An independent PPC audit is a review done by someone with no commercial interest in your account, with read access, delivering a report with facts, priorities and risks. It should cover ownership and access, measurement, campaign structure, search terms, creatives and AI features, feed and pages, budget and bidding, and compliance. In 2026, it should include the state of AI Max, review of generated assets (Google Ads and Meta terms make the advertiser responsible) and the change calendar through to February 2027. The report should separate what’s proven, what’s opinion and what isn’t known.
When it makes sense to ask for an audit
Before renewing a contract, changing agency, raising budget significantly, entering a peak season, after an unexplained drop in results or when you suspect the account isn’t right. It also makes sense annually, as hygiene.
The audit’s value is in giving the company its own information, to negotiate and decide without depending only on what the provider says.
What “independent” means
Whoever audits shouldn’t have an interest in keeping the account, selling tools or commissions on spend. If the auditor is a competing agency wanting the account, the conflict is evident. Ask for a conflict of interest statement and a written scope of work.
A good practice is to pay a fixed fee for the audit, regardless of conclusion.
Independent PPC audit
- Conflict of interest statement
- Read access by invitation
- Ten areas covered, with checklist
- Findings with evidence and risk classification
- List of what wasn’t verified
- Meeting and action sheet
Access and security: the minimum necessary
Give read access (or “standard” only when essential) to ad accounts, Merchant Center, Analytics and Tag Manager, and ask for a confidentiality agreement. Don’t share passwords: use email invitations at the right level, and remove access at the end. Don’t give access to customer data without GDPR assessment.
Document who had access, when and to what.
Scope: ten areas to cover
1) Account ownership, access and payments. 2) Measurement and conversions. 3) Campaign structure. 4) Search terms and negatives. 5) Creatives and AI features switched on. 6) Feed and Merchant Center (shops). 7) Landing pages and HTTPS. 8) Budget, bidding and targets. 9) Provider reports and communication. 10) Compliance (GDPR, consent, advertising, sector).
Ask for the checklist the auditor uses.
Without evidence, a finding is opinion.
What the audit should cover in 2026
The state of AI Max and brand controls; the automatic features switched on and who approved them (Meta and Google make the advertiser responsible, according to PPC Land); the effect of the 17 August bidding changes; call-only ads and DSA, which change in February 2027 according to Relevant Audience’s compilation; and data collection with consent.
An audit ignoring these changes is out of date.
Deliverables: what you should receive
A report with executive summary (one page), findings with evidence (screenshots, numbers, dates), classification by risk and impact, prioritised recommendations with estimated effort, and a list of what couldn’t be verified. Plus a presentation meeting and an action sheet. Without evidence, a finding is opinion.
Ask for the export of the data used, so you can verify.
How long and how much
For a small or medium account, a typical audit takes from a few days to two weeks, depending on scope and access availability. There are no reliable audit price data in Portugal; Fixando shows ranges of 150 to 500 euros for Google Ads management in Porto, with unverified averages, and foreign surveys point to fees of 6% to 20% of spend for management. Ask for proposals by scope and compare.
A very low-priced audit can be a way of acquiring clients.
How to read the report and decide
Separate factual findings (the account is in the agency’s name), risks (AI features without a record), opportunities (search terms to exclude) and opinions (preferable structure). Prioritise what protects the company (ownership, measurement, compliance) before what improves results. Discuss the report with the current provider, with facts, and give a deadline to fix.
If you decide to change, the report is the basis of the briefing for the next one.
Questions for the auditor and for your manager
For the auditor: what conflicts of interest do you have? What checklist do you use? What evidence do you deliver? What can’t you verify? For your manager: do you accept an external audit? What access do we give? When do you fix critical points?
If you want to prepare the audit request for your account, with scope, access and deliverables, I can help draft the document and checklist.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a PPC audit cost in Portugal?
There’s no reliable data. Ask for proposals by scope and compare. Avoid very low prices without clear deliverables.
Who should do the audit?
Someone with no interest in keeping the account or selling tools, with a conflict of interest statement.
What do I do with the report?
Discuss it with the provider with facts, set deadlines to fix and use it as a decision basis.
Sources consulted
Keep reading
- Meetings with your PPC manager: a 45-minute monthly agenda, the right questions and how to record decisions
- Who owns your ad accounts? How to secure ownership and access in Meta, Google, Merchant Center and Analytics
- A monthly PPC dashboard with 12 indicators a business owner should track (and those you can ignore)