Google's most automated campaign type, and also the one with the least transparency. You provide assets and budget. The algorithm decides placement, audience, and creative combination across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Discover. The performance reporting is high-level by design. If you need to know where your ads ran or which audience drove results, this format will frustrate you. If you need scale and can live with limited visibility, it delivers. Know which situation you are in before you commit the budget.
Ad tech glossary
Performance Max
Technical definition
Google's automated campaign type that uses machine learning to optimize performance across all Google Ads inventory from a single campaign.
The ADLINGO translation
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Related terms
- Ad Rank
- Broad Match Modifier (RIP)
- Discovery Campaigns
- FLEDGE (First Locally-Executed Decision over Groups Experiment)
- FLoC (Federated Learning of Cohorts)
- Local Service Ads
- Match Types
- Maximize Conversion Value
- Negative Keywords
- PRAM (Partnership for Responsible Addressable Media)
- Privacy Sandbox
- Project Rearc
Where this shows up
Google Monopoly for the CMO
When asked what today's ruling against Google means for advertisers, here is what I say. (Without making a prediction about a breakup.)
Monetizing AI Overviews
Ads in Google's AI Overviews are already natively integrated for immediate shoppability. What does this mean for advertisers, publishers, and the future of the ad supported Internet?
