Data sources are lists of products or services that you want to advertise. You aren’t required to use data sources when you create campaigns. However, you should consider using data sources with Performance Max campaigns to access dedicated ad formats optimized for the products or services you're selling. Data sources can be used from a linked account like Merchant Center or Hotel Center, or from your data sources in business data.
This article explains how to use data sources in your Performance Max campaigns to improve your Google Ads experience.
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Benefits
- Improve targeting: Data sources 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 data sources to generate different ad formats, like Shopping ads, vehicle ads and hotel ads.
How data source types work
You can use different types of data sources in your Performance Max campaigns based on your marketing objectives, linked accounts, and conversion goals. Learn more about the different data source types and how to use them with your Performance Max campaigns below.
Merchant Center product data sources
You can use a Merchant Center account when creating a Performance Max campaign to show Shopping ads in your campaign.
To use a product data source 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 data source in your Performance Max campaign
In your Google Ads account, from the page menu on the left, click Campaigns.
Click the plus button
, then click New campaign.
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.
Confirm your campaign's conversion goals. Your account goals will be default prepopulated, but you can remove these or add new goals.
Select Performance Max as your campaign type.
Under “Add products to this campaign”, check the “Advertise products from a Merchant Center account” box.
Select the Merchant Center account you want to use for the campaign.
(Optional) Select the specific feed that you want to use from the Merchant Center account by feed label or country of sale.
Enter a campaign name.
Click Continue.
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
In your Google Ads account, from the page menu on the left, click Campaigns.
Click the plus button
, then click New campaign.
Choose “Sales” as your campaign objective.
Confirm your campaign's conversion goals. Your account goals will be default prepopulated, but you can remove these or add new goals.
Select Performance Max as your campaign type.
Under “Add vehicles to this campaign”, check the “Advertise vehicles from a Merchant Center account” box.
Select the Merchant Center account you want to use for the campaign.
(Optional) Select the specific feed that you want to use from the Merchant Center account by feed label or country of sale.
Enter a campaign name.
Click Continue.
FAQs
What if I don't want to use a feed?
Data sources aren’t a requirement when you set up or edit a campaign. If you choose to opt out of using a data source, 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 data source type you’re searching for to your Performance Max campaign, confirm that you’ve met the following criteria (described in detail above for each data source type):
- Accurate campaign objectives and conversion goals: Confirm that your campaign objectives and conversion goals match the requirements for each data source 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 data source 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.
- Product sources uploaded in business data: Some data source 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 data sources and formats. Contact your account manager to ensure you can access what you need.