How to Create a Google Ad Account Without a Campaign

Creating a Google Ads account should be simple, but you've probably run into a common roadblock: Google tries to force you to build a complete campaign before you can even access your dashboard. This article will show you exactly how to bypass that setup process and create an account directly. You'll get full access to powerful tools like the Keyword Planner without having to launch - or pay for - a campaign first.

Why Create a Google Ads Account Without a Campaign?

Before we jump into the "how," let's quickly cover the "why." You're not just trying to be difficult - there are several practical reasons to set up a campaign-free account.

• Access the Keyword Planner: This is the most common reason. The Google Ads Keyword Planner is one of the best tools for SEO, content strategy, and market research. It provides search volume data, keyword suggestions, and cost-per-click estimates that are invaluable for any digital marketer, even if you don't plan on running paid ads.
• Prepare for a Future Launch: Maybe you're planning to launch campaigns next month, not today. Creating the account now lets you get ahead by setting up billing information, organizing account structure, and linking necessary integrations without the pressure of a live campaign.
• Agency and Freelancer Workflow: If you manage ads for clients, you need to set up their account shell long before the campaigns are ready for review. This lets you grant access, link their Google Analytics, and get the administrative groundwork done ahead of time.
• Explore the Interface: Sometimes you just want to get familiar with the Google Ads platform. Setting up an account without a campaign gives you a safe sandbox to poke around, learn the terminology, and understand the layout without any risk of accidental clicks or ad spend.
• Link to Other Google Tools: You need a Google Ads account to link to other services like Google Analytics 4 for audience sharing or Google Merchant Center for Performance Max campaigns. Creating the account shell is the first step in that process.

In short, creating a campaign first is often a premature step. Getting the account set up gives you freedom and access without commitment.

Avoiding the "Smart Mode" Trap

Google’s default setup process is designed for absolute beginners and is known as "Smart Mode" (formerly AdWords Express). It's a simplified, goal-oriented workflow that guides you through creating a single, automated campaign. While well-intentioned, this is the very process that forces you to provide ad copy, targeting, and a budget before you can do anything else.

The key to bypassing this limitation is to switch from the default "Smart Mode" into "Expert Mode." The option is easy to miss - intentionally so. It appears as a small, discreet link at the bottom of the page during the initial setup steps.

Once you know where to find it, you can take full control of the account creation process. Let's walk through it step by step.

How to Create a Google Ads Account Without a Campaign: Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps carefully to create your Google Ads account and get straight to the dashboard. The entire process should only take a few minutes.

Step 1: Get Started on the Google Ads Homepage

Navigate to the official Google Ads website. Click on either "Start now" in the top right corner or the primary call-to-action button in the middle of the page.

Step 2: Sign In with Your Google Account

You'll be prompted to sign in. Use the Google account you want associated with this new advertising account. This could be your existing business Gmail or a new one you've created for your company. If you're managing multiple Google Ads accounts, you'll see an option to "Create a new Google Ads account."

Step 3: The Most Important Step – Switch to Expert Mode

This is where most people get tripped up. After you sign in, Google will immediately try to push you into the simplified Smart Mode campaign setup. You might see a page asking for your business name, your website, or what you want to advertise.

DO NOT fill this out. Instead, look carefully toward the bottom of the page. You'll see a small, subtle line of text that says something like, “Are you a professional marketer? Switch to Expert Mode.”

Click this link immediately. Don't enter your website or any other business information on this initial screen. This is the one and only place you'll have this specific opportunity to switch modes during account creation.

Step 4: The Second Most Important Step – Creating an Account Without a Campaign

Switching to Expert Mode doesn't completely get you out of the woods. Google will still try to get you to create a campaign. After switching, you'll land on a new screen that asks you to "Choose your objective." You'll see options like Sales, Leads, Website traffic, and so on.

Again, DO NOT click any of these objectives. Just like before, look down at the bottom of the page for another small, cleverly-hidden link.

This time, the link will say: "Create an account without a campaign."

Click that link. This tells Google you just want to set up the account shell and explore the platform, which is exactly your goal.

Step 5: Confirm Your Business Information

Now that you've successfully bypassed the campaign setup, you'll be taken to a final confirmation page. Here, you'll be asked to confirm three crucial pieces of information:

• Billing country: The country where your business is legally registered. This determines your currency and tax options.
• Time zone: Your local time zone. This is used for all your ad scheduling and reporting.
• Currency: The currency you'll use for billing and reporting.

Pay close attention here. These three settings are permanent and cannot be changed later. If you select the wrong time zone or currency, the only way to fix it is to create a brand new Google Ads account. Double-check that everything is correct, then click "Submit."

Step 6: You Did It! Explore Your Account

Congratulations! You should now see a screen that says, "Congrats! You're all done."

From here, you have the option to set up your billing details or just start exploring. Click the blue "Explore your account" button to proceed directly to the Google Ads dashboard.

You now have a fully functional Google Ads account without a single campaign or ad group. You won't be charged anything until you decide to create and run a campaign with active billing details.

What to Do After Setting Up Your Account

Your new account is an empty-but-powerful shell. Here are a few things you can do right away to get the most value out of it.

1. Find and Use the Keyword Planner

To access the Keyword Planner, look for the "Tools & Settings" icon (it looks like a wrench or spanner) in the top-right menu. Click it, and a dropdown mega menu will appear. Under the "Planning" column, you'll find the "Keyword Planner." Here you can start discovering keywords, checking search volumes, and building out lists for your SEO or future PPC campaigns.

2. Link Other Services

Integrating your other Google properties is a great next step. Go to "Tools & Settings" > "Setup" > "Linked accounts." From here, you can connect your account to:

• Google Analytics 4: Essential for importing conversions, sharing audiences, and getting a holistic view of your website traffic.
• Google Merchant Center: A must-have for e-commerce businesses running Shopping or Performance Max campaigns.
• YouTube: To link your brand's YouTube channel for video advertising and viewership analytics.
• Google Search Console: To gain deeper insights into how your organic and paid search performance interact.

3. Set Up Billing for the Future

Even if you're not running ads yet, you can set an active payment method in advance. This avoids any delays when you're ready to launch your first campaign. Navigate to "Tools & Settings" > "Billing" > "Settings" to add your payment information.

4. Add Team Members and Clients

If you're working with a team, you can invite them now. Go to "Tools & Settings" > "Setup" > "Access and security." From here, you can add new users and assign them specific permission levels (e.g., Standard, Admin, Read-only).

Final Thoughts

Creating a Google Ads account doesn't have to mean launching a campaign right away. By knowing where to find the "Switch to Expert Mode" and "Create an account without a campaign" links, you can bypass the guided setup and gain immediate access to the full dashboard and all its powerful planning tools.

Of course, once your account is set up and your campaigns go live, you'll face the next challenge: reporting. Pulling data, building charts, and explaining performance across Google Ads, analytics, and your CRM can take hours. At Graphed, we solve this by connecting all your marketing and sales platforms into one system. We make it easy to analyze your performance in seconds using simple, natural language. Instead of wrangling spreadsheets, you can just ask questions like, "Create a dashboard comparing Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads spend and revenue for this quarter" and get an instant, real-time visualization. Try Graphed to see how quickly you can turn hours of manual reporting into a single sentence.