This guide is for business owners and marketing leads who want to confirm that a Google Partner agency really holds the status it claims. After reading it you’ll be able to check the badge yourself, understand what it covers, and know what to ask that the badge can’t answer.
Search for the agency in the Google Partners directory, then ask them to show their Badge status inside their own Google Ads manager account. The directory is the quickest check, but it can’t prove a negative, because listing is optional[3].
You don’t need a Google Ads account of your own for Step 1. For Step 2 the agency needs to be willing to share their screen.
Step 1: Look up the Google Partner agency in the directory
Google runs a public Google Partners directory. Companies with Partner or Premier Partner status can be listed in it, and being listed is an opt-in setting that is switched on by default[3]. Each listing shows the company name, website, region and the product areas it’s certified in[3].
- Open the Google Partners directory (Google’s help page explains where to find it)[3].
- Search by the agency’s company name, or browse using the filters for region and product area.
- Open the listing and compare the website address with the site you’ve been looking at.
- Check which product areas are listed as certified. Those should line up with what you’re buying.
The directory shows Premier Partners by default, so if you’re searching for a Partner-level agency, check the filters before deciding they’re missing[3].
Watch out
Not being in the directory doesn’t mean an agency has no badge. Companies can opt out of the listing, so a missing entry is a reason to move to Step 2, not a verdict[3]. Google can also remove a listing after its own checks, so a screenshot of a listing from last year proves little[3].
Step 2: Ask the agency to show its Badge status
This one is our suggestion, not a Google requirement. It works because the agency can see its own status in a place you can’t fake with a logo.
Inside a Google Ads manager account (the account an agency uses to manage several clients), there’s a Partners program section with a card called Badge status[2]. Ask the agency to share their screen on a call and open it.
- Ask them to log in to their Google Ads manager account.
- Ask them to open Partners program from the menu.
- Look at the Badge status card.
- Check the company name on the account matches the company you’d be contracting with.
If they dodge it or say the badge is held by a parent company or a sister business, ask who exactly would run your account and which entity holds the badge.
Tip
Do it live, on a call. A screenshot sent later is easy to crop or to take from a different account.
Step 3: Know the three levels and what the badge needs
Google’s programme has three levels: Member, Partner and Premier Partner[4]. Signing up makes a company a Member. Partner and Premier Partner status has to be earned[5]. So “we’re in the Google Partners programme” can be true of an agency that has only signed up.
To earn the Partner badge, a company has to meet requirements in three areas: performance, spend and certifications. Google checks them daily[1]. One example threshold is an optimisation score of at least 70%, and the full list is in our explainer on what a Google Partner is at https://oxfordimpulse.com/what-is-google-partner-and-why-it-is-important/ . Premier Partner adds a ranking requirement: a place in the top 3% of participating companies in a country, decided annually[1].
What the badge covers
Google says Partner status recognises companies that maximise campaign success for clients, drive client growth and demonstrate Google Ads skills through certifications[1]. In plain terms, the badge speaks to Google Ads skills and campaign results, measured by Google’s own criteria.
Status can also be lost. If a company stops meeting the requirements, it gets a 60 day grace period before it loses the benefits, including the right to use the badge and advertise its status[2]. That’s one more reason to check live rather than trust a logo in a website footer. A badge on a page doesn’t tell you whether the agency still qualifies today.
What the badge does not prove
Google’s pages describe the badge in terms of Google Ads skills and results[1]. They don’t say it guarantees results or quality for your account, and they don’t say it covers other services.
- SEO. Nothing in Google’s Partner pages says the badge covers search engine optimisation.
- Email marketing. The badge isn’t described as covering it either.
- Google Merchant Center. If you sell products, your feed and account setup matter as much as the ads. Google’s Partner pages don’t say the badge covers that work.
Treat the badge as one useful signal: it tells you the agency has met Google’s bar on Google Ads. It doesn’t tell you whether they’re right for your business, your sector or your budget.
Questions to ask an agency
These are our suggestions, not Google’s. Use them after the badge check, once you know the status is real.
- Who will work on my account, and are they certified? Ask for names and roles, not just the company’s credentials.
- Which services does your team deliver itself? If you need Google Merchant Center, SEO or email, ask whether those are in-house, outsourced or not offered.
- Will I own my Google Ads account? Ask this before signing.
- Will I get regular reports I can understand? Ask to see a sample, with the numbers you’d actually use to judge them.
- How do you handle my budget? Ask how fees are charged and who pays Google. Get it in writing in plain language.
- What would you change first in my account, and why? A good answer is specific and starts from a diagnosis of your account.
- What happens if we part ways? Ask about notice periods and how access is handed back.
Be wary of anyone who promises specific results. Nobody can guarantee them, and Google’s pages don’t suggest the badge does either[1]. Put your shortlist side by side and send each agency these seven questions this week.
Common mistakes when checking an agency
- Trusting the logo. Anyone can paste an image into a website. Use the directory and the live Badge status card.
- Treating a missing listing as proof of fraud. Listing is opt-in and can be switched off, so do Step 2 before ruling anyone out[3].
- Confusing Member with Partner. Signing up gets a company membership. The Partner badge is earned[5].
- Assuming the badge covers everything. It’s about Google Ads. Ask separately about any other service.
- Checking once and forgetting. Status can lapse after the 60 day grace period[2]. Ask again at contract renewal.
If you’d like a second pair of eyes on an agency shortlist or on an account you already have, you can get in touch with Oxford Impulse at https://oxfordimpulse.com/contact/ .
FAQs
How do I check if a company is a Google Partner?
Is the Google Partners directory complete?
No. Only Partner and Premier Partner companies that stay opted in are listed, and opting in is the default[3]. Companies can opt out, and Google can remove a listing after its own checks.
What’s the difference between a Google Partner and a Premier Partner?
Can an agency lose its Google Partner badge?
Does a Google Partner badge guarantee good results?
Google’s pages don’t say it does. They describe the badge as recognition of skills shown through certifications, and of campaign success and client growth across an agency’s accounts[1]. Your results still depend on your account, product and budget.
Does the Google Partner badge cover SEO or Google Merchant Center?
Sources
- Google Ads Help: How to become a Google Partner or Premier Partner support.google.com
- Google Ads Help: Check your Google Partner status support.google.com
- Google Ads Help: Google Partners directory support.google.com
- Google Ads Help: Benefits of the Google Partners program support.google.com
- Google Ads Help: How to sign up for Google Partners support.google.com
