What does Eligible (Limited) Bid Strategy mean in Google Ads?

By: Jyll Saskin Gales, Google Ads Coach

Have you ever encountered an "Eligible (Limited)" bid strategy status in Google Ads? It can be a confusing and frustrating message, leaving you wondering what's wrong and how to fix it. Today, I'll end the mystery behind this status and provide actionable steps to help you optimize your campaigns.

Understanding Bid Strategy Statuses in Google Ads

Google Ads offers various bid strategy statuses, each indicating a different state of your campaign:

• Active: Everything is running smoothly, and your bid strategy is working as intended.
• Inactive: Your campaign is paused or not running for some reason.
• Learning: You recently made a change to your bid strategy, and Google Ads is collecting data to optimize performance.
• Limited: Your bid strategy is limited by certain factors, which we'll discuss in detail below.
• Misconfigured: There's an issue with your conversion actions and/or portfolio bid strategy setup.

So What Does "Eligible (Limited)" Mean?

The "Eligible (Limited)" status means your campaign is eligible to participate in the auction, but its performance is limited by one or more factors. Here are the common reasons for this status:

• Limited by Inventory: There's not enough search volume for your keywords.
• Limited by Bid Limits: Your maximum cost-per-click (CPC) bid is too low, preventing your ads from showing.
• Budget Constrained: Your campaign budget is exhausted, limiting your ad delivery.
• Limited by Bid Strategy: You're not using an automated bid strategy, and Google wants you to.

How to Fix "Eligible (Limited)" Bid Strategy 

1. Check the Status Column: Look for the specific reason for the "Eligible (Limited)" status in the Status column of your Google Ads interface.
2. Review Google's Recommendations: Google Ads will provide recommendations on how to address the limitation. You can choose to implement these suggestions or not.
3. Consider Your Goals: Evaluate whether the recommended changes align with your advertising objectives. If so, go ahead and make that change! If not, you might want to keep your current bid strategy as it might be delivering the desired results, despite the limited status.

Remember This:

• Even with an "Eligible (Limited)" status, your ads can still show in the auction.
• The limitations might be intentional and aligned with your campaign goals.
• Always analyze Google's recommendations and decide if they are suitable for your specific needs.