Using feeds in Performance Max

Feeds are lists of products or services that you want to advertise. You aren’t required to use feeds when you create campaigns. However, you should consider using feeds with Performance Max campaigns to access dedicated ad formats optimized for the products or services you're selling. Feeds can be used from a linked account like Merchant Center or Hotel Center, or from your data feeds in business data.

This article explains how to use feeds in your Performance Max campaigns to improve your Google Ads experience.

On this page

• Benefits
• How feed types work
• Frequently asked questions

Benefits

• Improve targeting: Feeds allow you to show your ads to a more relevant audience based on the locations that you add.
• Use a variety of ad formats: Performance Max campaigns can use the information in your feed to generate different ad formats, like Shopping ads, vehicle ads and hotel ads.

---

How feed types work

You can use different types of feeds in your Performance Max campaigns based on marketing objectives, linked accounts, and conversion goals. Review the details below to learn more about the different feed types and how to use them with your Performance Max campaigns.

Tip: You’ll notice the option to use a feed in your Performance Max campaign if you have a feed attached to your account. Google only displays the feeds that are available and match the marketing objectives of your campaign. Once your campaign is created, it isn’t possible to add, change or remove a feed.

Merchant Center product feeds

You can use a Merchant Center account when creating a Performance Max campaign to show Shopping ads in your campaign.

To use a product feed in your Performance Max campaign you must have:

• A linked Merchant Center account
• Your campaign objective set to “Sales”, “Leads”, “Website traffic“, “Local store visits and promotions”, or “Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance”

Use a product feed in your Performance Max campaign

1. In your Google Ads account, from the page menu on the left, click Campaigns.
2. Click the plus button , then click New campaign.
3. Choose your campaign objective. Performance Max will show as a campaign type selection if your advertising objective is “Sales”, “Leads”, “Website traffic“, “Local store visits and promotions”, or if you create a campaign without a goal’s guidance.
4. Confirm your campaign's conversion goals. Your account goals will be default prepopulated, but you can remove these or add new goals.
5. Select Performance Max as your campaign type.
6. Under “Add products to this campaign”, check the “Advertise products from a Merchant Center account” box.
7. Select the Merchant Center account you want to use for the campaign.
8. (Optional) Select the specific feed that you want to use from the Merchant Center account by feed label or country of sale.
9. Enter a campaign name.
10. Click Continue.

Note: Secondary feeds, like local product inventory feeds and collection feeds, are added automatically when you add a Merchant Center product feed.

---

Merchant Center vehicle feeds

You can use a Merchant Center account with vehicle feeds when you create your Performance Max campaign to show vehicle ads in your campaign. You’ll need to link your Merchant Center account to create vehicle ads with your Performance Max campaigns. In order to use a vehicle feed in your Performance Max campaign, you must have:

• A linked Merchant Center account with the vehicle ads program enabled and vehicles added
• Your campaign objective set to “Sales”

Use a vehicle feed in your Performance Max campaign

1. In your Google Ads account, from the page menu on the left, click Campaigns.
2. Click the plus button , then click New campaign.
3. Choose “Sales” as your campaign objective.
4. Confirm your campaign's conversion goals. Your account goals will be default prepopulated, but you can remove these or add new goals.
5. Select Performance Max as your campaign type.
6. Under “Add vehicles to this campaign”, check the “Advertise vehicles from a Merchant Center account” box.
7. Select the Merchant Center account you want to use for the campaign.
8. (Optional) Select the specific feed that you want to use from the Merchant Center account by feed label or country of sale.
9. Enter a campaign name.
10. Click Continue.

---

FAQs

What if I don't want to use a feed?

Feeds aren’t a requirement when you set up or edit a campaign. If you choose to opt out of using a feed, your campaign will generate ads using assets you’ve uploaded.

What if I don’t have the option to use a specific feed type?

If you can’t use the feed type you’re searching for to your Performance Max campaign, confirm that you’ve met the following criteria (described in detail above for each feed type):

• Accurate campaign objectives and conversion goals: Confirm that your campaign objectives and conversion goals match the requirements for each feed type. As an example, vehicle feeds are only available for campaigns with a “Sales” campaign objective. If you’re unable to find a vehicle feed, confirm that you set the correct objective when you created your campaign.
• Appropriate account linking: Some feed types require account linking to secondary accounts like Merchant Center or Hotel Center. Confirm that the required account is linked to your Google Ads account.
• Feeds uploaded in business data: Some feed types need to be added in business data to use them in a Performance Max campaign.
• Allowlisting: In some cases you may need to be allowlisted to access certain feeds and formats. Contact your account manager to ensure you can access what you need.

Related links

• About assets
• Link a Google Ads account to Merchant Center
• Product Linking: Link Hotel Center and Google Ads