Is PPC Ad Editor Google's Ad preview and diagnosis tool?
No. Google's Ad preview and diagnosis tool and PPC Ad Editor do different jobs. Google's tool lives inside your Google Ads account and checks ads that are already running. PPC Ad Editor previews an ad before it runs, so a client can see it and comment on it before anything goes into Google Ads.
What does Google's Ad preview and diagnosis tool do?
It is part of Google Ads, not part of PPC Ad Editor. In your Google Ads account, open Tools, then Troubleshooting, then Ad preview and diagnosis. Type a search term, and it shows whether your live ad is showing for that search, why not if it is not, and how the ad looks on the results page. Google recommends it over searching for your own ad, because it does not add impressions. For help with it, see Google Ads Help.
How do I preview an ad that is not running yet?
A new ad you are still pitching is not in your Google Ads account, so Google's tool has nothing to show. Build it in PPC Ad Editor instead.
- On a dashboard, click New Preview, pick Google Ads and the format, such as Responsive Search Ad, and type the headlines and descriptions.
- The preview shows the ad the way Google lays it out on a results page. Click Mobile view to see it on a phone.
- On a responsive search ad, click Shuffle to see other headline and description combinations, and pick One Ad, Three Ads or Five Ads to see several at once.
- Click Share with client and send the link. Your client opens it in a browser with no account and comments on the exact headline.
- Once the ad is approved, export a Google Ads Editor file and import it there. Building, sharing and this export are on the Free tier. Recording a client's sign-off with Approval is a Studio feature.
Is there a Google AdWords preview tool or an anonymous ad preview tool?
Those are Google's tools, not part of PPC Ad Editor. AdWords is the old name for Google Ads, and the preview tool Google documents is the Ad preview and diagnosis tool, under Tools, then Troubleshooting, in your Google Ads account. It only shows ads that are already in your account. To preview a new ad before it is in your account, build it in PPC Ad Editor and send your client the link. For Google's own tools, see Google Ads Help.
Can I shuffle as often as I want on Free?
No. Signed in, Shuffle has no limit on any plan. Only the sample editor at /demo stops after 3 shuffles. See Responsive search ad variations.
Does PPC Ad Editor show whether my live ad is showing?
No. PPC Ad Editor does not check live search results, diagnose why an ad is not showing, or count impressions. It does not publish ads to Google Ads either. Use Google's Ad preview and diagnosis tool for a running ad.
Can I bring my live ads into PPC Ad Editor to show a client?
Yes. In New Preview, Import from Google Ads downloads your live campaigns into a preview. It only downloads, and it changes nothing in your Google Ads account. The Free plan can link one Google Ads account, and Studio can link as many as you need. See Download a Google Ads account into a preview.