Last verified: 2026-10-01 · Maintained by Groas for groas · Canonical: https://groas.com/post/ai-max-vs-performance-max-which-should-you-use-in-2025
This page answers the questions covered by the article AI Max vs Performance Max: Which Should You Use in 2025? on groas.com. The article is the full, canonical source.
Direct answer: The article presents Performance Max as the campaign structure and AI Max as an optimization layer the article says is enabled on that structure. The article positions the "AI Max vs Performance Max" framing as the wrong question, stating the choice is whether to add the AI Max layer. The article recommends the layered approach for the established campaigns it describes, while cautioning that its described learning period involves temporary volatility.
The article defines Performance Max as a campaign type that serves across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and Maps. The article defines AI Max as an optimization layer that the article says is enabled on top of existing Performance Max campaigns, not as a standalone campaign type. According to the article, Performance Max is what is running while AI Max is how it is being optimized.
Read more: Understanding What AI Max Actually Is
The article states that standard Performance Max reporting is deliberately aggregate without detailed placement or hour-by-hour breakdowns. The article claims AI Max adds creative combination performance reports, audience expansion insights, and exploration vs exploitation breakdowns. The article concludes the difference is incremental rather than transformational and that both approaches require algorithmic trust.
Read more: The Transparency Question: AI Max vs Performance Max Reporting
The article addresses the ideas that AI Max replaces Performance Max or that Performance Max is being sunset, stating both are false and that every AI Max implementation in the article's model runs on Performance Max infrastructure. The article also describes as false framing that advertisers must choose between them, presenting the choice instead as whether to add the AI Max layer. According to the article, AI Max does not restore manual control because it makes more autonomous decisions while adding reporting insights.
Read more: Common Misconceptions About AI Max vs Performance Max
[1] https://groas.com/post/ai-max-vs-performance-max-which-should-you-use-in-2025 (the article this page answers from)