Google has confirmed it is working on a bug that can unlink Local Services Ads (LSA) accounts from their Google Business Profiles. Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin said the team identified the bug and is actively resolving it, and she confirmed it is unrelated to the LSA migration into Google Ads.
For local businesses, this matters because LSA lead flow depends on a working link between the ad account and the profile. When that link drops, ads and profiles stop talking to each other, leads can disappear or misfire, and no alert is sent. Most owners only find out when the phone stops ringing.
What Google confirmed about the LSA bug
On September 1, 2026, Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin responded on LinkedIn to advertiser complaints about Local Services Ads. Her statement: "We identified a bug and are actively working to resolve it." She added that the bug is unrelated to the LSA migration into Google Ads. That distinction matters, because many advertisers assumed the migration caused the problems they were seeing.
The complaint that caught Google's attention came from advertiser Jack Hepp, who reported two separate issues. First, one of his longest-running LSA accounts was unlinked from its Google Business Profile over the weekend, with no notice. He had to contact support to get it relinked. Second, he could not see his LSAs in any associated or active Google Ads accounts, which left him with no access and no insight into his own advertising.
He also reported platform instability. The LSA platform returned errors on and off while he tried to access accounts, and as of that morning he still could not get in. Google's support response added context for the migration: if a Google Ads account is not linked to a GBP, a link will be created during the migration.
What an unlinked LSA actually costs you
An LSA does not run in a vacuum. The ad account, the Google Business Profile, and the lead reporting are all tied together. Here is what breaks when the link drops:
- Lead delivery. Local Services Ads are served based on the profile's category, service area, and reputation. Unlinked, the ad loses the signals that tell Google who to show and where.
- Tracking and billing. LSA leads are billed against the profile's lead flow. When the link breaks, lead records and charges can land on the wrong account or vanish entirely.
- The Guarantee badge. The Google Guaranteed badge is tied to the profile and its review history. A broken link can make the badge or the data behind it stale.
- The migration. LSAs are moving into Google Ads through 2026. Link states are changing underneath you right now, so this bug is easy to confuse with normal migration behavior, and that confusion delays the fix.
The real problem is silence. Google does not email you when a link drops. The failure mode is slow revenue loss, and it is usually discovered days later during a routine check or a support call.
Why this bug is easy to miss
Three things make an unlinked LSA dangerous. The first is that nothing tells you. There is no push notification, no dashboard banner, and no billing anomaly you would notice quickly. The second is that access errors look like maintenance. When the platform returns errors on and off, owners assume Google is doing migration work and wait instead of verifying. The third is that support response has been inconsistent, so the fix depends on who answers and how fast.
For a business with one location and one ad account, the check takes two minutes. For a business with multiple locations, each profile and each ad account needs its own verification, and that is where manual checks fail.
How to protect your LSA account right now
You can act on this bug without waiting for Google's fix. Five steps:
- Check the link daily. In Google Ads or the LSA lead manager, confirm the ad account is still linked to the correct Google Business Profile for every location.
- Fix unlinks immediately. If an account is unlinked, open a support case with screenshots and the account ID, and push for a relink. The reported case needed a support contact to resolve.
- Export your lead data now. The affected advertiser noted that a data download window had closed. Before the migration moves your account, export lead history, call records, and spend by service to a file you control.
- Keep a ticket trail. Save every support reply. If leads were lost during a bug window, your records are the only proof you have for reconciliation.
- Watch for access errors. Intermittent errors when you log into the platform may be the first sign of link trouble. Treat them as a trigger to verify the link, not as a passing annoyance.
What JC Labs automates for local businesses
This bug is a good example of why manual checks fail. Nobody logs into LSA every day to verify a link that broke quietly overnight. For businesses that depend on Local Services Ads, JC Labs builds automated link-integrity monitoring as part of its local SEO and lead generation workflows. The system checks the LSA to GBP to Google Ads link daily for every location, alerts the owner within hours when a link drops or access errors start, holds a ready-to-send support ticket template with account details pre-filled, and exports lead history to the CRM before each migration window closes. The goal is simple: the business finds out about a broken link while it can still be fixed in minutes, not after a week of silent lead loss.
If you run Local Services Ads and want a second pair of eyes on the migration, see how we handle Local Services Ads for local businesses.
FAQ
How do I know if my Local Services Ads are still linked to my Google Business Profile?
Check the linked accounts section in Google Ads or the LSA dashboard for each location. If the profile shows as unlinked or missing, open a support case right away.
Is the LSA unlinking bug related to the Google Ads migration?
Google Ads Liaison Ginny Marvin said no. The bug is separate from the migration, although both can change the link state of your account around the same time.
What happens to my leads if the link breaks?
Lead delivery and reporting can stop or misfire because the ad loses the profile signals it needs. Without a daily check, you may not notice for days.
Will Google refund leads lost during the bug?
Google has not announced any compensation. Keep your own export of lead data and your support ticket trail so you can reconcile later.
What should I do while Google fixes the bug?
Verify links daily, export your LSA data, keep your support tickets, and treat platform access errors as a warning sign rather than migration noise.