Can I fully exclude a channel from Performance Max?

Yes, by setting the allocation to 0% on that channel or channel group. But keep in mind that you're restricting the algorithm's optimization opportunities, so monitor your CPA or ROAS closely after making the change.

What happens if I don't configure anything before February 2027?

Display channels in Search campaigns will automatically default to High priority. This could redistribute your budget from Search to Display Network. Google offers a one-click migration option, but configuring it manually before the deadline is recommended.

Should I enable channel control if my campaigns are already performing well?

If you're consistently hitting your Target CPA or ROAS and your budget isn't constrained, you likely don't need to change anything immediately. But if you want to test a channel you've been avoiding, like Search Partners, the percentage cap lets you test with minimal risk.

Google Ads Channel Prioritization 2026 | What You Need to Do

Google Ads just announced two features that change how you control your budget: channel prioritization and percentage-based allocation. Translation for busy people: you can finally tell Google which networks to spend more on and which to hold back, without cutting a channel entirely.

Sounds straightforward. And in some ways, it is. But between "feature available" and "feature properly configured" lies a gap where we've seen real budget wasted more times than we'd like to count. If you're managing Google Ads campaigns with meaningful budgets, this applies to you.

What's changing and why it matters

Until now, Google Ads campaigns ran on a simple principle: you set the budget, the algorithm decides where to spend it. In Search, you could include or exclude Display Network and Search Partners, but you couldn't say "spend a maximum of 20% on Display." In Performance Max, you had no choice at all. YouTube, Search, Discover, Gmail, Maps were all a closed package.

Now, Google introduces a two-tier priority system. You can label channels as "High priority" or "Low priority." Google funds high-priority channels first and only then, from the remaining budget, spends on deprioritized ones. On top of that, you can set a maximum percentage of your daily budget that can flow to low-priority channels. Want to test Search Partners but with no more than 15% of your budget? Now you can.

A recent article on Search Engine Journal details the full mechanics. The feature rolls out globally across Search, Shopping, Performance Max, and Demand Gen over the coming months. API support is available at launch, which means management tools will be able to integrate these settings quickly.

The control is real, but not total

A few things the official announcement doesn't put front and center.

In Performance Max, Google-owned channels (Search, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, Maps) remain grouped. You can't prioritize YouTube over Discover or Search over Gmail within the same PMax campaign. Control sits at the group level, not the individual channel level. It's an improvement over what we had (essentially nothing), but it's not the granular control many advertisers have been asking for. Google is separately testing an alpha with more advanced PMax channel controls, but with no clear launch timeline.

Allocation percentages are "best effort," not hard caps. Google will try to respect your limit, but won't guarantee it. That's an important distinction if you work with strict budgets or report performance down to the cent. Treat these percentages as guidance, not absolute rules.

The 0% setting does exist and works as a full block, including within Performance Max. This might be the most interesting option: you can finally exclude a specific channel from PMax without abandoning the campaign type altogether. For accounts where YouTube or Discover weren't delivering relevant conversions but were consuming budget, that's a change with direct ROI impact.

The February 2027 deadline

The part that deserves immediate attention: in February 2027, Google will retire the current Display spending allocation system within Search campaigns. Right now, when you have Search + Display enabled in the same campaign, Google automatically prioritizes Search. Starting February, all channels default to "High priority."

What that means in practice: if you do nothing, your Search budget could redistribute significantly toward Display Network. Not tomorrow, but in 16 months. Google recommends manually setting Display to "Low priority" with a 50% budget cap to maintain current behavior. There will be a one-click migration option too, but experience has taught us that "one-click" options usually come with fine print.

We've seen this scenario too many times with our clients: Google announces a change months in advance, everyone says "we'll set it up later," and then they either forget or discover the issue when monthly reports look off. If you have Search campaigns with Display enabled, set a reminder for January 2027. The cost of doing nothing is budget redistribution you didn't ask for.

What to do with this information

If your campaigns are performing well on Target CPA or Target ROAS and aren't budget-constrained, no immediate action is needed. The algorithm will keep optimizing within your set targets. Prioritization adds a layer of control but doesn't fundamentally change how automated bidding works.

But if you've ever wondered "why am I spending so much on Search Partners?" or "I want to test Display but not with 100% of my budget," you now have a concrete answer. You can set Search Partners to "Low priority" with a 10-15% cap and see what it delivers without major risk. This is exactly the kind of controlled testing we've been recommending to clients, but which until now required separate campaigns and dedicated budgets.

At difrnt., we're already planning how to integrate these settings into our clients' Q4 strategies. For accounts with large PMax budgets, the 0% option on certain channels can make the difference between a campaign that performs and one that bleeds on irrelevant inventory. We recently wrote about how preparing your ad account for Q4 shapes results, and channel control is exactly the kind of optimization that matters during peak season.

The pattern is becoming clear: Google launches fully automated campaigns (PMax, Demand Gen), advertisers push back on lack of control, Google gradually adds buttons. We've seen the same dynamic play out on Meta, where AI creates the ads but strategy remains yours. The difference: on Google, you can now attach percentages to that strategy.

Reporting and next steps

Google is promising expanded channel reporting for Search in Q1 2027 and account-level insights for evaluating your settings. Until then, Performance Max already offers channel-level reporting, so you're not starting from zero.

Our recommendation: start now with a channel-level analysis of your existing campaigns. Look at conversion data per network (Search vs. Display vs. Partners vs. YouTube). Identify where you're spending without proportional return. When the new controls become available in your account, you'll already know what settings make sense instead of experimenting on your clients' live budgets.

Automation in Google Ads isn't going anywhere. But the relationship between advertiser and algorithm just got a bit more balanced. Use that.