On June 1, 2026, advertisers logged into Google Ads and found that historical reporting data had disappeared. No warning email. No announcement in the dashboard. Just missing data.
Here is a precise breakdown of what was deleted and what it means for campaigns running today.
What Data Was Removed
Google removed access to performance data older than a specific retention window. The affected data includes:
- Campaign performance metrics (clicks, impressions, cost, conversions) prior to the cutoff
- Search term reports from deleted or paused campaigns
- Audience performance breakdowns from inactive ad groups
- Geographic and device segmentation data for archived campaigns
The cutoff removed approximately 14 months of historical records for accounts that had been active since early 2025.
Why This Matters More Than It Sounds
Historical data in Google Ads is not just for reporting. It directly affects campaign optimization in three ways.
1. Baseline comparison is broken
When you launch a new campaign or make a bid change, you compare current performance to a historical baseline. Without data from Q1-Q4 2025, any "performance drop" or "improvement" you see in 2026 is being compared to a shorter, potentially unrepresentative window.
2. Seasonality models lose accuracy
Smart Bidding uses historical conversion data to predict future performance. If a product had strong seasonal sales in Q4 2025, that pattern is now missing from the model. Google's AI will underestimate demand for the same period in 2026.
3. Attribution reports are incomplete
Multi-touch attribution models that include historical touchpoints now show gaps. If a customer's first interaction was in mid-2025, the attribution chain is broken.
Who Was Affected
Not all accounts were hit equally. Based on advertiser reports:
- Accounts with continuous activity since 2024 lost the most data
- Accounts that were paused or had low activity during 2025 saw smaller gaps
- MCC (My Client Center) accounts lost consolidated historical views across managed accounts
Larger accounts with dedicated Google reps received direct notification. Smaller accounts found out when the data was simply gone.
What to Do Now
Export what you still have. Go to Reports > Custom Reports in Google Ads and export everything you can access with date ranges going back as far as possible. Store these exports in a spreadsheet or data warehouse.
Rebuild baselines from available data. Use Google Analytics 4 as a secondary source. GA4 retains data independently of Google Ads, and if event tracking is properly configured, you can reconstruct conversion trends even where Ads data is missing.
Adjust Smart Bidding manually. For campaigns with seasonal products, override Smart Bidding's automatic targets during high-demand periods. The AI's predictions will be less reliable without the 2025 seasonal data.
Document the gap for clients. If you manage accounts for clients, proactively explain the missing data window. Year-over-year comparisons in Q3-Q4 2026 will look artificially different.
The Broader Pattern
This is not the first time Google has reduced data access without advance notice. Attribution changes, keyword data limitations (keyword not provided), and Search Terms Report filtering all followed the same pattern: functionality reduced, minimal explanation.
The June 2026 data deletion fits the same model. The practical implication is that Google Ads accounts should maintain independent data archives outside the Ads interface.
More detail on what the deletion means for campaign strategy and how to rebuild historical context is documented at YoSiteUP.
Have you seen the data gap in your accounts? What was the impact on your reporting?
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