You’ve done it. You set up your brand new Google Ads campaign. The ad copy is perfect. Your targeting is dialed in. You hit “launch” and feel that little rush. But then you see it. That little status message next to your campaign: “Learning.” Days go by, and it’s still there. You start to wonder, what is going on? How many clicks does this thing need before it actually starts working? It’s a question that drives a lot of advertisers a little crazy.
The thing is that the “learning phase” is one of the most misunderstood parts of running Google Ads, especially now in 2025 with all the AI and machine learning stuff going on. People think they need a certain number of clicks. Or maybe a certain amount of ad spend. The real answer is a little different, and it’s not really about clicks at all. We’re going to get into what Google’s system is actually looking for.
What Even Is This Google Ads Learning Phase Thing?
So, what’s happening here? Basically, when you launch a campaign that uses any of Google’s smart bidding strategies (like Target CPA or Maximize Conversions), the system needs to gather information. It’s like a new employee on their first week at a job.
That new person doesn’t know who the best customers are yet. They don’t know what time of day is busiest. They have to try a few things, make some guesses and see what works. The Google Ads algorithm is doing the same thing.
It’s testing your ads on different types of people. It’s checking which headlines get a reaction. It is seeing what time of day people convert. All this data gathering is what the learning phase is. It’s a period of testing and exploration for the machine. It needs this information to make better choices for you later on.
This process is considered to be a standard part of how modern ad platforms work. It’s not just a Google thing. It’s just how these automated systems have to operate to find patterns in user behavior.
So, How Many Clicks or Conversions Are We Talking About?
This is the big question. Everyone wants a magic number. And while there isn’t one single number for clicks, there is a general guideline for what Google’s system is looking for. And it is all about conversions.
You could have 10,000 clicks but if none of them lead to a sale or a form fill, the system has learned very little about what a good customer looks like. Clicks are just noise. Conversions are the real signal.
The “Official” Number from Google
Google’s own documentation and general best practice points to one main number. The system normally needs to get about 50 conversions within a 30-day period to exit the learning phase. That’s the main target you should be aiming for. It’s not a hard rule written in stone, but it’s a very strong guideline. Once it hits that mark, it generally has enough information to start making some good predictions.
But What About Clicks?
So if it’s about conversions, why does everyone ask about clicks? Well, you can’t get conversions without getting clicks first. They are connected. A campaign with 10 clicks is very unlikely to have 50 conversions.
Think of clicks as the raw material. You need enough of them to give yourself a shot at getting those 50 conversions. If your website’s conversion rate is 2%, you’d need around 2,500 clicks to get 50 conversions. The number of clicks you need depends entirely on your own conversion rate. That is why there’s no specific click number.
When It Takes More (or Less) Time
Sometimes a campaign can exit the learning phase with a bit fewer than 50 conversions. Other times, it might need more. This can happen for a few reasons. If your conversions are all very similar, the system might figure things out faster. If your conversions are all over the place, it might need more information to find a pattern. Your budget and competition play a part too.
Why Your Campaign is Stuck in “Learning Limited” Hell
There’s something even more frustrating than “Learning.” It’s that awful status, “Learning (limited).” This means the campaign is not getting enough data to ever exit the learning phase. It’s basically stuck in a loop.
Here are some of the usual suspects for why this happens:
Low Budget: Your budget is so small that the campaign can’t get enough clicks and conversions in a 30 day window.
Tiny Audience: You’ve narrowed your targeting so much that there just aren’t enough people to show your ads to.
Conversion Tracking Is Busted: If your conversion tracking isn’t set up right, Google never sees the sales or leads you’re getting.
Your Goals are Nuts: Setting a Target CPA of $5 for a product that costs $1,000 is just not going to work. The system won’t even try.
You Keep Changing Things: This is a big one. Every time you make a big change, you disrupt the learning process.
Hands Off! How to Get Out of the Learning Phase Faster
The best way to get through the learning phase is to be patient and let the machine do its job. It’s like planting a seed. You can’t keep digging it up to see if it’s growing. You have to give it time and the right conditions.
Stop Messing With It!
This is the hardest part for most advertisers. We love to tweak and tinker. But during the learning phase, you need to keep your hands off the controls. Any big change can reset the learning period, or at least make it longer.
What counts as a “big change”?
Changing your campaign’s budget by a lot (more than 20% or so).
Changing your bidding strategy.
Adding a bunch of new keywords.
Making big changes to your ad copy or landing pages.
Drastically changing your targeting settings.
The key is to set up the campaign properly from the start and then let it run for at least a week or two without major interference. Just let it collect its data.
Feed the Machine What It Wants: Data
Instead of constantly changing things, focus on giving the system good, clean information to work with. Make sure your conversion tracking is working perfectly. Don’t set your goals so aggressively that the system can’t get any traction. If your audience is too small, think about broadening it just for the initial learning period. Give it a healthy budget to work with so it can actually get the volume of data it needs. You have to give it a fighting chance to succeed.
Your Burning Questions About the Learning Phase
How many clicks does the Google Ads learning phase need?
There is no specific number of clicks. The learning phase is based on conversions. The system needs around 50 conversions in a 30-day period to finish. The number of clicks required to get those conversions will depend on your website’s conversion rate.
How long does the learning phase last in Google Ads?
It typically lasts about 7 days. But it can be shorter if your campaign gets a lot of conversion data quickly, or longer if it’s slow to get data. It will stay in learning until it has enough information.
Does changing my budget reset the learning phase?
Making a large change to your budget (typically more than 20% at a time) can disrupt or even reset the learning phase. Small, gradual adjustments are less likely to cause a problem.
What happens after the learning phase in Google Ads?
After the learning phase, your campaign’s performance should become more stable and predictable. The status will disappear, and the automated bidding will work with more confidence because it has enough information to make good decisions.
Is the learning phase bad for my ads?
Not at all! The learning phase is a necessary and normal part of the process. During this time, performance can be a bit up and down, but it’s required for the system to figure out how to get you the best results in the long run.
Key Takeaways
Alright, so let’s boil this all down. If you’re stuck in the learning phase and feeling frustrated, just remember these points.
The main goal is 50 conversions in a 30-day window, not a certain number of clicks.
Performance will be unstable during this period. That is normal. Don’t panic.Do not make big changes to your budget, bids, or targeting while the campaign is learning.
Make sure your conversion tracking is 100% correct before you even start.
Give your campaign a reasonable budget so it can actually gather the data it needs.
The learning phase is a game of patience. Set your campaign up for success, then step back and let the machine do what it’s designed to do. Before you know it, that “Learning” status will be gone.
