How Much of Your Google Ads Budget Is Being Wasted?

Most accounts waste 20 to 40 percent of their spend on the same avoidable mistakes. Enter your monthly spend, answer 10 quick yes/no questions, and watch your estimated waste update live. No email required.

Your account, 10 questions

Results update in real time as you answer. Be honest, the estimate is only as good as your answers.

Monthly Google Ads spend

How to use this tool

Enter your current monthly Google Ads spend. This is the figure your waste percentage is applied to.
Answer each of the 10 questions yes or no. Each reflects a common setting that quietly drains budget when it's missing.
Watch the results update live. The annual waste figure and the priority fix list change with every answer.

How the waste figure is calculated

We don't simply add up percentages, because that could exceed 100 percent and overstate the problem. Instead each "no" answer compounds: it reduces the budget that's still working effectively. So two issues don't just sum, they stack on the spend that remains. The result is a realistic estimate of how much of your spend is likely being lost.

The weightings come from common patterns we see auditing Australian accounts. They're industry averages, not a forensic read of your specific account, which is exactly what a proper audit provides.

Frequently asked questions

Is this number exact?

No. It's an estimate based on industry-average waste factors. A real audit looks at your actual search terms, bidding, landing pages and conversion data to find the true number. Get a free audit.

Why does conversion tracking matter so much?

It's the single biggest factor here. Without verified conversion tracking you're flying blind, you can't tell which clicks lead to customers, so you can't optimise. That's why a "no" there carries the largest weight.

My waste is high. Is my account broken?

Not necessarily broken, but likely under-managed. Most of these issues are fixable in weeks, not months. The priority list shows where to start for the biggest saving.

Do you store my answers?

No. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, saved, or shared. Refresh the page and it's gone.

Want us to find the real number?

This estimator uses industry averages. A proper account audit looks at your actual search terms, bidding strategy, landing pages, and conversion data. We'll tell you exactly where the waste is and how to fix it.

Get a free Google Ads audit →

More free tools

Keep Exploring

Honest, Australian focused calculators built by the Elev8d team. No sign-up, no catch.