Google Ads adds spending controls, WhatsApp opens guest calls, and workflows gain internal handoffs

CHECK / AD SPEND

1. Google Ads: network spending controls need a measured test

Announced 14 October · Progressive rollout from 15 October · Best-effort allocations

What changed

Google has announced High and Low channel priorities, plus optional percentage allocations for eligible Low-priority channels. Its Help Centre says availability starts progressively on 15 October across Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen. Demand Gen supports prioritisation but does not support budget allocation.

The percentage is based on the average daily campaign budget, not actual spend. Google says daily channel spend may exceed an allocation; unused or excess amounts do not carry into the next day. Priorities alone generally do not change spending for target-based bidding when a campaign is not budget-limited. Shared-budget settings affect the whole eligible shared pool.

Performance Max groups Google surfaces together, so these controls do not provide an individual percentage for every Google surface. Google also describes a February 2027 transition for Search campaigns with Display Expansion enabled. Its conditional guidance for keeping the existing configuration is Low priority for the Display Network with a 50% allocation. Changing these settings earlier replaces the existing Display Expansion behaviour immediately.

Who this affects

Australian advertisers using eligible Google campaign types, especially those considering a limited test of Search partners or the Display Network. Businesses without paid Google campaigns can ignore this update. A feature being announced globally does not confirm it is visible in your account today.

Our analysis: what it means for your business

Our analysis: the useful opportunity is to test a channel with a clearer intended allocation while measuring the quality of its enquiries. It is not a guarantee against overspend or poor leads. Check the bidding strategy and whether budget is actually constraining the campaign before expecting a priority change to move money.

Hypothetical example: a plumbing business with a $100 average daily campaign budget sets an eligible Low-priority channel to 10%. The intended allocation is $10 based on that budget, not 10% of whatever the campaign eventually spends. Because the limit is best-effort, the owner should still monitor actual spend and qualified calls. This example is not a recommended budget or allocation.

Avoid changing bids, network participation and daily budget at the same time if you want to understand the result. The February guidance applies to a particular existing Search configuration; it is not a recommendation that every service business should enable Display or allocate half its budget there.

What to do next

1. Ask your account manager to record current network settings, bidding strategy, budget constraints and shared-budget membership before changing anything. Confirm the controls and campaign exceptions in your account.
2. If a test is justified, define the intended allocation, acceptable enquiry types and review date. Compare qualified enquiries and bookings alongside cost; record any allocation exceedance separately.
3. For Search campaigns already using Display Expansion, review the February 2027 transition with the account manager. Treat a change made before then as an immediate configuration change, not merely a future reminder.

CONSIDER / CUSTOMER CALLS

2. WhatsApp: an invited customer can join from a computer browser

Announced 14 October · Host approval required · Calendar integration planned later

What changed

Meta says someone without a WhatsApp account can join a call as a guest through a computer browser. A WhatsApp account is still required to create the call link. Guests wait for host approval and can be removed by the host.

Guests cannot see other participants’ phone numbers, send messages or directly add another person. Meta says Google and Outlook calendar integrations will roll out later this year; that is a future plan, not confirmation those integrations are available now. The announcement gives no Australian-specific availability timetable.

Who this affects

Service businesses arranging a planned video consultation or screen-sharing call with a customer who does not use WhatsApp. Businesses whose customers prefer ordinary phone calls do not need to move them to a new channel.

Our analysis: what it means for your business

Our analysis: reducing account setup can make a scheduled conversation easier to arrange. The host still needs to admit the guest, check who joined and manage the appointment. A working invitation link does not establish CRM logging, calendar synchronisation, an automated reminder or a confirmed booking.

Hypothetical example: a Melbourne renovation consultant invites a customer to review drawings on a planned call. The customer joins from a laptop while the consultant admits them. If the browser or microphone fails, the consultant uses the phone number already agreed for the appointment. This is an example of a fallback plan, not evidence of feature testing.

What to do next

1. Test the guest journey with a colleague before offering it to customers, including browser access, microphone permissions and host admission. Confirm it is available in your setup.
2. Give the customer a clear appointment time and an ordinary phone fallback. Keep the invitation and any booking confirmation distinct.
3. Do not promise automatic Google or Outlook calendar integration based on the future announcement. Check current availability and any required account connection before adding that step to your process.

CHECK / TEAM FOLLOW-UP

3. Growthcenter: put the handoff instruction in the conversation

Underlying platform announcement · 14 October · Growthcenter account access unverified

What changed

HighLevel has announced an Add Internal Comment workflow action. It can place a note in a conversation when a workflow runs, including a mention of a team member.

The vendor says these comments stay in conversation history without sending a message to the customer. The action must be configured in a workflow and that workflow saved and published. This does not establish that the feature is enabled in an individual Growthcenter account or that a staff member has read a note.

Who this affects

Teams using supported Growthcenter workflows and shared conversations for enquiry follow-up. A solo operator without handoffs, or a business using another CRM, can ignore this particular platform change.

Our analysis: what it means for your business

Our analysis: an internal note can preserve why an enquiry needs attention and what the next person should do. The missing step is often ownership. A workflow should support a clear handoff process; adding a comment alone does not assign responsibility, guarantee a notification or tell the customer when to expect a response.

Hypothetical example: an AI receptionist captures a customer’s preferred callback window. An internal note tells the appropriate staff member to confirm service availability and call back within the agreed window. The team still needs a way to acknowledge and complete that task. The receptionist, note action and notification settings would all require separate checks; no such integration was tested here.

What to do next

1. Confirm the action is available and test one non-customer conversation with the intended staff member. Check where the comment appears and whether the expected notification actually arrives.
2. Write notes around verified context, the next action and the responsible person. Avoid unnecessary personal information or unverified AI conclusions.
3. Keep customer acknowledgement and internal instructions as separate steps. Review how an unattended handoff is escalated before applying the workflow broadly.