Creative Formats & Assets

Callout Assets vs Image Assets: Text Claim or Photo

In short: Both attach extra content to a search ad, but one is words and the other is a picture. A callout is a short, non-clickable phrase that adds a claim beneath the description. An image asset is a clickable photo that routes to the ad's own landing page and is weighted toward mobile placements. Callouts go through a text and policy review; images go through a stricter visual review that rejects collages, logos, and heavy text overlays. Use callouts when you need specific proof points in words, use images when the offering benefits from being seen.

By the AdFlint research team · Fact-checked against current Google and Meta platform behavior · Last reviewed July 2026

Callout Assets

Short non-clickable phrases appended to a search ad that highlight selling points such as free shipping or same-day service.

Once called callout extensions, they add plain text beneath the description and cannot be clicked, so they exist purely to add qualifying detail before the click happens. Write them as tight, distinct benefits and avoid repeating what the headlines already say. The mistake is padding them with generic claims like great service, which occupies the space without giving anyone a reason to choose you.

Full definition

Image Assets

Adds a square or landscape image to a text search ad, shown mainly on mobile results alongside the headlines and description.

Previously image extensions, these attach visual inventory to an otherwise text-only search ad, and Google serves them when it predicts a lift. Images must meet size rules and cannot be collages or carry heavy text overlays and corner logos. The mistake is uploading marketing banners, because text-laden creative gets rejected in review, while a plain product or service photograph passes and renders cleanly beside the ad.

Full definition

Side by side.

The differences that actually change what happens in your account.

	Callout Assets	Image Assets
Format	A short text phrase.	A single uploaded photo.
Clickable	No, callouts cannot be clicked at all.	Yes, clicking the image opens the ad's own landing page.
Review focus	Character limits and policy compliance of the text.	Visual rules - no collages, no heavy text overlay, no corner logos.
Purpose	Add a short, specific selling point.	Add visual context or a look before any text is read.
Device weighting	Shows consistently across devices.	Concentrated on mobile search results.
Content source	Written directly as text.	An uploaded photo asset meeting size specs.
Failure mode	Generic filler phrasing that adds no differentiation.	Marketing-banner-style creative with text or logos gets rejected.

What actually separates them.

Callouts are pure text with no click target, while image assets are clickable and route to the same landing page as the rest of the ad.

Image review checks for banned visual formats like collages, logos, and heavy text overlays, while callout review checks the text against ad policy and character limits.

Callouts can run identically on desktop and mobile, while images are weighted toward mobile placements and may not show on desktop at all.

A callout adds a claim in words, an image adds a look before any words are read - they persuade through different senses entirely.

Losing an approved callout just removes one phrase from a list, while losing an approved image removes the ad's only visual element and it reverts to plain text.

Which one should you use?

Use Callout Assets when

You need to state specific proof points, like a warranty length or a guarantee, that words convey better than an image.
You don't have compliant, non-text-heavy photography to use.
You want to iterate quickly without the extra review lag imagery can carry.
Your category isn't visually differentiated, like B2B software or professional services.

Use Image Assets when

The product or service benefits from being seen, like a renovation, a dish, or a physical product.
You have compliant photography with no overlay text or logos.
Most of your traffic is mobile, where a visual can stop the scroll.
You want to test whether a visual presence lifts click-through beyond copy alone.

Common questions.

Do I need both callouts and images running?

No, both are optional and can run independently or together - Google decides which combination of eligible assets to show for a given impression, so there's no requirement to use both.

Why does my callout show constantly but my image rarely shows?

Callouts almost always show once approved since they're low-risk text, while images are more selective - Google only serves an image when it predicts the visual will help for that particular query and format.

Can an image asset link to a different page than the rest of the ad?

No, an image asset always uses the ad's own final URL - it has no separate destination field the way a sitelink or price asset does.

What kind of image content gets rejected?

Collages, heavy text overlays, and corner logos are the common rejections - plain product or service photography without added graphics passes review far more reliably.

Or stop choosing between them.

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