A redesign can pass visual review while paid campaigns point to pages that no longer exist. In one advertiser's account of a site update, landing pages remained drafts and ad URLs led to 404 pages. That is one reported case, not a universal explanation. Ads can also fail because of redirects, domain changes, crawl restrictions, or platform configuration.
Google Ads' landing-page test documentation identifies errors such as missing pages and final-URL mismatches. The practical lesson for a site launch is simple: a new homepage loading correctly does not prove every ad destination still works.
Inventory the URLs before moving anything
Ask the person who runs the campaigns for a list of active final URLs, including mobile destinations and tracking parameters. For each one, record the page visitors currently see, the page they should see after launch, and the action they are expected to take there.
Pay special attention to campaign pages that will be renamed or removed. Redirecting all of them to the new homepage may keep visitors on the domain but remove the context promised by the ad. If the offer still exists, preserve an equivalent page or redirect to the closest relevant destination. If the offer ended, update or pause the ad.
Test the real click path
After deployment, open the exact final URL with its parameters on a phone and desktop. Check that it loads, displays the correct offer, and that its form or contact action works. Then use the ad platform's destination test and review any disapproval details. Google's destination-mismatch policy explains that redirect domains and final URLs matter; changing the visible page alone may not resolve an ad policy error.
Do not infer from a sudden lead drop that the redesign's message failed. First establish that users and the ad crawler can reach the destination and complete the action. Only then investigate targeting, offer fit, page content, or tracking.
Once the technical path works, use our ad creative versus landing-page diagnostic to decide where the next investigation belongs.
Make ownership explicit in the project brief
Save the destination inventory before the redesign is deployed. It becomes a comparison record when a page is renamed or a redirect changes. Include sitelinks and extensions as well as main ad URLs, since those can carry older destinations. After launch, assign a person to check a representative click from each active campaign.
Who supplies the active ad URL list? Who creates redirects? Who tests the ad account after launch? Who pauses campaigns if a critical page is unavailable? These are handoff decisions, not details to discover after launch.
ARCHV's standard website scope includes checks for agreed page links and contact actions. Migration, redirect planning, analytics, and ad-account work require separate scoping. If you are redesigning a site with live campaigns, attach the active destination list to your website estimate request so the launch plan can account for it.