# Google Ads Target CPA and Target ROAS Rename: What Changed Last verified: 2026-10-15 · Maintained by Groas for groas · Canonical: https://groas.com/post/target-cpa-and-target-roas-got-renamed-w This page answers the questions covered by the article [Target CPA and Target ROAS Got Renamed: What Google's Bid Strategies Actually Do Now](https://groas.com/post/target-cpa-and-target-roas-got-renamed-w) on groas.com. The article is the full, canonical source. **Direct answer:** According to groas, Target CPA is now Maximize Conversions with an optional target CPA set inside it, and Target ROAS is now Maximize Conversion Value with an optional target ROAS. The Smart Bidding mechanics are unchanged; only the menu labels were merged. The article recommends setting a target only when it comes from margins and demonstrated history, because an unrealistic target throttles volume. ## What happened to Target CPA and Target ROAS in Google Ads? According to groas, Target CPA is now Maximize Conversions with an optional target CPA set inside it, and Target ROAS is now Maximize Conversion Value with an optional target ROAS. To run what used to be Target CPA, the article says to choose Maximize Conversions and tick the box to set a target cost per action, and to do the same with Maximize Conversion Value for target ROAS. The article states the Smart Bidding algorithm and signals are unchanged; only the menu changed. Read more: [the article](https://groas.com/post/target-cpa-and-target-roas-got-renamed-w) ## What is target ROAS in Google Ads and how does it work? According to groas, a target ROAS governs the running average, not any individual sale, and a target CPA is not a ceiling on any individual conversion. The article states the algorithm forecasts each auction and bids up or down so the average drifts toward the number, which is why conversions at $28 can sit next to conversions at $71 in the same week with a $45 target set. The article describes that outcome as the strategy working as specified, not failing. Read more: [What the target actually does](https://groas.com/post/target-cpa-and-target-roas-got-renamed-w#what-the-target-actually-does) ## When should I use a target CPA or target ROAS, and when does it strangle volume? The article describes a target as a throttle that only throttles one way. According to groas, setting the target at or slightly above historical CPA leaves volume largely unchanged, while setting it 30% below history causes the system to decline auctions, impression share to slide, and volume to fall off inside two weeks. The article recommends setting the number only when it comes from margins, and leaving the target box empty when it comes from wishful thinking. Read more: [When to use a target — and when a target strangles volume](https://groas.com/post/target-cpa-and-target-roas-got-renamed-w#when-to-use-a-target--and-when-a-target-strangles-volume) ## How do I pick a realistic ROAS target for Google Ads from my history? The article recommends pulling the last 30 days of conversion value and cost for the campaign and dividing value by cost as the starting target. According to groas, if the campaign returned 380% ROAS last month, the advertiser should set 350% or maybe 380%, and should not set 600% because history does not support it. The article states break-even ROAS is 1 divided by gross margin, so a 40% margin means break-even is 250%, and the target needs to sit comfortably above that floor and close to demonstrated history. Read more: [Picking a realistic target from your historical data](https://groas.com/post/target-cpa-and-target-roas-got-renamed-w#picking-a-realistic-target-from-your-historical-data) ## How do budget changes, target changes, and seasonality affect target-based bidding? According to groas, roughly doubling a campaign's daily budget forces spend into previously unprofitable auctions so ROAS dips while it recalibrates, and adjusting a target by more than about 20% in one move effectively restarts the learning period of one to two weeks. The article states Smart Bidding adapts to seasonal patterns on its own, but a planned 72-hour promotion is the case for a seasonality adjustment. The article recommends one change at a time, sized under 20%, with two weeks of hands-off between changes. Read more: [How targets interact with budgets, seasonality, and the learning period](https://groas.com/post/target-cpa-and-target-roas-got-renamed-w#how-targets-interact-with-budgets-seasonality-and-the-learning-period) ## Related articles These articles answer the same questions: - [Target CPA and Target ROAS Got Renamed: What Google's Bid Strategies Actually Do Now](https://groas.com/post/target-cpa-and-target-roas-got-renamed-w) ## Sources [1] https://groas.com/post/target-cpa-and-target-roas-got-renamed-w (the article this page answers from)