Google just launched substantial upgrades to its Performance Max campaigns today.
In their announcement, they introduced long-anticipated reporting features that will provide advertisers with much-needed visibility into how their campaigns perform across different Google surfaces.
These updates include new channel-level reporting, full search terms data, and expanded asset performance metrics.
The goal?
It’s aimed at helping marketers better understand, evaluate, and optimize their Performance Max campaigns.
The rollout is expected to begin with an open beta for channel performance reporting in the coming weeks.
For advertisers managing budget and strategy across a mix of formats and inventory, these reporting enhancements mark a meaningful step forward in understanding where results are coming from and how to take informed action.
Advertiser Feedback is Directly Shaping PMax’s Direction
According to Google, Performance Max is now used by over one million advertisers.
In 2024 alone, Google implemented more than 90 improvements to Performance Max, leading to measurable gains in both conversions and conversion value.
But alongside performance, advertisers have consistently asked for better transparency and reporting.
Google’s latest announcements make clear that advertiser feedback has played a central role in shaping these enhancements.
The goal is to deliver clearer insights, support decision-making, and increase control—without sacrificing the benefits of automation.
Channel Performance Reporting Is Coming To Performance Max
Channel-level reporting is the most significant update in this release.
For the first time, advertisers will be able to view results by channel: Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, Maps, and Search partners.
The new “Channel performance” page will show:
- Visual breakdowns of performance by surface
- Campaign-level metrics for each channel, including clicks, conversions, and spend
- A downloadable table with key performance data
- Diagnostics to surface missed opportunities or setup issues.
You’ll be able to find the Channel Performance reporting in the “Insights & reports” tab on the left-hand side of Google. See the example below on how the report will function.
For example, if Maps isn’t generating traffic, diagnostics might suggest adding a location asset. Or if YouTube is outperforming, advertisers can shift their focus to high-impact video creatives.
The ability to view spend and conversion value by channel adds clarity that Performance Max has previously lacked.
Search Terms Reporting Reaches (Almost) Full Visibility
Another major enhancement is the addition of full search terms reporting.
Advertisers will now be able to see the actual queries driving performance – similar to what’s available in standard Search and Shopping campaigns.
With this rollout, marketers can:
- Identify top-performing search terms
- Create tailored assets round those queries
- Apply negative keywords or brand exclusions when needed
For agencies managing multiple clients or accounts at scale, this change improves daily workflow efficiency.
Rather than relying solely on limited theme-level insights or making assumptions about what’s driving performance, teams can now analyze exact queries.
This supports better keyword refinement, more accurate exclusions, and tighter alignment between campaign objectives and user behavior, all within the familiar framework of Search best practices.
Privacy thresholds will still apply, but the reporting experience will be much more detailed than before.
At launch, this feature will be available in the Google Ads UI only, with API support expected later.
For marketers focused on search intent, this change makes Performance Max a more actionable channel.
More Granular Asset Metrics Across Campaign Types
Asset reporting is also expanding. In addition to conversion data, advertisers will now see:
- Impressions
- Clicks
- Cost
- Conversion Value
Image Credit: Google, April 2025These new metrics will apply across Performance Max, Search, and Display. This allows advertisers to evaluate creative performance at a deeper level.
Want to know if your video is driving more conversions than your static image? Now you can. Want to see if your headline gets more clicks than your call-to-action? The data is there.
These insights support better creative testing and stronger Ad Strength scores, all based on performance—not assumptions.
Built-In Diagnostics Help Spot Gaps and Missed Opportunities
Google is also adding diagnostics that flag potential performance issues. These insights will live within the Channel performance page and highlight areas for improvement.
For example:
- If you’re not showing on Maps, diagnostics might suggest adding a location feed or location asset
- If Search delivery is limited, landing page relevance could be the cause
Image credit: Google, April 2025This feature won’t give full control over where ads appear, but it does provide better visibility into what’s working and what’s not.
Channel exclusions are still not available in Performance Max, but Google confirmed it’s exploring future control options. For now, diagnostics serve as a step toward more informed decision-making.
Why These Updates Matter For Advertisers
This round of updates helps address a long-standing challenge with Performance Max: the lack of visibility.
Advertisers have embraced the campaign type for its scale and automation, but often struggled to understand the “how” behind performance.
With these new features, advertisers will gain:
- Channel-level transparency
- Deeper search intent insights
- Clearer creative performance metrics
- Actionable recommendations to fix delivery issues
These aren’t just incremental changes. They reshape how marketers can evaluate and optimize PMax.
The updates make it easier to align creative strategy, understand channel contribution, and refine search targeting.
It’s also clear that Google is listening. The inclusion of diagnostics, downloadable tables, and more detailed reporting shows a strong response to real-world feedback.
These updates also signal a broader industry shift toward hybrid automation models: where AI handles scale, but humans still guide strategy with the help of robust data.
As marketers continue to seek clarity on campaign performance, updates like these help reinforce trust in automated systems by making them easier to measure and manage.
More details are expected at Google Marketing Live. But this release signals a new phase for Performance Max: one that balances automation with greater accountability and insight.
