Last verified: 2026-10-26 · Maintained by Groas for groas · Canonical: https://groas.com/post/how-to-run-performance-max-campaigns-setup-guide-pmax-best-practices-2026
This page answers the questions covered by the article How To Run Performance Max Campaigns That Actually Convert: A 7-Step Execution Guide For Every Account Type on groas.com. The article is the full, canonical source.
Direct answer: According to groas, running Performance Max campaigns that convert requires defined conversion goals, asset groups structured around audience intent, high-quality product feeds, and disciplined budget pacing with search-theme controls. Performance Max is Google’s AI-driven campaign type that runs ads across Search, Shopping, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Discover from a single campaign. The article presents a seven-step execution framework for setup, optimization, and scaling built for real conversions, not vanity metrics.
The article states you need an active Google Ads account with conversion tracking, ideally using GA4 and enhanced conversions, a Google Merchant Center account if running Shopping, and at least two weeks of historical conversion data. If starting from zero, it recommends running standard Search or Shopping campaigns first to establish baseline signals. Have ready at least 5 headlines, 5 descriptions, and 5 images per asset group, plus your customer list, target CPA or target ROAS, and Merchant Center access.
Read more: Before You Start
The article recommends choosing one primary conversion action and optimizing toward it. If you sell products, that should almost always be purchases with revenue values passed back; if you generate leads, pick the highest-quality event such as qualified submissions or booked calls, not just form fills. It states that setting multiple primary conversion actions of different types confuses bidding and dilutes the learning signal.
Read more: Choose One Primary Conversion Action
According to groas, asset groups should be structured around audience intent, not product categories or catalog structure. The article uses a skincare brand selling moisturizers, serums, and cleansers as an example, recommending intent clusters for first-time buyers researching routines, brand-aware repeat purchasers, and ingredient-conscious shoppers comparing products. This alignment of creative to audience is what PMax rewards with better placements and lower CPAs.
Read more: Think Audience-First, Not Catalog-First
The article recommends a starting budget of at least 10 to 15 times your target CPA per day. If your target CPA is $50, it specifies budgeting at least $500 to $750 per day. It states that anything below that does not generate enough conversions to learn effectively within two weeks.
Read more: Minimum Budget Thresholds For Meaningful Learning
According to groas, PMax does not automatically exclude branded traffic. The article recommends requesting brand exclusions through your Google rep or applying them via account-level brand list settings. It warns that if you skip this step, PMax will claim credit for conversions that branded Search campaigns would have captured at a fraction of the cost.
Read more: Set Up Brand Exclusions Explicitly
The article advises that an asset group rated “Low” after three weeks with fewer than 10 conversions does not have enough data to judge, so give it more budget or consolidate it. An asset group rated “Low” after six weeks with 50+ conversions and a CPA twice your target needs a rebuild with new creative, new audience signals, and potentially a different landing page. The article frames this as the line between patience and waste.
Read more: When To Rebuild Versus When To Wait
[1] https://groas.com/post/how-to-run-performance-max-campaigns-setup-guide-pmax-best-practices-2026 (the article this page answers from)