What happens to Google Ads accounts when the owner dies
Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.) has a formal process for transferring accounts after an account holder dies
Google Ads Help
Google Deceased User Requests
Google does not publish a timeline for deceased-user requests; processing depends on the request and the documentation provided. For prepaid balance refunds on a canceled Google Ads account, Google's cancellation help page cites 4-12 weeks for the refund to reach the original payment method (including the time for the bank to process the credit), while its billing-after-cancellation page describes about 2 weeks plus up to an additional 10 business days for the bank; bank-transfer refunds can take longer. Any unbilled costs accrued before cancellation may be charged to the primary payment method within the following 31 days.
Because a Google Ads account lives inside the owner's Google Account, there is no separate Google Ads bereavement process. Post-death requests run through the same Google deceased-user troubleshooter, which offers three options: close the account, request funds from the account, or obtain content from the account. Each request is reviewed individually, and Google will not provide passwords or other login credentials. The "request funds from the account" path is how an estate recovers money tied to a deceased user's Google services, including a remaining Google Ads balance. Separately, when a Google Ads account is canceled, Google states it will automatically initiate a refund for any unused prepaid funds or other refundable credits to the original payment method; promotional credit is excluded and is not refundable. The account itself is not transferable to another person. Critically, nothing about a death stops the advertising: campaigns keep showing ads and billing the payment method on file until the campaigns are paused or the account is canceled (or the payment method fails), so the estate's first practical step is to stop the spend.
How to request a transfer
To request a transfer of Google Ads accounts after an account holder's death, follow these steps:
- •Obtain data from the account (submit first if you need campaign, audience, or conversion records — data release is discretionary but only possible before closure)
- •Request funds from the account (this is the path for a remaining Google Ads prepaid balance and similar Google-service funds)
- •Close the account (submit last; closure is irreversible and prevents any later data request)
- •Government-issued photo ID of the requestor
- •Certified copy of the death certificate
- •Proof of legal authority (letters testamentary, letters of administration, power of attorney, or next-of-kin documentation)
- •The deceased's Google Account (Gmail) email address and full name
Required Documents
- Government-issued photo ID of the requestor
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Proof of legal authority (letters testamentary, letters of administration, power of attorney, or next-of-kin documentation)
- Deceased's Google Account (Gmail) email address and full name
Timeline
Google does not publish a timeline for deceased-user requests; processing depends on the request and the documentation provided. For prepaid balance refunds on a canceled Google Ads account, Google's cancellation help page cites 4-12 weeks for the refund to reach the original payment method (including the time for the bank to process the credit), while its billing-after-cancellation page describes about 2 weeks plus up to an additional 10 business days for the bank; bank-transfer refunds can take longer. Any unbilled costs accrued before cancellation may be charged to the primary payment method within the following 31 days.
Frequently asked questions
A remaining prepaid balance is recovered through Google's deceased-user troubleshooter using the "request funds from the account" path, the same process that covers funds tied to a deceased user's Google services. Separately, when a Google Ads account is canceled, Google states it will automatically initiate a refund for any unused prepaid funds or other refundable credits to the original payment method. Promotional credit is excluded and is not refundable.
Yes. Live campaigns keep showing ads and billing the payment method on file until someone pauses them or the account is canceled, or until the payment method fails. The system has no way to know the owner has died. The first practical step for an estate is to pause the campaigns to stop the spend. A paused campaign stops showing ads and stops accruing new charges, though a final bill may still arrive for costs accrued while it was running.
No. Google does not transfer account access to anyone after death and will not provide passwords or login credentials. A Google Ads account runs under the owner's Google Account, so it is handled through Google's deceased-user request process: close the account, request funds, or obtain data, each reviewed individually. To let someone manage or pause campaigns, the owner must grant admin access during life.
Submit a request through Google's deceased-user troubleshooter at support.google.com/accounts/troubleshooter/6357590, in order: obtain data first if you need campaign or conversion records, then request funds for any remaining balance, then close the account last because closure is irreversible and blocks later data requests. Be ready to provide government-issued photo ID, a certified death certificate, proof of legal authority such as letters testamentary, and the deceased's Google Account email.
A manager account, also called an MCC, is a Google Ads account that lets one sign-in view and manage multiple linked Google Ads accounts from a single location. Agencies and heavy advertisers often use one. For an estate it matters because pausing or canceling the manager account does not by itself resolve every linked account, so the executor should review each linked account's campaigns and balance individually.
After the transfer is complete, the recipient can use the accounts according to the program's standard terms. Document the deceased account holder's details to make this process easier for your executor or family.
Sources
Data sourced from Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.) primary sources (7 pages reviewed). How we research.
Google Ads Help
Google Deceased User Requests
Google does not publish a timeline for deceased-user requests; processing depends on the request and the documentation provided. For prepaid balance refunds on a canceled Google Ads account, Google's cancellation help page cites 4-12 weeks for the refund to reach the original payment method (including the time for the bank to process the credit), while its billing-after-cancellation page describes about 2 weeks plus up to an additional 10 business days for the bank; bank-transfer refunds can take longer. Any unbilled costs accrued before cancellation may be charged to the primary payment method within the following 31 days.
