-performing campaigns run out of money while underperformers spend freely |
Each domain receives a score after the audit completes. A domain score reflects how well your account meets best practices in that area. Low scores highlight where changes will have the most impact.
Running an audit
- Navigate to Channels > Paid Media > Google Ads > Account Audit.
- Click the button to start a new audit.
- Wait for the audit to complete. Depending on account size, this may take several minutes.
- Review the domain scores and findings list once the audit finishes.
You can run audits as often as you need. Many merchants run them monthly to catch new issues early.
Understanding audit findings
Once the audit completes, you see a list of findings ranked by severity. Each finding includes:
- Issue description: what the audit detected.
- Affected campaigns or keywords: which parts of your account are involved.
- Recommended action: the specific change Vendably suggests.
- Severity level: how much the issue affects account health or performance.
Findings are sorted by severity, so the most impactful issues appear first. This helps you prioritise which recommendations to act on.
Approving and executing a plan
When you decide to fix a finding:
- Review the recommended action in detail.
- Click the option to approve the plan.
- Vendably submits the change to Google Ads via the API.
- The system monitors the impact of the change over the following days or weeks.
- You see a report showing whether the change improved performance, reduced cost, or had another measurable outcome.
You remain in control at every step. You can dismiss findings you disagree with, and you must approve each plan before Vendably makes any changes to your account.
What success looks like
A successful audit has three components:
- Completed domain scores: The audit finishes and shows you a score for campaign structure, tracking setup, keyword quality, and budget allocation. These scores tell you which areas need attention.
- Ranked findings list: You have a clear list of issues sorted by severity, so you know what to tackle first.
- At least one approved and executed plan: You have moved at least one finding from recommendation to approved plan, Vendably has executed it, and you are tracking the impact. This closes the loop and shows that the audit is driving real improvements to your account.
Success is not a perfect score in every domain. Success is understanding where your account has gaps and taking action to fix the issues that matter most to your business.
Platform availability
Google Ads is the only platform with audit checks built in Vendably today. Audits for Microsoft Ads, Meta, and TikTok are not yet available. If you manage accounts on other platforms, you can still connect them to Vendably for reporting and basic management, but structured audits are limited to Google Ads.
If you have not yet connected your Google Ads account, see connecting-google-ads-to-vendably. If you run campaigns on other platforms, you can connect Meta Ads or Microsoft Ads for visibility across your paid media spend.
Next steps
After your first audit, plan to review findings monthly or when you make significant changes to your account. Use the severity ranking to prioritise which findings to act on first. Start with findings that affect tracking or budget allocation, as these have the broadest impact on performance and cost.
Each approved and executed plan should move your account toward higher domain scores and fewer critical findings. Over time, regular audits help you build a healthier, more efficient Google Ads account.