Google Skillshop is Google’s free online training site for people who use its advertising and marketing products, including Google Ads, Google Analytics and YouTube. Courses are self-paced, and for several products you can sit an exam and earn a certification that shows your knowledge.

This guide explains what Skillshop offers, how the Google Ads certifications work (pass mark, time limit, validity), how to get certified, and what a certificate is and is not worth. Details were checked against Google’s own help pages and the Skillshop home page on 14 October 2026.

The official name is one word, “Skillshop”, though many people search for “Skill Shop”. It replaced Google’s earlier Academy for Ads.

What is on Google Skillshop

The Skillshop home page lists training areas for:

  • Google Ads: Search, Display, Video, Shopping, Apps and Measurement training.
  • Google Marketing Platform: Google Analytics, Display & Video 360, Search Ads 360, Campaign Manager 360 and other tools.
  • Google Business Profile (listed as Google My Business on older pages).
  • Google Ad Manager, AdMob, Authorized Buyers and Waze Ads.

Google changes the catalogue as products change (for example, older Shopping and Discovery training has been reshaped as campaign types were merged into Performance Max), so check the Skillshop home page for the current list before planning your study.

Is Google Skillshop free?

Yes. Creating an account, taking the courses and sitting the assessments are free. You sign in with a Google account.

How the Google Ads certifications work

According to Google’s help pages for Google Ads certifications:

Rule What Google states
Pass mark 80% or higher on the assessment
Time limit 75 minutes; the timer cannot be paused, and leaving the assessment expires it
Validity One year per product area; to renew, pass the assessment again
Retake after a fail One day later
Certifications named Google Ads Search, Display, Video, Shopping and Apps (plus Measurement and others on Skillshop)

Google also notes that its separate “Google Ads Professional” certifications do not count toward the Google Partner badge, which agencies use to show their Google Ads competence.

Which certification should you take first

  • Google Ads Search: the usual starting point. It covers how the auction works, keywords, ad copy, bidding and measurement. Take it first if you run or plan to run search campaigns.
  • Google Ads Measurement: useful if your job is reporting. It focuses on conversion tracking and attribution.
  • Google Ads Display and Video: take these if you buy awareness campaigns or work with YouTube.
  • Google Ads Shopping: for ecommerce teams with a product feed. Study the current campaign types in the course, because Google has been consolidating shopping campaigns.
  • Google Ads Apps: only if you promote mobile apps.

How to get a Skillshop certification

  1. Sign in to Skillshop with a Google account.
  2. Open the learning path for the product area and work through the courses. The exam normally follows the prep modules.
  3. Practise the topics, not the answers. Run a small Google Ads account or a test campaign so the ideas stick. Exam questions are multiple choice and mix definitions with scenarios.
  4. Sit the assessment in one go, with a stable connection, within the 75-minute limit.
  5. Download and share the certificate on your profile or CV, with the expiry date in mind.
  6. Renew every year by retaking the assessment before the certification lapses. Skillshop reminds you by email.

Is a Google Skillshop certification worth it?

It is worth it for what it proves and what it costs:

  • It costs time, not money. There is no fee, so the risk is small.
  • It proves you know Google’s own methods. That helps if you are starting out, changing roles or applying to an agency or in-house team that works in Google Ads.
  • It is not a job guarantee. Employers also look for results, such as campaigns you have run and numbers you improved.
  • It expires after a year, so it signals that your knowledge is current only if you renew it.

The strongest approach is to combine the certificate with practice: run a small budget, track conversions, and write up what you learned.

Skillshop alternatives and add-ons

  • Google Career Certificates and other Google programmes: broader courses on digital marketing and ecommerce. Fees and availability vary by platform, so check the provider’s own page.
  • Vendor courses from other ad platforms, such as Meta Blueprint for Facebook and Instagram ads.
  • Hands-on practice: a test Google Ads account together with Google’s own documentation.

If you want training that also covers SEO and AI search, see our guide to business courses that include SEO and AI training.

FAQs

Is Google Skillshop real or fake?

It is real. Skillshop is run by Google at skillshop.withgoogle.com, and you should be careful of any site that asks you to pay for a “Skillshop” certificate or exam answers.

Does Skillshop give certificates?

Yes. When you pass the assessment for a product area, you earn a certification for that area.

What score do you need to pass a Google Ads certification?

80% or higher. If you fail, you can retake the assessment after one day.

How long does a Skillshop certification last?

One year for Google Ads certifications. To renew, pass the assessment again.

Do Google certificates get you a job?

Not by themselves. They help your CV and show you know the tools, but employers also want evidence that you can run campaigns and improve results.

Madhavi Vadukiya

Content Marketer and Editor at MexSEO

Madhavi Vadukiya is a Content Marketer and Editor at MexSEO, where she crafts and curates SEO-focused content that drives engagement and search visibility. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for digital storytelling, she helps brands connect with their audience through compelling, data-driven content strategies.

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