Performance Max Creative Assets, Asset Groups and Refresh Timing

Question 1

What creative assets does a Performance Max asset group need?

Accepted Answer

According to groas, an asset group accepts up to 20 images, up to 5 videos per group (increased to 15 in the January 2026 update), up to 5 short headlines of 30 characters, up to 5 long headlines of 90 characters, and up to 5 descriptions of 90 characters. The article recommends providing at least 5 to 8 images covering different angles and use cases, logos in both landscape and square formats, the full 5 headlines and 5 descriptions with genuinely different messages, and video of 10 seconds or longer because manually created videos outperform auto-generated ones by 25 to 40%.

Question 2

What is the minimum I can launch a Performance Max campaign with?

Accepted Answer

The article states Google’s absolute minimums are 1 landscape image, 1 square image, 1 logo, 3 short headlines, 2 long headlines, and 1 description. The article describes the practical minimum for a functional campaign as 5 images across different ratios and content types, at least 1 video, the full 5 short headlines and 5 long headlines, all 5 descriptions, and the logo in both formats. The ideal described is 10 to 15 images and 2 to 3 videos with varied promotional, feature-focused, benefit-driven, urgency-based and social-proof messaging.

Question 3

Should I use one Performance Max asset group or multiple themed asset groups?

Accepted Answer

The article recommends a single asset group when there is a single core product or service and monthly conversion volume is low to moderate (under 50 conversions per month), to maximize data in one optimization pool. It recommends multiple themed asset groups for distinct product categories or services only when volume supports ideally 30+ conversions per month per group, starting with 1 to 2 groups and splitting further only when volume allows. Since January 2026, the article recommends using Performance Max’s built-in A/B testing feature for creative tests within a single asset group and running tests for at least 4 weeks.

Question 4

How do I read Performance Max asset performance ratings and Ad Strength?

Accepted Answer

According to groas, Google assigns each asset a rating of Best, Good, or Low and each asset group an Ad Strength score of Poor, Average, Good, or Excellent, and as of 2025 the asset report shows impressions, clicks, cost, and conversions for each element. The article states the Best/Good/Low rating is relative within the asset group, not an absolute quality measure, and does not show which specific combinations drive conversions. It recommends checking ratings weekly but not acting on fewer than 14 days of data, treating assets rated Low after 2 to 3 weeks with sufficient volume as replacement candidates, and moving Ad Strength from Average to Good or Good to Excellent by adding variety.

Question 5

When and how should I refresh Performance Max creative for fatigue?

Accepted Answer

The article identifies fatigue signs as gradual click-through-rate decline over 3 to 4 weeks, increasing cost per conversion without targeting or budget changes, flattening conversion volume, and assets downgraded from Best or Good to Low. It recommends reviewing performance weekly, replacing underperforming assets every 2 to 3 weeks when rated Low for 14 or more days with meaningful volume, and conducting a major refresh every 4 to 6 weeks. It warns not to replace more than 2 to 3 assets at once and not to refresh all assets simultaneously, and notes a campaign running the same assets for 6 or more weeks likely needs creative refresh.