- Definition
- In Ads Lighthouse, a check is one search for one keyword, in one location, on one device, on one search source.
In plain words
A check is the smallest unit of monitoring: Ads Lighthouse runs one search, such as northstar boots on mobile in Denver on Google, and saves the ads it finds.
Everything in the reports is built from checks.
Why it matters for brand and paid search teams
The checks you run decide your coverage. More keywords, cities, devices or sources show more of the market, and each one multiplies the number of checks every run uses.
Knowing what a check is also keeps reports honest. A completed check with no ads is a real result. A check that failed or is still pending is a gap. Treating both as zero would make an advertiser look absent when nobody looked.
How it works
A project's monthly volume is its keywords × locations × devices × sources, multiplied by the number of runs in the month. A source is Google search ads, Bing search ads or, on higher plans, Google Shopping.
Search results vary with context. Google says Ad Rank uses the context of each search, including location, device and time, and that its location targeting relies on signals such as IP address and device location. That is why each check records its own place, device and moment.
Google's Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool lets advertisers preview their own ads without recording impressions. It serves a different purpose from monitoring many advertisers across markets.
Example
Northstar (northstar.example) monitors 5 keywords in 3 cities on desktop and mobile on Google and Bing. One run uses 5 × 3 × 2 × 2 = 60 checks. On a twice-daily schedule, that is 120 checks a day.
Adding Seattle adds 40 checks a day. Adding Google Shopping for the same keywords and cities adds its own checks.
Fictional brands and domains, for illustration only.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
A check is one keyword. It is one keyword in one location, on one device, on one source. Each of those multiplies the count.
Reading reports uses checks. Browsing saved observations, filtering and exporting do not use checks. Only running searches does.
A check with no ads and a failed check mean the same. The first is a result. The second is a gap. Reports keep them apart.
How to monitor it in Ads Lighthouse
Checks run on the schedule you choose, from daily up to every hour on Business and every 15 minutes on Enterprise, or on demand when you need a fresh result. Each plan includes a monthly allowance of scheduled and on-demand checks.
Each check reads the first results page and saves every paid ad on it with the engine, location, device, operating system and time. Browsing saved observations does not use checks.
Frequently asked questions
How many checks does my project need?
Multiply keywords, locations, devices and sources, then multiply by the runs in a month. The help article on what counts as a check walks through examples.
Does an on-demand check use the same allowance as scheduled checks?
No. Scheduled and on-demand checks use separate monthly allowances.
What happens if a check fails?
It is recorded as a gap, not as a search with no ads, so it does not lower anyone's observed visibility.
Official sources
- Google Ads Help: About Ad Rank
- Google Ads Help: About targeting geographic locations
- Google Ads Help: About the Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool
Sources checked on .