Set up Performance Max campaign: Ultimate guide in 2025

If you want to maximize your ROI with Google Ads in 2025, knowing how to set up a Performance Max campaign is essential. These campaigns combine automation, machine learning, and cross-channel reach to deliver the best results for your business.

In this article, we’ll walk you step-by-step through Performance Max campaign setup, covering feed optimization, bidding strategies, audience signals, and more.

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Key takeaways

• Performance Max campaigns use AI to deliver ads across all Google channels with a single setup.

• Optimizing your product feed is the #1 factor influencing campaign success.

• Audience signals and conversion goals help Google’s automation learn faster.

• Regular monitoring through the Insights tab ensures you stay in control.

Prepare your Google Merchant Center feed

Performance Max continues to rely heavily on product feeds in 2025. Your data feed is the foundation of campaign performance, making it clean, detailed, and structured.
Include as many attributes as possible such as:

• Titles

• Brand

• Price

• Images

• Manufacturer Part Number (MPN)

• GTIN

• Product Category

• Product Type

• Custom Labels

Want automation to keep your feed always up to date? Explore Google Ads automation.

Select your campaign objectives

Before you launch, decide what success looks like for your Performance Max campaign setup. Some options include:

• Sales

• Leads

• Website traffic

• Local store visits & promotions

You can also create a campaign without goal guidance which is ideal for advanced advertisers who want full control.

Pro tip: Tie campaign objectives directly to measurable business outcomes (e.g., revenue or ROAS) and not just your traffic.

Select conversion goals

Only use the most important conversion goals you’ve already configured in your Google Ads account.

In 2025, Google emphasizes streamlined conversion setups, fewer, higher-value goals lead to better optimization.

Choose a campaign type and name

From your Google Ads dashboard, select Performance Max, give your campaign a descriptive name, and move to the next step.

Set up bidding

Performance Max allows only automated bidding strategies:

• Maximize Conversion Value (with optional tROAS)

• Maximize Conversions (with optional tCPA)

Best practice for 2025: Start broad, then tighten targets once Google’s AI has at least 30–50 conversions to learn from.

Set up location and languages

Specify where your ads should show and in which languages. Layering in multiple languages can help you reach different audiences in cross-border eCommerce.

Adjust the campaign settings

Decide if you’ll allow Google to auto-generate:

• Text assets (headlines & descriptions)

• Final URLs (Google chooses the most relevant landing page)

While this automation can save time, you’ll want to review regularly to maintain brand control.

Manage asset groups

Performance Max campaigns generate ads for all Google platforms from one asset pool. Minimum requirements in 2025 are:

• 3–5 headlines

• 1–5 long headlines

• 2–5 descriptions

• At least 1 square & 1 landscape image

• At least 1 square logo

• Up to 5 YouTube videos (10s each)

Pro tip: Upload your own videos. Otherwise, Google will auto-generate them, which may hurt brand consistency.

Set up budgets

Set a daily budget aligned with your ROAS or CPA goals. Start modest and scale only after gathering 2–4 weeks of performance data.

Review the setup

Double-check your campaign settings, conversion goals, and audience signals before publishing.

Performance Max Ad specifications (2025 update)

• Text: 3–5 short headlines (15–30 characters), 1–5 long headlines (max 90 characters), 2–5 descriptions (max 90 characters).

• Images: At least one 1200x628 landscape, one 1200x1200 square, plus optional 4:5 portrait images.

• Logos: At least one square logo (1200x1200 recommended).

• Videos: Up to 5 YouTube videos (min 10s).

Check Google’s official Performance Max creative asset guide.

Ad extensions

Boost ad visibility with extensions:

• Sitelinks → drive traffic to specific pages

• Location extensions → show store details

• Call extensions → add direct contact options

In 2025, ad extensions are smarter, dynamically adapting to user intent.

Audience signals

Audience signals guide Google’s AI toward your most valuable prospects:

• Custom segments

• Customer Match lists

• Google audiences (Affinity, In-Market)

• Demographics

Adding audience signals accelerates learning and reduces wasted ad spend.

Insights tab

Google now provides deeper audience & search category reporting inside the Insights tab. Use this to understand whether your campaigns lean more toward branded or generic searches.

Reporting and management

Google evaluates asset strength using AI, but your expertise should guide optimization. Don’t rely on “ad strength” alone as you should focus on actual performance metrics like ROAS, CTR, and conversion rate.

FAQs

How should you set the budget for a new Performance Max campaign?

: Start with a budget you’re comfortable testing for 2–4 weeks, then adjust based on ROAS or CPA trends.

How many Performance Max campaigns should I have?

Most businesses can start with one campaign, but create multiple if you have distinct goals, product lines, or regions.

Do I need videos for Performance Max?

No, but uploading your own videos is strongly recommended to maintain brand consistency.

Transform your Google Ads with automation

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• Simplified ad creation

• Seamless asset integration

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