Can I turn off auto-apply for a whole manager (MCC) account at once?

Google says auto-apply works at account level only, so check each account.

Will auto-apply raise my budget?

No. Google says auto-applying recommendations won't increase your budget.

Does turning off auto-apply hurt performance?

Not by itself. You can still review and apply recommendations by hand.

How do you turn off auto-apply recommendations in Google Ads?

By Tom Claydon, Co-founder, Nudge · Updated 22 Oct 2026

Go to Campaigns, then Recommendations, then Auto-apply settings. Untick every recommendation type you don't want applied, and click Save. Then check the History tab for a summary of what was applied, and Change history for each change. Auto-apply works at account level only, so repeat this in every account, including each client account under a manager account.

What is auto-apply?

A Google Ads setting that applies some recommendations automatically, on a regular basis, without you clicking Apply. Google says "This feature can be turned on or off at any time", and that "You can only apply recommendations automatically on the account level."

How do you turn it off? (Step by step)

Open the account (not the manager account) and go to Campaigns, then Recommendations.
Select Auto-apply settings.
On the Manage tab, untick each recommendation type you want to stop. Google: "Uncheck the recommendation you want to turn off".
Click Save.

Or from the History tab: select a recommendation that was applied, then Disable.

How do you see what Google already changed?

Open Auto-apply settings, then the History tab. Google says the History tab shows which recommendations are turned on, how many times each was applied in the past week, and when it was last applied. For each individual change, open Change history. Google also says you "can confirm who enrolled your account, and when", so you can find out who switched it on.

To get weekly email summaries of auto-apply activity, turn on campaign maintenance notifications in your preferences.

What can Google auto-apply?

From Google's own list, recommendations in four areas can be auto-applied:

Ads and assets: such as improving responsive search ads and adding dynamic search ads.
Bidding: such as adjusting CPA or ROAS targets and switching bid strategies.
Keywords and targeting: such as adding broad match keywords, adding keywords, using search partners, and using targeting or Display expansion.
Measurement: upgrading conversion tracking.

Two limits Google states:

Google says "Auto-applying recommendations won't increase your budget".
From 26 January 2026, the "Add responsive search ads" recommendation no longer applies new ads automatically.

Why do agencies keep auto-apply off?

Our view, from running client accounts:

Changes nobody approved. Bid targets, broad match and new keywords can change with no one on your team deciding.
Harder to explain to clients. When results move, you need to know which change caused it.
Optimization score is not a goal. Google says applying or dismissing recommendations both change the score, and "Optimization score is not used by your Quality Score." Dismissing a poor recommendation is a valid answer.

We review recommendations by hand instead, and apply the ones that fit the client's plan.

How do you check this across many client accounts?

Auto-apply is set per account, so check every client account, not just the manager account. With Google Ads connected to Claude, ask: "Which of my client accounts have auto-apply turned on, and what was auto-applied in the last 30 days?"

Questions

Where is the auto-apply setting in Google Ads?: Campaigns, then Recommendations, then Auto-apply settings.
Can I turn off auto-apply for a whole manager (MCC) account at once?: Google says auto-apply works at account level only, so check each account.
Will auto-apply raise my budget?: No. Google says auto-applying recommendations won't increase your budget.
Does turning off auto-apply hurt performance?: Not by itself. You can still review and apply recommendations by hand.

Sources

All read on 22 October 2026, Google Ads Help:

Manage auto-apply recommendations: support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10276359
About applying recommendations automatically: support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10279006
Optimization score: support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9061546