Unlock Hidden Insights: How the New Campaign Type in Google Ads Channel Performance Report Can Revolutionize Your Strategy
Ever get that feeling when Google drops a tweak, but the real game-changer sneaks in under the radar? That’s exactly what happened this week with the Channel Performance and Asset reports. Sure, the addition of ROI metrics like ROAS and CPA grabbed some attention, but the real head-turner was a ghostly new attribute called “Campaign Type” quietly showing up—still non-functional but boldly hinting at much bigger things ahead. Could this be Google’s subtle way of saying, “Hold tight, we’re about to broaden the scope beyond Performance Max campaigns”? It feels like the prelude to a shift towards a unified, cross-network reporting world, one that marketers have been dreaming about, and maybe dreading, all at once. Is Demand Gen next in line? And what does it mean for the old Network report? The plot thickens, and I can’t wait to see how this performative detour unfolds. LEARN MORE.
Google made a handful of tweaks to its Channel Performance and Asset reports this week – including long-awaited ROI metrics like ROAS and CPA. But the most revealing update wasn’t in the announcement at all. A new, currently non-functional attribute called Campaign Type appeared in the Channel Performance report.
Why we care. This addition — though inactive — signals that Google may soon expand the Channel Performance report beyond Performance Max (PMax) campaigns.
The intrigue. For weeks, a tooltip in the interface has read: “Channel performance data is only available for Performance Max campaigns at this time.” That phrasing hinted expansion was coming.
- Now, with “Campaign Type” visible as a selectable attribute, the groundwork looks set for broader campaign coverage.
Where it’s likely headed: Demand Gen next? This is the most probable first addition, given Google’s focus on merging data visibility across campaign types.
API access coming. Developers and analysts will soon be able to pull this data programmatically.
Network segmentation is now available in Asset Group reports. This feature, which has been requested for a long time, allows advertisers to dissect PMax data by network.
Between the lines. The move looks less like a brand-new feature rollout and more like a structural realignment. Google appears to be nudging the Channel Performance report toward overlapping – and possibly replacing – elements of the Network report. It’s a familiar pattern: just as PMax’s Search Term Insights eventually merged into the standard Search Term report, Google seems to be using this incremental path to unify performance data sources.
Bottom line: This “silent” update may not do anything yet – but it’s a clear sign that Google’s campaign reporting is evolving toward a unified, cross-network view. Or, as one PPC analyst put it: a performative detour bridging what advertisers want and what Google is willing to give.
First seen. This update was first spotted by Head of Ecommerce Insights at Smarter Ecommerce, Mike Ryan.
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