Google Ads offers different campaign types to suit different goals. One of the newest and most talked about is the Performance Max campaign. If you’re here, we’re assuming you’ve already heard of Performance Max but maybe you’re wondering.. What does it do? How is it different from other campaign types? And should you use it for your business?

This article will explain what a Performance Max campaign is, how it works, and how to set it up in a way that makes sense for beginners.

What a Performance Max campaign is

A Performance Max campaign is a type of Google Ads campaign that allows you to advertise across all of Google’s networks using just one campaign. Instead of creating separate campaigns for Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Maps, Performance Max combines them – making it really beginner friendly.

You provide Google with your assets (such as text, images, videos and audience information) as well as some signals (searches, audiences), and Google’s machine learning technology automatically mixes and matches these assets to show the best possible adverts to the right people at the right time.

The idea is that you get maximum performance with less manual work, because the system optimises your adverts in real time.

How Performance Max works

The key difference with Performance Max compared to other campaign types is how much control you give to automation. Here is how it works step by step:

1. You choose your goal… for example, online sales, lead generation, or store visits.
2. You provide creative assets… this includes headlines, descriptions, images and videos.
3. You set your budget and bidding strategy… such as maximise conversions or target return on ad spend (ROAS).
4. You define audience signals… this is where you give Google an idea of who your ideal customers are. It is not strict targeting, but a guide to help the system learn faster. (Think of this as more like a ‘suggestion’ to Google)
5. Google runs the campaign across all channels… search, display, YouTube, Gmail and more.
6. Machine learning optimises delivery… Google tests combinations of your assets, learns which ones work best, and shows them to the right audiences.

The system continuously learns, meaning your campaign will generally improve over time. We often find this timeframe for maximum performance to be around 3 months, however, this can vary depending on market and level of spend.

Advantages of Performance Max campaigns

• Simplicity… instead of running several separate campaigns, you run one that covers everything.
• Automation… bidding, targeting and placements are handled automatically.
• Access to all channels… you can reach potential customers across the full Google Ads inventory.
• Data-driven optimisation… Google’s machine learning uses vast amounts of data to show the best ads.
• Conversion focus… the campaign is strongly aligned with your set goals, such as sales or leads.

Limitations of Performance Max campaigns

While Performance Max can be powerful, there are things to be aware of:

• Less control… currently, you cannot choose where your adverts appear in the same way you can with Search or Display campaigns. It’s far less restrictive in this sense. However, we should note, that Performance Max has introduced Negative Keywords in the last year (as of 2025) so further control in the future is not out of the question.
• Transparency… reporting is less detailed. However, as of 2025, you can see channel breakdowns in performance now from this campaign. You can also see detailed performance on Search terms. So, again, the transparency of data in this campaign type is improving immensely.
• Learning period… results may take time to stabilise as Google gathers enough data. This can take up to 3 months, depending on market and spend level. Due to the heavy reliance on data for optimisation and targeting, we often only recommend Performance Max is used in established accounts (accounts with a good amount of historical conversion data already within).
• Dependence on good assets… if your text, images or videos are weak, the system has less to work with.

For these reasons, Performance Max is best suited for advertisers who are clear about their goals and already have good conversion tracking in place.

How to set up a Performance Max campaign

1. Select “+” to create a new campaign
2. Choose your objective… for example, Sales, Leads or Local store visits and press continue. Make sure you already have conversion tracking in place before leaving this stage.
3. Select Performance Max as your campaign type.
4. Set your budget and bidding strategy… if you are new, start with maximise conversions, and once you have more data, you can test target CPA or ROAS.
5. Add your asset group… this is where you upload your headlines, descriptions, images and videos. The more quality assets you provide, the better. Check how they look across channels in the preview to the right of your setup. Try to use core keywords and call-to-actions (what you want the user to do e.g. Shop online, Book a free appointment) in your copy.
6. Define audience signals… give Google some starting points, such as customer lists, website visitors or interests related to your business. This will help give it some starting signals to show the type of users you’re trying to reach.
7. Launch your campaign… Google will begin testing combinations and showing your adverts across all channels.

Best practices for Performance Max

• Have clear goals. know what you want from your campaign before creating it – sales or leads?
• Provide a variety of assets. upload multiple headlines, descriptions and visuals so the system has more options to test. The higher the quality you have of these, the better chance you have of success.
• Use audience signals wisely. guide the system with the type of people you want to reach, but avoid making them too narrow.
• Check your conversion tracking. without accurate tracking, the system cannot optimise effectively.
• Be patient. allow at least a few weeks for the campaign to gather data before making big changes.
• Review regularly. although you have less control, you can still check performance and adjust your budget or bidding strategy.
• Combine with other campaigns. Performance Max is powerful, but some advertisers also run Search campaigns alongside it for more control over specific keywords.

In summary…

Performance Max is a powerful campaign type that can save time and expand your reach across all of Google’s channels. It works best when you have clear goals, good creative assets and reliable conversion tracking.

If you want a simpler way to run ads and are comfortable with handing over some control to automation, Performance Max can be an excellent choice. For beginners, it can be a great way to start reaching more customers without needing to manage multiple campaign types separately.