If you want to learn how to create a Performance Max campaign, you first need to understand what it does and what it does not do. PMax is Google's cross-channel campaign type that serves ads across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and Maps from a single campaign. It can deliver strong results when the conditions are right. But it is not right for every account. This guide gives you the full picture.
What Performance Max Actually Is (and What It Is Not)
Performance Max is Google's cross-channel campaign type. It serves ads across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and Maps from a single campaign. You provide conversion goals, creative assets, and audience signals. Google's algorithm handles the rest: deciding where to show your ads, who to show them to, and how much to bid.
That is the pitch. Here is the reality.
PMax trades control for automation. You cannot choose which channels your ads appear on. You cannot see the full search terms report. You have limited insight into where your budget is being spent across Google's properties. For marketers who value transparency and control, this is a genuine trade-off.
But PMax also delivers real results when the conditions are right. E-commerce businesses with strong product feeds often see PMax outperform standard Shopping campaigns. Lead generation accounts with validated conversion data can use PMax to reach users across channels they would not have targeted manually. The key is understanding when those conditions exist and when they do not.
Key Point
PMax is not a replacement for Search campaigns. It is not a "set it and forget it" solution. And it is not right for every account. It is a powerful tool that works well when you have enough data, clear goals, and realistic expectations.
For a broader overview of all Google Ads campaign types, see our guide to creating Google Ads campaigns.
Is Your Account Ready for Performance Max?
Before you create a PMax campaign, run through this readiness check. Launching PMax without the right foundation wastes budget and teaches Google the wrong lessons about your account.
Conversion Data Requirements
PMax relies on conversion data to optimize. Google recommends at least 30 conversions per month in your account. In practice, 50 or more gives the algorithm enough signal to make good decisions. If you are getting fewer than 15 conversions per month, PMax does not have enough data to optimize effectively. Start with Search campaigns, build your conversion volume, and come back to PMax when the numbers support it.
Conversion Tracking Must Be Accurate
Important Warning
This matters more for PMax than for any other campaign type. If your conversion tracking counts duplicate leads, fires on thank-you page reloads, or measures low-value actions as primary conversions, PMax will optimize toward those broken signals. Validate your tracking before launching. Check that conversions in Google Ads match what you see in your CRM or analytics platform. Fix discrepancies first.
If you need help with setup, see our conversion tracking setup guide.
Where PMax Works Well
Good Fit for PMax:
- E-commerce with product feeds. PMax with a well-structured Google Merchant Center feed often outperforms standard Shopping campaigns.
- Lead generation with CRM integration. If you import offline conversions, PMax can optimize toward leads that actually become customers.
- Accounts with existing conversion history. If you already have a track record from Search or Shopping, PMax has a baseline to learn from.
Where PMax Struggles
Not Ideal for PMax:
- Low-volume accounts. Without enough conversions, the algorithm guesses instead of optimizing. This leads to scattered spend and poor results.
- Accounts with unvalidated conversions. If PMax optimizes toward the wrong conversion actions, it will find more of them. Bad data in, bad results out.
- Businesses that need full keyword visibility. If knowing exactly which search terms trigger your ads is essential, PMax's limited search terms data is a real limitation.
Step-by-Step: Creating a Performance Max Campaign
Here is the setup process, with the strategic context most guides skip.
Click "New Campaign" and select your objective
Choose "Sales" or "Leads" depending on your business. PMax requires a conversion-based objective. You cannot run PMax without conversion goals.
Select "Performance Max" as your campaign type
Google may recommend it proactively. Select it intentionally only after completing the readiness check above.
Name your campaign
Use a descriptive name that distinguishes this PMax campaign from your other campaigns. For example: PMax | All Products | Target ROAS or PMax | Lead Gen | Max Conversions.
Configure budget and bidding
Set your daily budget (monthly budget divided by 30.4). Choose between Maximize Conversions or Maximize Conversion Value as your bidding strategy. If you have a clear CPA target, add it as a constraint under Maximize Conversions. If you track revenue, use Maximize Conversion Value with a target ROAS. Do not set a target that is too aggressive at launch. Give the algorithm room to learn. You can tighten targets after the first 3-4 weeks.
Configure URL expansion settings
By default, PMax can send users to any page on your website. This is often too broad. If you have pages that are not relevant to your campaign goals (blog posts, career pages, old landing pages), restrict URL expansion. You can exclude specific URLs or limit PMax to a set of approved landing pages. Take the time to set this up. Unrestricted URL expansion is one of the most common reasons PMax sends traffic to the wrong places.
Build your asset groups
See the next section for detailed guidance on structuring asset groups effectively.
Configure audience signals
See the audience signals section below for how to set these up strategically.
Review and launch
Double-check every setting. Once launched, give the campaign at least 2-3 weeks before making changes.
Building Effective Asset Groups
Asset groups are the building blocks of a PMax campaign. Each asset group contains the creative elements Google uses to build your ads: images, videos, text, and (for e-commerce) product listings. How you structure them determines how relevant your ads are to different audiences.
How to Structure Asset Groups
Think of each asset group as a mini-campaign targeting a specific product, service, or audience. A SaaS company might have one asset group for their core product and another for an add-on service. An e-commerce brand might have one asset group per product category.
Key Point
Do not put everything in a single asset group. If you sell running shoes and hiking boots, they need separate asset groups with separate images, copy, and landing page URLs. Google uses asset groups to match creative to audience. One generic asset group produces generic ads.
Asset Requirements
Images: Provide at least 3-5 images in different aspect ratios (landscape 1.91:1, square 1:1, and portrait 4:5). Use high-quality images that represent your product or service clearly. Stock photos with generic messaging underperform product-specific visuals.
Videos: Upload at least one video. This is important. If you do not provide a video, Google will auto-generate one from your images and text. These auto-generated videos are typically low quality and can hurt your brand perception. Even a simple 15-30 second product video is better than letting Google assemble one for you.
Text assets: Provide up to 5 headlines (30 characters each), 5 long headlines (90 characters), and 4 descriptions (90 characters). Write them to work in different combinations. Each headline should stand on its own. Include your value proposition, key benefits, and a clear call to action across your text assets.
Asset Quality Ratings
Google rates your assets as "Best," "Good," or "Low" based on performance. Replace "Low" assets with new variants. "Best" assets are driving results, so keep them running and create similar alternatives to test. These ratings are relative, not absolute. "Good" does not mean bad. It means other assets in the group are performing better.
Listing Groups for E-commerce
If you connect a Google Merchant Center feed, PMax creates listing groups that organize your products. You can segment by product category, brand, custom labels, or individual products. Use listing groups to control which products appear in each asset group. Exclude products that are out of stock, low margin, or not relevant to the campaign goal.
Audience Signals: What They Do and How to Use Them
Audience signals tell Google who your ideal customer is. But they are suggestions, not hard targeting rules. Google uses your signals as a starting point for the learning period, then expands beyond them as it finds converting users.
First-Party Data (Strongest Signal)
Upload your customer lists and create website visitor remarketing audiences. These are your strongest signals because they represent people who have already engaged with your business. Google uses these audiences to find similar users across its network. If you have CRM data, use it.
Custom Segments
Create custom segments based on search themes (keywords people search for) or URLs (websites your audience visits). For a project management SaaS, you might create a custom segment with search themes like "project management software" and "team collaboration tool," plus URLs of competitor websites. This gives Google a clear picture of user intent.
Google Audiences
In-market audiences reach people actively researching products in your category. Affinity audiences reach people with relevant long-term interests. Life event audiences target people going through major changes (new job, new home, starting a business).
Layer multiple audience types. Start with first-party data and custom segments (highest quality), then add in-market audiences for broader reach. Affinity audiences are less precise for conversion campaigns but can help PMax find new users.
The Truth About Audience Signals
Google will go beyond your signals. Even if you provide tight, specific audiences, PMax will show ads to users outside those audiences if the algorithm believes they will convert. This is by design. Audience signals accelerate learning, but they do not limit targeting. Accept this and monitor performance rather than trying to force PMax into narrow audience constraints.
Bidding and Budget Strategy for PMax
PMax bidding works differently from Search campaigns. The algorithm distributes your budget across channels based on where it expects the highest return. You cannot allocate spend to specific channels.
Choosing Your Bidding Strategy
Maximize Conversions optimizes for the highest number of conversions within your budget. Use this when all conversions have roughly equal value.
Maximize Conversion Value optimizes for the highest total conversion value. Use this for e-commerce or when different conversions have different values (e.g., a demo request is worth more than a newsletter signup).
Add a target CPA or target ROAS constraint only after the first 2-3 weeks. Setting a constraint too tight at launch starves the algorithm of data and leads to limited delivery.
Budget Recommendations
Set your daily budget to at least 3x your expected CPA. If your target CPA is $50, budget at least $150 per day. PMax needs room to test placements and audiences during the learning period. Budgets that are too low produce inconsistent spend and unreliable data.
PMax spend can be erratic in the first weeks. Some days the campaign will spend well above the daily budget. Other days it will barely spend at all. This stabilizes after the learning period, but it requires patience.
Stay on Budget
PMax does not pace spend evenly, and this can catch you off guard when managing multiple campaigns. Budget Control in marketingOS gives you a real-time view of whether your monthly budget is on track across PMax and every other campaign. A 90-second check keeps you in control without building spreadsheets.
For a deeper look at bidding strategies across all campaign types, see our Google Ads bidding strategies guide.
How PMax Interacts with Your Existing Campaigns
PMax does not operate in isolation. It affects and is affected by your other campaigns. Understanding these interactions prevents cannibalization and keeps your account healthy.
PMax and Search
When a user's search matches both a PMax campaign and a Search campaign, Google follows a priority system. If your Search campaign has an exact match keyword that matches the query, Search takes priority. For broad match and phrase match, PMax can take priority in some cases. This means PMax may serve ads for searches you intended to target with Search campaigns.
Protect your brand campaigns by using brand exclusion lists in PMax. This prevents PMax from bidding on your brand terms and claiming those conversions as its own. Brand conversions are typically low-cost and high-converting. Without exclusions, PMax inflates its performance numbers by capturing conversions that would have happened anyway through brand Search.
PMax and Shopping
If you run standard Shopping campaigns alongside PMax with the same product feed, PMax takes priority. Most advertisers who launch PMax for e-commerce pause their standard Shopping campaigns or accept that PMax will handle Shopping placements.
A Practical Coexistence Framework
Run PMax alongside branded Search campaigns (with brand exclusions in PMax). Keep non-branded Search campaigns for your highest-priority keywords where you want full control. Let PMax handle the cross-channel reach and discovery. Monitor for overlap and adjust as needed. This is not a permanent structure. Revisit it quarterly as you gather performance data.
Analyzing Performance Max Results (The Hard Part)
PMax reporting is limited by design. Google gives you less data than Search or Shopping campaigns. Accepting this limitation and working within it is part of managing PMax effectively.
What PMax Reports
- Campaign-level metrics: Conversions, conversion value, cost, CPA, ROAS. These tell you whether the campaign is hitting your targets overall.
- Asset group performance: Which asset groups drive conversions. This helps you allocate budget and prioritize creative updates.
- Asset ratings: "Best," "Good," and "Low" ratings for individual images, videos, and text assets.
- Insights tab: Search categories (grouped themes, not individual queries), auction insights, and audience segments.
What PMax Hides
- Full search terms data. You see categories, not queries. This makes negative keyword management nearly impossible through PMax directly.
- Channel-level spend allocation. You cannot see how much budget went to Search vs. Display vs. YouTube.
- Detailed audience performance. You know which signals you provided, but PMax does not show how much it expanded beyond them.
How to Fill the Gaps
Use Google Analytics 4 to track user behavior after the click. GA4 shows which landing pages users reached, how they navigated your site, and whether they converted. This gives you insight into PMax quality that the Google Ads interface does not provide.
Run placement reports monthly to see where your ads appeared. If you see ads on low-quality Display placements, you can exclude those placements manually.
Get Clarity on PMax Performance
PMax makes it harder to see what is working across your broader account. Google Ads Manager in marketingOS pulls together the metrics that matter, so you can track how PMax contributes to your overall performance without building custom reports or digging through limited Google Ads data.
For a complete analysis framework, see our guide to analyzing Google Ads data.
Optimizing Performance Max Over Time
PMax optimization is different from Search campaign optimization. You have fewer levers to pull. The levers you do have matter more.
Respect the Learning Period
Allow 2-3 weeks before making changes. For accounts with lower conversion volume, the learning period can stretch to 4-6 weeks. Significant changes (budget shifts of more than 20%, new asset groups, bidding strategy changes) reset the learning process.
Asset Optimization
Replace "Low" rated assets with new variants. Create more assets similar to your "Best" performers. Test different messaging angles, image styles, and video formats. Asset optimization is your primary creative lever in PMax. Use it regularly.
Audience Signal Refinement
After 4-6 weeks, review which audience signals are contributing to performance. Add new customer list data as it accumulates. Create new custom segments based on search themes that appear in your Insights tab. Remove audience signals that are clearly not contributing.
Budget Adjustments
Scale budget gradually. Increases of 10-20% at a time give the algorithm room to adapt without resetting the learning period. If performance drops after a budget increase, the change may have been too aggressive.
When to Pause or Restructure
If PMax consistently underperforms after 6-8 weeks of optimization, reconsider whether your account meets the readiness requirements. Low conversion volume, inaccurate tracking, or unclear goals are the most common reasons PMax fails. Pausing PMax and reallocating budget to Search or Shopping is not a failure. It is a practical decision.
Common Performance Max Mistakes
Launching without validated conversion tracking
PMax optimizes toward whatever you tell it is a conversion. If that signal is wrong, PMax will find more wrong conversions.
Running PMax with too few conversions
Under 15-30 conversions per month is not enough data. The algorithm guesses instead of optimizing. Start with Search to build volume first.
Not uploading video assets
Google auto-generates videos from your images and text. These auto-generated videos are almost always low quality. Upload your own, even if it is a simple product walkthrough.
Ignoring URL expansion settings
PMax will send traffic to irrelevant pages if you do not restrict it. Blog posts, career pages, and outdated landing pages all become fair game. Limit or exclude URLs that do not align with your campaign goals.
Setting budgets too low
A daily budget below 3x your target CPA gives the algorithm too little room to learn. This leads to limited delivery and unreliable performance data.
Treating PMax as "set and forget"
PMax requires ongoing asset optimization, audience signal refinement, and performance review. It automates delivery, not strategy.
Not excluding brand keywords
Without brand exclusions, PMax bids on your brand terms and claims those easy conversions as its own. This inflates PMax performance metrics and gives you a false picture of incremental value.
Running PMax without a baseline
If you do not know your account's baseline CPA, ROAS, and conversion volume from other campaign types, you have no way to evaluate whether PMax is actually improving performance. Establish a baseline first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Resources
How to Create a Google Ads Campaign
Complete step-by-step guide to creating any Google Ads campaign type, from account structure to launch.
FeatureBudget Control
Track budget pacing across PMax and all your other campaigns. Know in 90 seconds whether you are on track.
FeatureGoogle Ads Manager
Monitor Google Ads performance and track how PMax contributes to your overall account results.
GuideGoogle Ads Optimization Guide
Ongoing optimization strategies for improving Google Ads campaign performance across all campaign types.
Running Performance Max? Keep Your Budget in Check.
PMax can deliver strong results, but it can also spend aggressively during the learning period. Budget Control in marketingOS gives you real-time pacing visibility across PMax and all your other campaigns. Built by performance marketers who manage PMax daily.