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Google adds one-click visits from Shorts and Gmail image ads

Demand Gen’s September update changes the path from an image ad to its landing page and adds Maps options for retail networks.

By Stan Consulting Source announcement: September 24, 2026

Google Ads & Commerce source announcement: Google adds one-click visits from Shorts and Gmail image ads
Source page capture: Google Ads & Commerce. Captured October 2, 2026.

An easier visit still needs a useful destination

Google’s September Demand Gen update adds one-click landing-page visits from image ads on YouTube Shorts and Gmail. For Shorts, Google specifies 9:16 full-bleed images. The same announcement adds affiliate location extensions through promoted pins on Maps.

For a service business, our first check would be the mobile destination: can a visitor identify the service, coverage area and next step without hunting through the page?

Judge the visit by what happens after it

Our recommendation is to review landing-page engagement and completed enquiries or purchases alongside the advertising report. If more people arrive but the business receives no additional suitable enquiries, a simpler click path has not yet proved commercial value.

Keep a record of which asset and destination changed. Changing the offer, page and audience at the same time makes the result harder to interpret.

Treat placement eligibility as an account check

Before planning a campaign around Maps, verify the relevant location setup and feature availability in the account. A local contractor should not assume a retail-network announcement supplies a new placement for its business.

For Shorts and Gmail, review the actual creative preview, text legibility and destination on a phone. Use the test to discover what the customer sees, then decide whether the campaign deserves more budget.

For your next work session

What to check next

  1. Check the account’s available Demand Gen channels and placement controls.
  2. Prepare an eligible 9:16 asset for the Shorts image experience.
  3. Open the ad destination on a phone and complete a non-submitting journey check.
  4. Measure qualified enquiries or purchases alongside clicks and landing-page visits.
  5. Keep the previous setup and a dated change record for the comparison.

Sources and scope

The Shorts one-click experience requires 9:16 full-bleed image assets. Affiliate location features are aimed at retail networks and dealerships. This announcement does not make every feature available to every advertiser or guarantee better results.

The announcement is confirmed by the source below. Practical checks in this article are Stan Consulting's recommendations.

Need help applying this to your business? Paid advertising services.