Google Ads
intermediate
5 min read5 steps466 views

Performance Max for E-Commerce: Feed-Based Setup

For e-commerce, Performance Max campaigns pull product data from your Google Merchant Center feed and serve Shopping ads, Display ads, YouTube ads, and more automatically. Connect your Merchant Center account, create asset groups organised by product category, add audience signals for each group, an

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Quick Summary

For e-commerce, Performance Max campaigns pull product data from your Google Merchant Center feed and serve Shopping ads, Display ads, YouTube ads, and more automatically. Connect your Merchant Center account, create asset groups organised by product category, add audience signals for each group, and let PMax optimise delivery. Your product feed quality is the single biggest lever — optimise titles, images, descriptions, and use custom labels for segmentation.

Process Flow

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Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these 5 steps to complete this guide

1

Connecting Merchant Center

When creating a PMax campaign, select your Merchant Center account in the campaign settings. Choose your feed and target country. PMax will use your product feed to generate Shopping ads and Dynamic Display ads automatically.
2

Asset Group Structure

Create asset groups by product category, brand, or margin tier. Each asset group should have creative assets (images, videos, text) relevant to that product segment, plus audience signals specific to that segment's customers.
3

Listing Groups

Within each asset group, use listing groups to define which products are included. Subdivide by brand, product type, custom label, item ID, or condition. Exclude products that are out of stock, low margin, or not suitable for advertising.
4

Custom Labels for Segmentation

Use the 5 custom label fields (0-4) in your feed to tag products by: margin tier (high/medium/low), bestseller status, seasonal relevance, promotional status, or new arrival. Create separate asset groups for different label values to give each segment tailored creative and audience signals.
5

Feed Optimisation for PMax

Titles should include primary keyword, brand, and key product attributes. Use high-resolution images with clean backgrounds. Fill in all optional attributes (colour, size, material, pattern). Update pricing and availability frequently. Add GTIN/MPN for all applicable products.

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