Paid Media News (Week 35)
Performance Max controls, Microsoft AI Max and a clearer view in GA4
This edition centres on a practical question: how much control do advertisers retain as platforms automate more of the campaign?
A digest of the original edition. Updates and availability reflect what was reported at the time.
Performance Max tests channel prioritisation controls
Google is testing alpha controls that let advertisers raise or lower the value Performance Max assigns to conversions from Search, Search Partners, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, and Maps. The adjustments influence the CPA or ROAS economics that the system will accept, rather than reserving a fixed percentage of the budget for each channel.
Read this update in detail →Customer Lifecycle Optimisation gets a dedicated conversion section
Google Ads is surfacing Customer Acquisition, Lapsed Customers, and Loyalty Programme Members together inside the Conversions Summary page. Some functions require an audience segment with at least 100 active members, and the controls connect customer status more directly with bidding and value rules.
Read this update in detail →Product titles report reveals AI-generated Shopping titles
A new Google Ads report shows the customised product titles created by Google AI alongside the merchant's original title and performance metrics including impressions, product clicks, CTR, cost, and average CPC. Google may serve either version according to the query and its relevance assessment.
Read this update in detail →Asset Studio turns websites and ad assets into video
Google Ads is rolling out a beta workflow that converts assets from a website, ad, or asset group into short horizontal or vertical videos. Dario Zannoni's account test produced a 12-second, five-scene video with voiceover, while Google's August Demand Gen update describes wider multimodal video creation and editable storyboards.
Read this update in detail →Demand Gen tests messaging conversations and richer travel ads
Google is testing Demand Gen ads on YouTube that let viewers start conversations with brands through messaging apps. It is also adding local activities, events, real-time offers, and more personalised hotel ads for travel advertisers.
Read this update in detail →Performance Max creative edits gain one-click experiments
Google has documented a “Save and Set Experiment” option that turns a Performance Max ad or asset-group edit into an A/B test while retaining the previous version as a holdback. The same release adds creative diagnostics in Ask Advisor and AI-led fixes for issues such as logo placement, video trimming, and aspect-ratio coverage in Demand Gen.
Read this update in detail →Conversational campaign setup builds drafts from a landing page
Arpan Banerjee demonstrated a Google Ads setup flow that scans a landing-page URL, proposes goals and a business summary, and generates themed ad groups with keywords, copy, sitelinks, and images. Advertisers can refine the draft through a chat panel, and nothing is published before approval.
Read this update in detail →Missed and subsequent LSA calls become chargeable on 1 October
Google has told Local Services Ads advertisers that a missed call during stated business hours may be billed as a valid lead when the caller remains connected for more than 20 seconds. Google later clarified that qualifying follow-up calls can also be charged once within 15 days of the initial lead, while interactive voice response timing begins after the caller selects an option.
Read this update in detail →Local Services Ads expands direct booking from 20 to more than 500 partners
Google has expanded Reserve with Google support for Local Services Ads from 20 booking partners to more than 500. If a Google Business Profile already has an active partner booking link, Google can automatically enable it in the LSA and count completed bookings as paid leads.
Read this update in detail →Book Online buttons extend into Search and Performance Max
Reserve with Google appointment links can now appear as Book Online actions in eligible Search and Performance Max ads, using the same partner connection already published for local surfaces. The advertiser pays for the ad click, while an encrypted token links the visit to a booking and the “Appointments booked” conversion must be included in campaign goals for bidding; healthcare is excluded from the current setup.
Read this update in detail →Merchant Centre accepts up to five lifestyle images per product
Google has changed lifestyle_image_link from a single-value field to a repeated field, allowing merchants to submit up to 5 lifestyle images for each product. These images are designed for browsable surfaces where showing the product in a natural setting can provide more context than the main packshot.
Read this update in detail →Short titles expand from Demand Gen into Performance Max
Google's Merchant Centre specification now states that the short_title attribute can be used in visual Performance Max formats such as YouTube and Discover, not only in Demand Gen. Google recommends placing the most important information first and aiming for fewer than 40 characters, with 65 characters as the practical maximum before truncation becomes likely.
Read this update in detail →Shopping ads move inline inside Google AI Mode answers
SERP Alert observed a Shopping ad carousel placed directly within the body of a Google AI Mode response, with another sponsored unit appearing at the bottom of the answer. The sighting indicates a new presentation test rather than a confirmed universal rollout.
Read this update in detail →Google tests an “Evaluating sponsored results” loading animation
Google is testing a mobile loading state labelled “Evaluating sponsored results”, accompanied by Google and Gemini branding and placeholder bars. Google told reporters that Gemini is not selecting or loading the ads and that the visual is only signalling status to the user.
Read this update in detail →Policy Manager moves into Admin and adds an Ads tab
Google has moved Policy Manager from Tools > Troubleshooting to Admin > Policy and added an Ads view beside the existing account-level controls. The change centralises limited and disapproved ad statuses without introducing a new enforcement standard.
Read this update in detail →Ads can show Eligible (Limited) while marked Under Re-Review
Anthony Higman spotted a new Under Re-Review label appearing alongside an Eligible (Limited) ad status. Google has not documented whether the state is broadly rolling out or exactly what triggers a second review, so the observation should not yet be treated as a new appeal process.
Read this update in detail →Google Ads API Developer Assistant moves to a plugin architecture
Version 4.0 of Google's API Developer Assistant replaces the previous standalone project setup with a globally installed plugin architecture for AI coding environments including Antigravity and Claude Code. It adds specialised commands for GAQL validation, schema inspection, conversion troubleshooting, account lookup, code generation, and ad-hoc reports that can be saved to CSV.
Read this update in detail →DV360 API drops several brand-safety exclusions in October
From 1 October, the Display & Video 360 API and Structured Data Files will no longer support exclusions for specific digital content labels and most sensitive categories. From 12 October, YouTube responsive ads created or updated through these routes must also include a business name and logo unless defaults already exist at advertiser level.
Read this update in detail →AI Max becomes the default for new Search campaigns and carries through Google Import
Microsoft Advertising will enable AI Max by default when advertisers create new Search campaigns, although it can still be switched off during or after setup. Google Import can now carry AI Max settings into corresponding Microsoft campaigns, including future scheduled syncs, while existing auto-generated assets appear as text customisation without activating the entire suite.
Read this update in detail →Microsoft Advertising rolls out redesigned navigation and tables
Microsoft Advertising is introducing a new interface with clearer navigation and revised campaign tables, while retaining an option to return to the classic experience. The update changes how users move through and interact with account data rather than altering campaign delivery.
Read this update in detail →Performance Max gets campaign-level tracking and aggregate delivery diagnostics
Microsoft has documented campaign-level tracking templates for Performance Max shopping product URLs, including the use of {AdGroup} to populate asset-group values. A separate rollout adds an aggregate Delivery status to the Campaigns grid, showing the highest-priority issue with clickable diagnostics and an immediate refresh after a fix.
Read this update in detail →Microsoft widens cryptocurrency advertising while keeping video restrictions
Microsoft is piloting Audience Ads for pre-approved cryptocurrency exchanges in markets where cryptocurrency advertising is permitted, while Display, Video, and CTV formats remain restricted. Its country policies now expressly allow eligible exchanges in Audience and Search ads in Australia and Brazil.
Read this update in detail →ChatGPT desktop tests WebMCP-powered shopping actions
Juozas Kaziukėnas demonstrated an experimental ChatGPT desktop flow that opened a Shopify store, found a red lipstick, added it to the basket, and navigated to the billing form via structured WebMCP calls. The system used functions exposed by the website rather than scraping pages and simulating every click, while the customer still completed payment details.
Read this update in detail →GA4 introduces native drag-and-drop dashboards
Google Analytics is rolling out lightweight dashboards inside the Reports area for users with sufficient editing access. Cards can be added, moved, resized, and published into the left navigation, with up to 15 cards in standard properties and 30 in Analytics 360; API access, segments, and comparisons are not yet supported.
Read this update in detail →GTM containers will stop waiting for gtag(config) commands
Google has warned that Google Tag Manager snippets will soon stop recognising or waiting for separate gtag('config') commands. Sites that load GTM but depend on those commands to configure Google Ads or GA4 tags are using an unsupported mixed implementation, and affected container owners have received emails.
Read this update in detail →Meta tests an AI-led Campaigns table in Ads Manager
Meta is testing a Campaigns table experience that summarises performance over the previous 30 days, supports natural-language campaign searches, and adds a Trends area for further analysis. Matias Axel Ramayo's account retained a route back to the classic table, indicating that it was a beta rather than a universal replacement.
Read this update in detail →X restores native lead-generation ads after a decade
X has revived a native lead-generation format that lets users submit their details without leaving the platform, with later forms able to reuse saved information. The form can accompany image, video, carousel, and Timeline Takeover placements.
Read this update in detail →Amazon Ads dashboard adds 12-month and quarter-to-date views
Amazon Advertising Console is showing Last 12 months and Quarter-to-date presets in some accounts, extending analysis beyond the familiar short reporting windows without an export. Later sightings indicate that custom dashboard ranges can reach roughly 14 months in certain accounts, although granular limits on downloadable reports may still differ.
Read this update in detail →Amazon DSP expands automatic video deal selection to eight more markets
Amazon DSP's automatic deal selection for Streaming TV and online video is expanding beyond the US to Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. The beta selects deals using the campaign's budget, audience, and dates, displays their pricing and availability before launch, and still allows manual additions.
Read this update in detail →Amazon joins the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Programme
Eligible US YouTube creators can now tag Amazon products directly in Shorts, long-form videos, and livestreams through the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Programme. Viewers can move from creator content to an Amazon purchase without relying on a description link, and eligible brands may also connect a channel with an Amazon storefront.
Read this update in detail →Amazon tightens seller-account transfer and financing terms
Amazon's updated Business Solutions Agreement, effective 24 August, restricts sellers from transferring contractual rights or obligations without Amazon's consent and from pledging them as collateral. The wording could affect account sales, aggregators, and financing structures tied to future Amazon disbursements.
Read this update in detail →Google stops applying site-reputation manual actions inside the EEA
From 30 August, Google's site-reputation-abuse manual actions no longer affect users in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, while enforcement remains unchanged elsewhere. Google says affected third-party sections may instead be evaluated independently, and the change follows European Commission scrutiny under the Digital Markets Act.
Read this update in detail →Google rolls out /goto? redirects across Search-result links
Google is routing Search-result clicks through encrypted google.com/goto redirect URLs as an anti-abuse measure, hiding the final destination from the browser's hover preview. Derek Perkins reported a near-complete rollout across several residential IP providers, and Barry Schwartz obtained Google's confirmation.
Read this update in detail →Google says stronger YouTube creative can more than double ROI
New Google guidance cites Nielsen research attributing 49% of campaign ROI to creative and Ekimetrics analysis finding that stronger creative can more than double YouTube ROI. The recommendations include using human voices, introducing the brand early, designing for the platform, and avoiding misleading interface elements such as fake buttons.
Read this update in detail →Poland asks the EU to fine Meta €250 million over alleged scam-ad failures
Poland has asked the European Commission to impose a €250 million fine on Meta, alleging that the company failed to remove fraudulent advertisements after notification. CERT Polska identified 122 ads it classified as fraudulent; the minister said 10 were removed, 106 were left online, and 6 received no response, while Meta said it continues to invest in technology and partnerships to combat fraud.
Read this update in detail →OpenAI launches a conversational Admin plugin for ChatGPT Work and Codex
OpenAI's new Admin plugin lets authorised administrators review activity and credit usage, add or remove members, inspect effective permissions, and adjust limits through a ChatGPT conversation. It can route usage requests to Slack or Microsoft Teams and automate predefined approvals while remaining within each user's existing roles and permissions.
Read this update in detail →Claude shares memory between chat and cloud Cowork
Anthropic has introduced one editable memory across Claude chat and cloud-based Cowork, allowing context learned in one surface to inform work in the other. Users can inspect, edit, or delete saved topics; memory is on by default for Free, Pro, and Max users, while Team and Enterprise administrators control availability and individual users opt in.
Read this update in detail →Claude Cowork adds a built-in browser
Claude Cowork is gradually adding a browser inside the Claude Desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux, with availability on Pro, Max, Team, and enabled Enterprise plans. It can open sites, read pages, click, type, and complete forms in a side panel without relying on the user's normal browser; existing Claude in Chrome users keep the extension as the default unless they switch.
Read this update in detail →The advertiser takeaway
Review automation settings after imports, assess channels beyond the final click, and choose dashboard tools according to the analysis you need.
Explore the original edition
Every update from this edition is linked above. Explore the original newsletter for its full context, contributor credits and reporting links.
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