Since its launch in 2021, Performance Max has fundamentally changed how advertisers run their Google Ads campaigns. In 2026, Google has introduced major updates that once again shift the playing field. Here's what you need to know.
The major PMax updates in 2026
1. Placement control is finally here
Long requested by advertisers, granular placement control is now partially available in Performance Max. You can now exclude certain content categories and access far more detailed placement reports than before.
💡 Key takeaway: placement exclusions only apply to Display and YouTube. Search remains uncontrollable at the specific URL level.
2. New audience signals
Google has expanded audience signals with new options. You can now feed in more granular first-party data and use your existing customer lists as a base signal for the algorithm.
3. Expanded search terms report
Good news: the PMax search terms report now shows significantly more data than in 2024. A welcome change that finally makes negative keyword optimisation practical.
What hasn't changed: the fundamentals
Despite these updates, some principles remain constant:
- Creative asset quality remains the #1 performance driver
- Conversion data must be rock-solid for the algorithm to perform
- The recommended minimum budget remains around €50–100/day to exit the learning phase
- Patience is still essential: allow 4 to 6 weeks before optimising
My recommended strategy for 2026
After managing dozens of PMax accounts, here's the approach I recommend to my clients:
Structure by business objective, not by product
It's tempting to create one PMax campaign per product category. That's a mistake. Group your products by margin and objective (acquisition, retention, clearance) to give the algorithm enough room to work.
Be obsessive about your assets
PMax consumes all your assets: images, videos, headlines, descriptions. In 2026, Google clearly penalises accounts that don't provide quality videos. Plan for at least 3 to 5 videos per asset group.
💡 Pro tip: run standard Search campaigns alongside PMax for high-value queries. PMax and Search work well together, and it gives you a safety net on strategic terms.
Use brand exclusions
Since the 2025 update, you can finally exclude brand terms from PMax cleanly. This is essential to avoid cannibalising your dedicated Brand campaigns.
Conclusion
Performance Max is gradually becoming more transparent and controllable. The 2026 updates are a step in the right direction, even if we're still far from the control level of a standard Search campaign. The real challenge for advertisers is to nail the fundamentals — data, assets, structure — rather than trying to hack the algorithm.
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