Google Ads channel prioritisation: what it means for Performance Max
Google Ads channel prioritisation is coming to Performance Max campaigns. How it works, how to cap Low priority spend, and what UK small firms should do.
Short answer: On 14 October 2026 Google Ads began rolling out two optional controls, channel prioritisation and budget allocation, for Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns. You mark channels as High or Low priority, and Google funds the High ones first. In Performance Max, Google's own surfaces (Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail and Discover) are grouped together as one "Google channels" tier, so the control does not let you rank those surfaces against each other. The controls are rolling out globally over the coming months, so you may not see them in your account yet.
For a UK small business on a tight budget, this is a new way to optimise your Google Ads budget and cut wasted spend on channels that do not bring enquiries, without switching them off completely.
What is Performance Max?
Performance Max is a Google Ads campaign type that runs your ads across Google's channels from a single campaign, with Google's automation deciding where each impression goes. That automation is why many small advertisers have asked for more say in where a Performance Max campaign spends.
How channel prioritisation works in Google Ads
Channel prioritisation lets you sort where your ads can show into two tiers: "High priority" and "Low priority". Google says that, once set up, campaigns will fully fund High priority channels first, within your target if you use Target CPA or Target ROAS bidding, and only then spend the remaining budget on Low priority channels.
Google says the controls are rolling out at account and campaign level and also apply to shared budgets.
What it changes for Performance Max campaigns
Google's announcement is specific here: "In Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns, Google surfaces like Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail, and Discover are prioritized together as 'Google channels.'" So for Performance Max campaigns, you prioritise that whole group as one tier. You cannot, from this announcement, tell Performance Max to put Search ahead of YouTube, for example.
Google does not list in its post which other inventory sits outside "Google channels" in Performance Max. Partner networks such as Search partners and the Google Display Network are named for the controls in general, so check what your own account shows when the control arrives before you decide anything else.
The finer split is on Search campaigns, where Google gives the example of putting Google Search, Search partners and the Google Display Network into different priority levels.
How to optimise your Google Ads budget with Low priority caps
When a channel is set to Low priority, you can enter a maximum percentage of your daily budget for it. Google's wording is careful: "On a best-effort basis, our tools will aim to keep spend on those channels within that limit." Treat the cap as a guide rail, not a hard stop, and check what was actually spent.
Google says the cap is especially useful for campaigns on Target CPA or Target ROAS that are not limited by budget. In those campaigns, setting priorities alone will generally make little difference, so the percentage cap is the lever that does the work.
Cutting Google Ads wasted budget without switching channels off
Many small advertisers switch off Search partners and Display because they have seen money go on clicks that never turned into calls. That is a fair call, but you then never find out whether some of that traffic was worth having.
Google says these controls give "more control than all-or-nothing opt-outs", and that advertisers who opted out in the past can test these networks "with more confidence and clearer limits". In plain terms: put Search partners or Display back on as Low priority with a small share of the daily budget, and judge them on results.
The February 2027 change for Display on Search campaigns
This one is for Search campaigns, not Performance Max. Google says that from February 2027, for Search campaigns with the Google Display Network turned on, the current spend allocation setup will go away, and you may see a shift in where your money goes. To keep something close to your current setup, Google says to set the Google Display Network to "Low priority" with a 50% budget allocation.
What to do when it appears in your account
Review your settings now, then act when the controls show up:
Step 1. Take a before picture. Note what each channel spent over the last 28 days, and what it brought in.
Step 2. Look for the new channel priority option in your campaign settings, starting with Search campaigns.
Step 3. On Search, set Google Search to High priority. Put Search partners and Display on Low, with a small percentage cap.
Step 4. Watch it for a couple of weeks. Compare cost per lead against your before picture, and remember the cap is best-effort.
Step 5. For Performance Max, wait until the control appears on that campaign type, then decide deliberately where "Google channels" and anything else your account lists should sit.
Step 6. Set a reminder for January 2027 if you still run Display on Search campaigns.
Paid search works best alongside organic visibility. Our SEO services and local SEO help you win the same searches without a cost per click. Our guide to SEO vs SEM explains how the two fit together, and SEO analytics can show which channels bring enquiries. For other platforms, see how Meta's AI ads tools work in Ads Manager.
FAQ
What is Performance Max?
A Google Ads campaign type that runs ads across Google's channels from one campaign, with Google's automation choosing where they show.
Does channel prioritisation work with Performance Max campaigns?
Yes, as it rolls out. In Performance Max, Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail and Discover are prioritised together as one "Google channels" group, so you cannot rank them against each other.
Can I cap spend on Search partners or Display?
Yes, once the feature reaches your account. Set the channel to Low priority and enter a maximum percentage of your daily budget. Google applies the cap on a best-effort basis.
When will it be available in the UK?
Google says the controls are rolling out globally over the coming months. It has not given a UK date.
What happens to Display on Search campaigns in February 2027?
The current spend allocation setup goes away. To keep a similar setup, Google says to set the Google Display Network to Low priority with a 50% budget allocation.
Want a second pair of eyes on your Google Ads?
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