How-to · Updated October 11, 2026
Pin a headline in a responsive search ad without starving it
Updated October 11, 2026
15 minutes
To pin a headline in a responsive search ad without starving it, pin only the line that must appear, to Headline position 1, Headline position 2 or Description position 1. Pin two or three versions of it to that slot, leave every other headline unpinned, and turn off Final URL expansion, which can skip pins.
Before you start
- A Google Ads login that can edit ads. Pinning is an edit to the ad itself.
- The exact line that must show. The business name, a license number or a disclaimer, worded the way it has to appear.
- The ad's current numbers. Note its impressions, clicks and conversions for the last 30 days, so you can compare after the change.
Pick the one slot that always shows
Only three positions always show: Headline position 1, Headline position 2 and Description position 1, so a must-show line goes in one of them and nowhere else.
- A name or short claim fits a 30-character headline. A disclaimer usually needs a 90-character description, Google's own example for Description position 1.
- Do not use Headline position 3 or Description position 2 for anything required. Google says text pinned there is not guaranteed to show in every ad.
- Write two or three versions of the line if the wording allows it. Google recommends pinning 2 or 3 unique headlines or descriptions to a position, and warns that pinning identical or very similar text to one slot can lower Ad Strength. If the wording is fixed, by a regulator for example, one pinned line is the honest choice; that is a judgment, not Google's rule.
Pin it and leave the rest free
Pin the must-show line and nothing else, because every extra pin cuts the combinations Google can match to a search.
- In Google Ads, open the Campaigns menu and select Ads. Click the bar above the table to add a filter, choose Attributes, then Ad type, and tick Responsive search ad.
- Hover over the ad, select the edit icon, then Edit.
- To the right of the headline or description that must show, select the pin icon and choose the position from the first part. Pin each version you wrote to the same position.
- Look at every other headline and description. Unpin anything pinned out of habit: Google says that when every position is pinned, unpinned headlines and descriptions do not show at all.
- Select Save. Google notes that removing or editing headlines or descriptions can change which ads serve and may affect performance.
Google says pinning isn't recommended for most advertisers because it reduces the headlines and descriptions that can be matched to a search, and more options let an ad compete in more auctions.
Stop AI Max from skipping the pin
In a Search campaign with AI Max, pins can be ignored: Google says pinned assets are not used when Final URL expansion picks a more relevant page, or when URL inclusions are set.
- Open the Campaigns menu, select Settings, then the campaign that holds the ad. Select AI Max in the section menu.
- Open Ad groups, then each ad group's AI Max settings, and remove any URL inclusions. Do this first: Google says URL inclusions can only be changed while Final URL expansion is on.
- In the campaign's Asset optimization panel, uncheck Final URL expansion and select Save. Text customization can stay on: Google's table shows pins serving as expected with text customization on and Final URL expansion off.
To switch off AI Max as a whole, including its broader search matching, follow the AI Max how-to linked below.
Check it worked
On the Ads page, select View asset details under the ad. The Position pinning column should show your line, and its variants, in the position you chose and nothing else pinned. Open the Combinations tab after a few days: your line should appear in that position in the combinations shown.
After two to four weeks, compare impressions, clicks and conversions with the 30 days you noted. If impressions fell sharply, look for pins you missed.
Show the business name without pinning it
For brand recognition rather than a legal requirement, a Business name asset can show the name instead. Add it from Assets in the Campaigns menu with + Business name. It needs completed advertiser verification and recent Search spend, the name must match the verified domain or legal name unless a trademarked name is approved through brand verification, and Google says business information assets are not guaranteed to serve. A line that must appear in every ad still belongs in a pinned position.
Does a lower Ad Strength stop the ad showing
No. Pinning can lower Ad Strength, but Google says the rating does not decide whether an ad can serve and is not used to calculate Ad Rank. Judge the change on results, not the rating.