Advertisers are noticing a surprising behavior in Google Ads: paused keywords may be automatically re-enabled by a system tool. This unexpected change is raising concerns about potential impacts on campaign budgets and performance.

What’s Happening?

Some accounts are showing activity logs linked to Google’s “Low Activity System Bulk Changes” tool, which appear to be reactivating paused keywords. Each log entry shows an automated bulk update, along with a visible “Undo” option.

Historically, this tool has mostly been used to pause inactive elements, not to turn them back on — making this new behavior unusual for account managers.

What We Don’t Know

Google has not publicly explained whether this keyword reactivation is:

• An intentional new feature
• A limited experiment
• Or simply a bug

Additionally, triggers for this behavior and its rollout scope remain unclear.

Why It Matters

Automatically reactivated keywords can impact campaigns quietly, affecting budgets, pacing, and overall performance. For agencies and in-house teams, it introduces risks where manual controls were previously relied on, especially in accounts with intentionally paused keywords.

What Advertisers Should Do

To safeguard campaigns:

• Regularly review change histories to spot unexpected keyword activations
• Use the Undo function promptly if changes appear unintended
• Monitor accounts closely, particularly those that rely heavily on paused keyword structures

Until Google provides official guidance, vigilance is key to ensure automated tools don’t override intentional campaign settings.

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