Google Ads is rolling out new channel prioritization and budget allocation controls, giving advertisers more flexibility over where their campaign budgets are spent across Google properties and partner networks.
What’s new
Google is introducing two optional controls across Search, Shopping, Performance Max, and Demand Gen campaigns:
- Channel prioritization: Choose which channels receive budget first by assigning them High priority or Low priority.
- Budget allocation: Set a maximum percentage of the daily budget for channels designated as Low priority.
How it works
Google will prioritize spending on High-priority channels before allocating remaining budget to Low-priority channels.
For campaigns using Target CPA or Target ROAS, high-priority channels are funded first within the advertiser’s performance targets.
Where it applies
The available channel groupings depend on campaign type.
- Search: Google Search, Search partners, and Google Display Network.
- Shopping: Google Search and Search partners.
- Performance Max: Google channels, Search partners and Google Display Network.
- Demand Gen: Google channels and Google Display Network.
For Performance Max and Demand Gen, Google groups properties such as Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail, and Discover under Google channels.
More budget control
Advertisers can also limit how much of their daily budget goes toward Low-priority channels.
For example, an advertiser could prioritize Google Search while allowing Search partners to receive no more than a specified percentage of daily spending.
The catch
Budget allocation limits operate on a best-effort basis, meaning Google aims to stay within the selected percentage but doesn’t guarantee a strict spending cap.
Channel prioritization alone may also have little impact on Target CPA or Target ROAS campaigns that aren’t limited by budget.
Important deadline
Starting in February 2027, Google will remove the existing spend allocation setup for Search campaigns with the Google Display Network enabled.
Advertisers who want to maintain their current configuration can set the Display Network to Low priority with a 50% budget allocation.
Why we care
The new controls could make it easier to test additional inventory without giving Google unrestricted access to campaign budgets.
Rather than disabling Search partners or the Display Network entirely, advertisers can experiment with smaller allocations while monitoring performance.
The bottom line
Channel prioritization and budget allocation give advertisers more say over where their money goes. The features will roll out globally over the coming months across Search, Shopping, Performance Max, and Demand Gen, with an important configuration change coming to Search campaigns in February 2027.