Short answer: Auto applied recommendations let Google change your account automatically, such as adding keywords, changing bids or creating assets. Some are harmless, but several can raise spend or bring in irrelevant traffic without you noticing. Most advertisers should turn off recommendations that add keywords, change bidding, expand match types or raise budgets, keep an eye on the change history, and review recommendations manually every week instead.
Where to find the setting
Go to Recommendations, then open Auto apply. You will see recommendation types grouped by category, each with a switch. You can also see the history of what was applied.
Which to turn off
| Recommendation type | Risk | Suggestion |
|---|---|---|
| Add new keywords | Irrelevant searches and spend | Turn off |
| Upgrade to broad match | Large change in traffic | Turn off, test manually |
| Bidding strategy changes | Unexpected cost changes | Turn off |
| Raise budgets | Higher spend | Turn off |
| Remove redundant or non serving keywords | Usually low | Optional |
| Add responsive search ads or assets | Can create off brand text | Review before allowing |
Recommendations often worth applying
Not every recommendation is a sales pitch. These are usually worth a look:
- Fix conversion tracking problems, such as tags not firing
- Add missing assets, such as sitelinks, callouts and images
- Fix policy or disapproval issues
- Remove conflicting negative keywords that block your own keywords
- Improve ad strength where an ad has very few headlines
Apply these manually after a quick check, so you still control the details.
Why manual review is better
Recommendations are based on Google’s view of growth, which often means more spend. Some are excellent. Others ignore your margins, your brand rules and what you already tested. Manual review lets you keep the good ideas and dismiss the rest.
A weekly review routine
- Open Recommendations once a week.
- Apply fixes that are clearly helpful.
- Dismiss ideas that do not fit, so Google learns your preferences.
- Test big ideas, such as broad match or new bid strategies, through Experiments.
- Check Change history for anything applied automatically.
Optimization score
The optimization score goes up when you apply or dismiss recommendations. It measures how many recommendations you have handled, not how profitable your account is. A lower score is fine if your results are good.
Frequently asked questions
What are auto applied recommendations in Google Ads?
Should I turn off auto applied recommendations?
How do I see what Google changed?
Does dismissing recommendations hurt performance?
Is a high optimization score important?
Who can review my Google Ads recommendations?
Want an account that only changes on purpose?
I can review your auto apply settings and recommendations. See my Google Ads management service or request a free ads audit. Also read Google Ads audit checklist and Google Ads experiments.