Google quietly rolled out a change advertisers have wanted for years: site-level reporting for the Search Partner Network.
Until now, advertisers could only opt in or out, with little understanding of where their ads actually showed.
This update finally gives visibility into where budgets are spent outside of Google.
Google lists this as an August 2025 update in its Help Center, however it wasn’t announced widespread.
Read on to understand the update from Google, how advertisers are reacting, and what you can do with this new level of information.
What Changed in Search Partner Reporting?
The new reporting applies to Search, Shopping, and App campaigns. You’ll now see which partner sites served your ads and how many impressions each one received.
Think of it as the kind of placement data we already get in Performance Max, just extended to Search Partners.
This update follows other moves Google has made to address long-standing concerns about partner quality.
Earlier this year, they introduced brand safety pre-screening options with IAS, DoubleVerify, and Zefr. They also said parked domains will be opted out by default before the end of 2025.
This visibility layer feels like the missing piece that makes the rest of those updates more usable.
How Are Advertisers Reacting to This Update?
The update on Search Partner Network reporting was first found by Anthony Higman, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his opinion.
Higman stated:
Still Most Likely Wont Be Participating In The Search Partner Network But This Is Unprecedented And What ALL Advertisers Have Been Requesting For Decades! Honestly NEVER Thought I Would See This Day.”
Others gave some versioning mixture of applauding Google for giving data to advertisers that they’ve been asking for for years, while also being somewhat skeptical.
Mike Ryan replied to Higman with his thoughts:
I mean, good step but also, it’s the PMax version: impression data only.
Aaron Levy shared his thoughts on LinkedIn, stating that this is a major step in the right direction for Google.
Why This Matters & How to Take Action
Without Search Partner Network reporting, it was tough to justify opting in. Now advertisers finally have data to audit where ads run, decide if it fits brand standards, and see if partner traffic adds any real value.
That said, the update is only as good as the action that advertisers take with the information available.
Some sites won’t align with brand guidelines. Others may generate clicks but fail to drive quality conversions.
The difference is you can now point to actual data when making decisions, rather than relying on gut feel.
Here’s some quick pointers to make this update actionable:
- Run a quick placement audit. Pull the report and check for sites that don’t align with your brand. Exclude what’s clearly not a fit.
- Look beyond impressions. While this reporting is only limited to impressions, use your own conversion data to figure out which placements are driving useful traffic versus noise.
- Revisit opt-in of campaigns. Many advertisers avoided Search Partners altogether because of the black box. Now it may be worth testing again, but do it with defined guardrails and success metrics.
- Pressure test Smart Bidding. Google leans on Smart Bidding to balance Search Partner performance, but don’t assume it’s perfect. Keep an eye on conversion quality and modeled conversions before scaling.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been skeptical of Search Partners, this update is a chance to take another look with data on your side.
If you’ve already been opted in, you finally have a way to prove which placements help your campaigns and which ones don’t.
Bottom line: advertisers now have a long overdue view into the Search Partner Network. With more visibility comes a bit more control, and smarter conversations about whether Search Partners deserve a place in your Search campaigns.
Will you be opting into Search Partner Network with this new reporting update?
