Google published a new guide for upgrading existing campaigns to Performance Max using the Google Ads API. If you're considering whether Performance Max can enhance your existing campaigns, the new guide is designed to help. It covers 6 steps:

1. Identify Eligible Campaigns: Determine which existing campaigns can be upgraded.
2. Check Requirements and Eligibility: Ensure campaigns meet the criteria for upgrading.
3. Create Performance Max Campaign: Use existing campaigns as a base.
4. Enhance Campaign: Add additional assets and features.
5. Compare and Optimize Performance: Evaluate and adjust for better results.
6. Finalize Campaign: Complete the upgrade process.

Check Upgrade Eligibility

Before creating a Performance Max campaign, verify if your existing campaigns can be directly upgraded. Benefits include:

• Configuration tailored to existing campaigns.
• Retention of advertising goals.
• Tools and guidance for the upgrade.
• Ability to A/B test by splitting traffic.

Campaign Types Eligible for Upgrade

• Smart Shopping Campaigns: Fully-automated, globally launched.
• Local Campaigns: Fully-automated, globally launched.
• Vehicle Campaigns: Fully-automated, beta in US, CA, AU.

Note: Retail campaigns using a product feed are compatible with Performance Max for online sales.

Create a Campaign Based on an Existing Campaign

• Smart Shopping & Local Campaigns: Automatically upgraded in 2022.
• Vehicle Listing Campaigns: Automatically upgraded in 2023.

For manual creation, use the Google Ads API for specific use cases like online sales or lead generation.

Enhance a Campaign

Enhance your Performance Max campaign by adding assets such as:

• Text: Headlines, Final URLs, Descriptions, Business names, Call to actions.
• Images: Marketing images, Logos.
• Videos: YouTube videos.

Compare Performance with Existing Campaigns

Run campaigns for at least 6 weeks before comparing performance. Use GoogleAdsService.SearchStream to retrieve metrics. Key points include:

• Asset Groups vs. Ad Groups: Use asset groups to group creatives by theme.
• Search Terms Insights: Understand customer search behavior using customer_search_term_insight and campaign_search_term_insight.

Complete the Upgrade

Choose between:

1. Move Budget to Performance Max and Remove Existing Campaign: Adjust budgets and remove the old campaign.
2. Move Budget to Performance Max and Retain Existing Campaign: Increase the budget for Performance Max while keeping some budget for existing campaigns.

Ensure you keep records of campaign IDs for performance continuity.

By following these steps, you can effectively upgrade to Performance Max and optimize your advertising efforts using the Google Ads API.