🧭 Overview
When launching a retargeting campaign in Google Ads through Search Atlas, your business profile should appear in the dropdown automatically if it is connected. If it does not appear, the cause is almost always one of four things: a sync delay, a permission gap, a mismatched account link, or a campaign settings conflict. Work through the steps below in order to isolate and fix the issue.
✅ Step 1: Verify Your GBP Sync Status
Before checking Google Ads settings, confirm that your Google Business Profile is fully synced inside Search Atlas.
- In the left sidebar, click Local.
- On the Local Overview page, locate your business profile in the project list.
- Check the sync status indicator next to the business name. It should show a green Connected status.
- If the status shows Pending or Error, click the profile, then use the reconnect option to re-authorise the Google account.
- After reconnecting, wait up to 5 minutes for the sync to complete, then return to your Google Ads campaign setup and recheck the dropdown.
🔑 Step 2: Validate Account Permissions
The Google account used to connect your GBP must also have the correct access level on the linked Google Ads account. A mismatch here is the most common cause of the dropdown appearing empty.
- Google Business Profile: The connected Google account must be an Owner or Manager of the GBP listing. Viewer-level access is not sufficient.
- Google Ads: The same Google account must have at least Standard access on the Google Ads account you are targeting. Admin access is recommended.
- If a team member originally connected the GBP but you are now running campaigns under a different Google login, you will need to reconnect using an account that has both permissions simultaneously.
To update the connected Google account in Search Atlas, go to Left sidebar → Local → GBP Projects, open the relevant project, and use the account settings to disconnect and reconnect with the correct credentials.
🔗 Step 3: Confirm the GBP Is Linked to the Correct Google Ads Account
Your GBP and your Google Ads account must be linked directly inside Google. Search Atlas surfaces this link, but does not create it on your behalf.
- Log in to Google Ads at ads.google.com.
- Navigate to Tools and Settings → Linked accounts → Google Business Profile.
- Confirm your business listing appears there with a Linked status.
- If it is not linked, click Link account, enter the GBP email or listing ID, and complete the linking process.
- Once the link is confirmed in Google Ads, return to Search Atlas and refresh your campaign setup page. Your business should now appear in the dropdown.
⚙️ Step 4: Check Your Campaign Settings
Certain campaign configuration choices can filter out eligible business profiles from the dropdown before you even see them.
- Campaign type: Business profile assets are only available for Search, Performance Max, and Local campaign types. Display-only or Video campaigns will not show the dropdown at all.
- Geographic targeting: If your campaign targets a region that does not match the service area or address on your GBP, the profile may be suppressed. Verify the location settings match.
- Ad account currency and billing: An inactive or suspended Google Ads account will prevent profile assets from loading. Confirm your billing status is active in Google Ads before proceeding.
🔄 Step 5: Force a Manual Refresh
If all permissions and links are correct but the dropdown is still empty, a cached state in Search Atlas may be responsible.
- Save any campaign progress as a draft.
- Log out of Search Atlas completely.
- Clear your browser cache and cookies.
- Log back in, navigate back to your campaign draft, and reopen the business profile dropdown.
- If the business still does not appear after a full cache clear, proceed to escalation below.
🚨 When to Escalate
Escalate to the Search Atlas support team if any of the following are true after completing all steps above:
- The GBP shows Connected in Search Atlas but still does not appear in the dropdown.
- The GBP is confirmed linked inside Google Ads but the dropdown remains empty.
- The sync status returns to Error immediately after reconnecting.
- Multiple business profiles are missing, not just one.
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.