- Definition
- A landing page capture is a record of what an ad's destination page contained when it was fetched.
In plain words
An ad is only half the story. The page it leads to is the other half. A landing page capture records what that page said at a given moment.
Captures can be screenshots, page text or both, depending on the tool. Whatever the format, a capture reflects one moment and the place the page was requested from.
Why it matters for brand and paid search teams
Many policy questions depend on the landing page: whether a reseller really sells the brand's products, whether an offer exists, whether the page matches the ad. Brand protection and legal teams need to know what the page said, not only what the ad promised.
Pages change and can vary by visitor, so a capture has its own time and context. A capture taken a week after the ad observation is a separate record.
How it works
Google's destination requirements say the landing page must work, be useful and reflect the ad. Its trademarks policy looks at the landing page when deciding whether reseller and informational exceptions apply.
A capture is made by requesting the page. What comes back depends on the time, the location and the device of the request, and on any redirects along the way.
Google's circumventing systems policy explains why this matters: some advertisers show different content to reviewers than to people. A capture is one view of the page, and a careful review states whose view it was and when it was taken.
Example
An ad from peakgear.example on northstar boots says "Northstar boots in stock". The captured page text, fetched the same day, lists six Northstar models with prices, which supports the reseller context.
A month later the same ad appears again. Only a new capture can show what the page contains now.
Fictional brands and domains, for illustration only.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
A capture proves what every visitor saw. It shows what one request received at one time. Others may see a different version.
The capture and the ad are the same record. They can be taken at different times. Keep both timestamps.
Page text is the same as a screenshot. Text shows the words, not the layout or images. Say which one you have.
How to monitor it in Ads Lighthouse
Landing page captures are limited in Ads Lighthouse. It privately stores the text of eligible Google ad destination pages for later analysis. It does not take screenshots, and you cannot browse captures in the app yet.
Each saved ad keeps its destination URL as captured, with the search, place, device and time of the observation. A case's evidence pack PDF gathers those observations, with screenshots and previews when they exist.
Frequently asked questions
Can I view landing page captures in Ads Lighthouse?
Not yet. Captures are stored privately as page text for later analysis and are not browsable in the app.
Are Bing ad destinations captured?
Landing page captures cover eligible Google ads. Bing ads keep their destination URL as captured.
Is a landing page capture proof of a violation?
No. It records what one request received at one time. It supports a review, together with the ad observation and any other evidence.
Official sources
- Google Advertising Policies Help: Destination requirements
- Google Advertising Policies Help: Trademarks
- Google Advertising Policies Help: Circumventing systems
Sources checked on .