Short answer: Performance Max changed more between August and October 2026 than in the whole first half of the year. Google added channel prioritization sliders (alpha), built-in asset experiments, Product Value Optimization (beta), AI-generated video resizing, Book buttons for appointment businesses, and began auto-upgrading Search campaigns to AI Max, which changes how Search and Performance Max share traffic. Below is what each update does, who gets it, and what I recommend you do about it before Q4.
- Channel prioritization sliders (alpha, late August): tell PMax which channels matter more or less.
- Asset experiments: A/B test asset groups and individual assets inside one campaign.
- Product Value Optimization (beta, September 14): push bidding toward high-margin products.
- AI video resizing (August 19): Google creates vertical and square versions of your videos.
- Book button (August 28): appointment bookings directly from PMax and Search ads.
- AI Max auto-upgrade for Search (from September): affects how Search and PMax overlap.
1. Channel prioritization sliders (alpha)
The biggest change is a new Channels setting in Performance Max. It shows a slider for each channel: Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps. Each slider moves from lower prioritization, through Auto, to higher prioritization.
The important detail is what the slider actually changes. It does not split your budget by channel. According to Search Engine Roundtable, a higher setting relaxes the cost per acquisition the system will accept on that channel, and a lower setting tightens it. Google also warns that because Performance Max optimises for total conversions across all channels, changing these settings will directly affect results.
Who gets it: it is an alpha test rolling out slowly. If you do not see it, your Google Ads representative can request access.
What I recommend:
- Check the channel performance report first. Only move a slider when one channel is clearly spending without contributing.
- Do not turn YouTube or Display down just because they show few last-click conversions. They often start the journey that Search finishes days later.
- Move one slider one step at a time, note the date, and compare total conversions and cost per acquisition after the campaign settles, not channel numbers alone.
2. Asset experiments are built into Performance Max
For years the honest answer to “which creative works in PMax?” was “we can’t really tell”. That is changing. Asset experiments let you run controlled tests inside a campaign before rolling a change out. You can:
- Test a completely new asset group against your current one.
- Measure the effect of adding individual assets, such as new videos or images.
- Compare seasonal creative against your evergreen assets, which is exactly what you need before Black Friday.
- Test assets created in Google’s Asset Studio.
Experiments and conversion lift studies now live together on one Experiments page, and Google is adding a second success metric so you can judge a test on more than one number.
What I recommend: test one idea at a time, for example “product-in-use video versus studio video”, and pick your success metric before you start. Avoid changing Final URL expansion or other settings while a test is running, because that muddies the result.
3. Product Value Optimization (beta)
Most online stores have the same problem with Performance Max: it happily spends on products that sell well but earn little. Product Value Optimization, in beta since mid-September, lets you set value adjustments by product attributes such as brand, category or custom label. Bidding then leans toward the products you care about, whether that is profit, seasonal stock you need to clear, or best-sellers, without rebuilding your campaign structure.
It works with Performance Max and Shopping campaigns. Access is through your Google representative or the request page on Google’s announcement.
What I recommend: before you apply, group your products by margin using custom labels in Merchant Center (for example high, medium and low margin). Start with modest adjustments, give the system time to learn, and review results by label. If your feed is messy, fix it first; see my Google Shopping and Merchant Center service for what a clean feed looks like.
4. AI video resizing: Google now makes your vertical and square videos
On August 19, Google announced that Performance Max will use generative AI to create missing video aspect ratios, for example turning a horizontal video into vertical and square versions for Shorts, Discover and other placements. The opt-out deadline was September 4, through your account team or an opt-out form. If you missed it, the feature is likely active in your account now.
What I recommend: check how your resized videos look before Q4 traffic arrives. Text, logos and products near the edge of a horizontal frame can be cropped. The safest fix is to upload your own 9:16 vertical and 1:1 square versions, so the system has no reason to generate them.
5. Book button in Performance Max and Search
Service businesses that take appointments can now get a Book button on Performance Max and Search ads. It appears automatically if your Business Profile has an appointment link through a Reserve with Google partner. A new “Appointments booked” conversion goal appears too, but it only affects bidding once you add it to your campaign settings.
Two details matter. The opt-out is in Google Ads, not in Business Profile. And healthcare is excluded.
What I recommend: if you run several locations, check every booking link. A link that points to a generic homepage instead of a booking page can waste spend. Add the “Appointments booked” goal only after you have confirmed the bookings are real and tracked correctly.
6. AI Max auto-upgrades and what they mean for PMax
This one is not a Performance Max feature, but it changes how your PMax campaigns behave. In September Google began automatically upgrading Search campaigns that use Dynamic Search Ads, automatically created assets or campaign-level broad match to AI Max. New Dynamic Search Ads can no longer be created, and Google says AI Max delivers an average of 7% more conversions or conversion value at a similar CPA or ROAS when the full feature set is used.
Why it matters for PMax: AI Max lets Search reach more queries, and Performance Max also bids on Search. More overlap means you need to watch which campaign wins which search terms.
What I recommend: compare the search terms reports for your Search and Performance Max campaigns side by side. Use brand exclusions and negative keywords so each campaign has a clear job, for example Search for brand and high-intent terms, PMax for Shopping and new demand.
The controls Performance Max already gives you
These new features sit on top of controls Google added over the last year. If you are not using them yet, start here:
- Channel performance report: see where spend and conversions come from across Search, Shopping, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps.
- Search terms report: see the actual queries your PMax campaigns match.
- Campaign-level negative keywords and brand exclusions: stop PMax from spending on terms you already win or never want.
- Asset reporting: see which headlines, images and videos actually perform.
Your Performance Max checklist for October 2026
- Check that conversion tracking is accurate: purchase values in GA4 and Google Ads should match your real orders.
- Review the channel performance report before touching any slider.
- Upload your own vertical and square videos to replace AI-resized ones.
- Set up one asset experiment comparing your Black Friday creative with your evergreen creative.
- Add margin custom labels in Merchant Center, then request Product Value Optimization.
- Compare Search and PMax search terms; add brand exclusions and negatives where they overlap.
- For appointment businesses, audit Book button links before adding the “Appointments booked” goal.
- Make changes early in the month so the system has time to learn before peak season.
Frequently asked questions
What is new in Google Performance Max in October 2026?
Are Performance Max channel sliders available to everyone?
Do the channel sliders control my budget per channel?
Can I still opt out of AI video resizing in Performance Max?
Is Performance Max still worth it in 2026?
Who can help me with Performance Max in Bangladesh?
Need a second opinion on your Performance Max?
I’m Saifur Saif, a Google Ads specialist and Meta Ads specialist based in Bangladesh. I manage and audit Performance Max campaigns, looking at channel spend, search terms, feed quality and tracking. If you want to know whether these updates help or hurt your account, get a free ads audit. For budgeting, see my guide to how much Google Ads cost in 2026, or compare channels in Facebook Ads vs Google Ads.
Sources
- Search Engine Roundtable: Google Ads channel settings prioritization slider
- Search Engine Land: Google adds new Performance Max asset testing tools
- Search Engine Roundtable: Google Ads Product Value Optimization beta
- PPC News Feed: Performance Max adds AI-generated video aspect ratios
- Search Engine Roundtable: Book buttons expand to Search and Performance Max
- Google: Dynamic Search Ads are upgrading to AI Max