If you're spending money on Google Ads, you deserve to know one thing: are those ads making your phone ring? A Trackable Phone Number connects your Google Ads campaigns directly to phone calls, so you can see whether your ad spend is actually generating leads, not just clicks.

This article covers how to create a Trackable Phone Number for use with Google Ads and read the call data it generates. This article does not cover adding the number inside your Google Ads account, such as configuring a call asset or setting up a search ad. For those steps, see Google's help article on call assets. This article also does not cover creating a Trackable Phone Number step by step — see Trackable Phone Numbers for that — or tracking calls from your website or email campaigns, covered in their own articles.

Benefits of Tracking Calls from Google Ads

Clicks are useful, but for many businesses, the real win is a phone call. A visitor who calls directly from a search ad is often a stronger lead than one who just clicks through to your website, since they've already decided they want to talk to you.

Using a dedicated Trackable Phone Number for Google Ads lets you prove whether your ads are generating leads, not just traffic. It also helps you focus your ad spend on what's actually working, so you can stop guessing which campaigns are worth the budget and start making decisions based on real call data.

When to Use a Trackable Phone Number with Google Ads

Use a Trackable Phone Number for any Google Ads placement where a customer might call directly, including Google Search Ads and call assets, previously known as call extensions.

How to Set Up a Trackable Phone Number for Google Ads

Click Trackable Phone Number in the left-hand navigation, then click Track New to create a number. For step-by-step instructions on creating a Trackable Phone Number and choosing a destination number, see Trackable Phone Numbers.

When naming the campaign in the Create a Trackable Phone Number window, use a name that identifies it as a Google Ads number, for example, "Google Ads – Main." This makes it easy to find later in your Trackable Phone Numbers list, alongside numbers you're using for email or your website.

Once the number is created, add it inside your Google Ads account wherever you want to track calls, such as a search ad or a call asset. See Google's help article on call assets for instructions on adding a phone number to these placements. Use this number only for Google Ads, and avoid publishing it anywhere else, so your call data reflects Google Ads activity specifically.

Best Practices for Google Ads Call Tracking Numbers

Use one number per channel, so your Google Ads number stays separate from numbers used for your website, email campaigns, or other ad platforms. Mixing channels together makes it impossible to tell which one actually drove a call. Label the number clearly when you create it, for example, "Google Ads – Main," so it's easy to identify later in your reporting.

Give it some time before drawing conclusions. Call trends are easier to spot after a few weeks of data than after just a few days, especially for campaigns with lower ad spend or click volume.

What You Can Track from Google Ads Call Activity

To view call data for a specific number, click the campaign name for that number on the Trackable Phone Numbers page. This opens a detail page showing four metrics: Calls (the total number of calls received), Unique Calls (calls from distinct phone numbers), Avg. Calls Weekly (average call volume per week), and Avg. Call Duration (average length of calls received).

Below the metrics, the Received Calls section lists every call made to that number. You can search by phone number or sort the list, and each call can be opened to listen to its recording.

Call data updates once every 24 hours, so calls received today won't appear in your reporting until the next sync.

For more granular call data, such as whether a specific call was missed or answered, enable Google's own call reporting inside your Google Ads account. See Google's help article on call reporting for details.

FAQ

What happened to call-only ads and call extensions?
Google has renamed call extensions to call assets. Call-only ads, also called call ads, are being phased out. Google Ads accounts can no longer create new call-only ads as of 2026, though existing ones may continue running for a limited time. For current setup, use a call asset attached to a search ad instead.

Does Thryv walk me through adding the number inside Google Ads?
No. This article covers creating and tracking the number on the Thryv side. For instructions on adding it to a search ad or call asset inside your Google Ads account, see Google's help article on call assets.

Can I see whether a call to my Google Ads number was missed or answered?
Not in your Trackable Phone Numbers report, which shows call volume and duration but not missed-versus-answered status. For that level of detail, enable Google's own call reporting inside your Google Ads account. See Google's help article on call reporting.

Can I use the same Trackable Phone Number for Google Ads and my website?
You can, but it's not recommended. Using a separate number for each channel keeps your reporting accurate, since combining channels under one number makes it impossible to tell which one drove a given call.

Is there a limit to how many Trackable Phone Numbers I can create?
Yes. You can have up to 5 Trackable Phone Numbers at a time, shared across all your campaigns, including any you use for Google Ads. See Trackable Phone Numbers for details on managing your numbers.

Does a Trackable Phone Number cost anything?
No. Trackable Phone Numbers are included with your Thryv account at no additional cost.

How often does my call data update?
Call data syncs every 24 hours. If you don't see a recent call reflected yet, check back the next day.