{"id":12965,"date":"2026-11-11T14:05:40","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T14:05:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/?p=12965"},"modified":"2026-11-11T14:19:51","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T14:19:51","slug":"google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Ads Channel Priority: Change This Before February"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"lead wp-block-paragraph\">Google Ads channel prioritization lets you set channels to high or low priority in Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns and, except in Demand Gen, cap how much of the daily budget a low-priority channel can spend. Priority shifts spend only for some bid strategies, while the cap applies whatever the strategy. smec&#8217;s view: the cap does the real work, and Search campaigns with Display expansion need a decision before February 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Google <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/products\/ads-commerce\/channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced channel prioritization and budget allocation<\/a> on 14 October 2026 and is rolling it out over the coming months. You set it at account, shared budget or campaign level in Google Ads or Search Ads 360, but not from a manager account. API and Editor support is coming soon. If you run Search campaigns with Display expansion on, or want Performance Max to spend less on Display, this one&#8217;s for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u25b6 Prefer to watch? <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/x45mdVeLGL8\">Mike Ryan and Chris Scharm\u00fcller break down channel prioritization in Growing Ecommerce EP59<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:52px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Campaign type<\/th><th>Channels you can set to high or low<\/th><th>Budget cap on low-priority channels?<\/th><th>Realistically worth setting to low<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Search<\/td><td>Google Search, Search partners, Google Display Network<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>Display Network, Search partners<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shopping<\/td><td>Google Search, Search partners<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>Search partners<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Performance Max<\/td><td>Google channels, Search partners, Google Display Network<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>Display Network, Search partners<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Demand Gen<\/td><td>Google channels, Google Display Network<\/td><td>No<\/td><td>Display Network (priority only)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;Google channels&#8221; is one bundle: Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail and Discover. The last column is smec&#8217;s assessment.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#how-does-low-priority-work-in-google-ads\" >How does low priority work in Google Ads?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#what-does-the-budget-allocation-cap-do\" >What does the budget allocation cap do?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#does-channel-priority-add-anything-google-wasnt-already-doing\" >Does channel priority add anything Google wasn&#8217;t already doing?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#why-cant-you-deprioritize-youtube-in-performance-max\" >Why can&#8217;t you deprioritize YouTube in Performance Max?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#what-changes-for-display-expansion-in-february-2027\" >What changes for Display expansion in February 2027?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#is-google-ads-getting-too-complicated-to-control\" >Is Google Ads getting too complicated to control?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#key-takeaways\" >Key takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#watch-the-full-conversation\" >Watch the full conversation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#faq\" >FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"h-how-does-low-priority-work-in-google-ads\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-does-low-priority-work-in-google-ads\"><\/span>How does low priority work in Google Ads?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where priority applies, it works like a waterfall: Google spends your budget on high-priority channels first, within your target, and only moves what&#8217;s left to low-priority channels. Every channel starts at high priority. Nothing changes until you change it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think of it as Google&#8217;s third way. Not opted in, not opted out. Just second in line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-custom-css wp-custom-css-5933c80d wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;They want a third option, which is instead of saying, no, I don&#8217;t want to appear on search partners at all, you say, I want it to be less prominent.&#8221; <\/em><br>\u2014 Mike Ryan, Head of Ecommerce Insights, smec<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-custom-css wp-custom-css-07f6d9a1 wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;Google is going to find as much revenue and conversions as they can at your efficiency level. And when they hit that point, then they will look at this next channel. So it&#8217;s really a sequencing thing. It really makes it a kind of a second-class citizen.&#8221;<\/em> <br>\u2014 Mike Ryan, Head of Ecommerce Insights, smec<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How much the waterfall matters depends on your bid strategy. With Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value, Maximize Clicks, Manual CPC or Target Impression Share, high-priority channels always spend your budget first. With Target CPA, Target ROAS or Target CPC, priority only moves money when the campaign is limited by budget. Otherwise, <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/answer\/18385152\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google&#8217;s help page<\/a> says, channel prioritization doesn&#8217;t change how the budget is spent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-does-the-budget-allocation-cap-do\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-does-the-budget-allocation-cap-do\"><\/span>What does the budget allocation cap do?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The budget allocation cap sets the maximum share of a campaign&#8217;s average daily budget that a low-priority channel can spend. You can only use it after setting the channel to low priority. And you can take it all the way to zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-custom-css wp-custom-css-7c6a9afb wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;And you can slide that all the way down to zero, which functions like a checkbox.&#8221; <\/em><br>\u2014 Mike Ryan, Head of Ecommerce Insights, smec<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rules, per Google&#8217;s documentation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The percentage is calculated on the <strong>average daily budget<\/strong>, not on actual spend. 5% of a $1,000 average daily budget targets $50 a day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The cap resets daily. Unspent or overspent amounts don&#8217;t carry over.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is <strong>best effort<\/strong>, not a hard limit. Spend on that channel can occasionally go over.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>0% stops spend<\/strong> on that channel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It applies even to target-based campaigns that aren&#8217;t limited by budget.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is <strong>not available for Demand Gen<\/strong> campaigns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three setup limits to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Campaign total budgets<\/strong>: channel prioritization only works with them in Demand Gen.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Shared budgets<\/strong>: every campaign on the shared budget must be the same campaign type. The settings then apply to the shared budget as one pool.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Experiments<\/strong>: supported in custom experiments, but not with multi-campaign shared budgets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-does-channel-priority-add-anything-google-wasn-t-already-doing\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"does-channel-priority-add-anything-google-wasnt-already-doing\"><\/span>Does channel priority add anything Google wasn&#8217;t already doing?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On its own, not much. Google already says it chases the most valuable conversion first and only then looks elsewhere. Chris asked the obvious question on the show:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They are always going for the best conversion in the best channel, and only after that they are looking at the next incremental conversion, maybe in another channel. So what&#8217;s the value add?<\/p>\n<cite>Chris Scharm\u00fcller, CCO, smec<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Our answer: <\/strong>for target-based campaigns that aren&#8217;t limited by budget, priority alone changes very little, and Google&#8217;s own documentation says so. The cap is the part that matters. It gives you a percentage limit on Display and Search partners, down to 0%, whether or not your campaign is limited by budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-why-can-t-you-deprioritize-youtube-in-performance-max\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why-cant-you-deprioritize-youtube-in-performance-max\"><\/span>Why can&#8217;t you deprioritize YouTube in Performance Max?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can&#8217;t deprioritize YouTube in Performance Max because Google groups Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail and Discover into one &#8220;Google channels&#8221; bucket. Set that bucket to low and you deprioritize Search and Shopping too, which is where most retail campaigns make their money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-custom-css wp-custom-css-97389d5f wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;If it would be Google Search Network and then Google owned and operated, okay, makes sense. But how do you want to deprioritize Google Channels?&#8221;<\/em> <br>\u2014 Chris Scharm\u00fcller, CCO, smec<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So in Performance Max, the only channels worth setting to low are the Display Network and Search partners. In Demand Gen, only the Display Network. Need control over YouTube itself? Google points to Search and Demand Gen campaigns, which let you opt out of each supported channel individually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-changes-for-display-expansion-in-february-2027\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-changes-for-display-expansion-in-february-2027\"><\/span>What changes for Display expansion in February 2027?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Display expansion is the one setting to act on now. Today, Search campaigns with Display expansion run on a fixed 50% budget split that Google applies in the background. You can&#8217;t see it, and you can&#8217;t change it. From February 2027 that setup goes away, and <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/answer\/7193800\">Google says<\/a> your spend may shift between Google Search, Search partners and the Display Network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New settings default to high priority. So once the old setup is gone, Display could take more of your Search budget than it does today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-custom-css wp-custom-css-3b96c020 wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;It&#8217;s going to become by default more active. So you want to go in and set it, because, you know, if even Google set it as a low priority channel, you know what? You probably want to set it to low priority.&#8221; <\/em><br>\u2014 Mike Ryan, Head of Ecommerce Insights, smec<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What to do before February:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>List every Search campaign with Display expansion switched on.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set the Google Display Network to low priority with a 50% budget allocation to keep today&#8217;s behaviour. Google&#8217;s help page names this exact setting. If Display isn&#8217;t earning its share, go lower.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check campaigns that use Target Impression Share bidding. From February 2027, the Display Network stops serving on them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Settings you make before February take effect immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-is-google-ads-getting-too-complicated-to-control\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"is-google-ads-getting-too-complicated-to-control\"><\/span>Is Google Ads getting too complicated to control?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Channel controls now come in four forms, and each campaign type has its own mix:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>opt-outs for Search partners and Display in Search<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>channel checkboxes in Demand Gen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>channel sliders in Performance Max, still in alpha<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>priority levels and budget caps across all four campaign types<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Performance Max sliders work differently from the new priority setting. A slider reprices a channel rather than switching it off: moving it up relaxes that channel&#8217;s CPA target, moving it down tightens it. Neither gives you a hard on\/off switch for YouTube inside Performance Max.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Google is meeting advertisers halfway, and it shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-custom-css wp-custom-css-68e007a7 wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;The market is demanding more control\u2026 So they&#8217;re finding something that offers some measure of control but is not going to completely turn off the channels.&#8221; <\/em><br>\u2014 Mike Ryan, Head of Ecommerce Insights, smec<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-custom-css wp-custom-css-3082c6bd wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;I don&#8217;t want to be the whining guy here. I think that it makes sense what Google has done here, but it&#8217;s just complicated.&#8221; <\/em><br>\u2014 Mike Ryan, Head of Ecommerce Insights, smec<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Our take<\/strong>: the black-box era is over. What holds advertisers back now is know-how, not access to controls. If you know which lever actually moves spend, and which one only looks like it does, you&#8217;ll get more out of the same budget than someone flipping every switch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-key-takeaways\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"key-takeaways\"><\/span>Key takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Google Ads channel prioritization (announced 14 October 2026) lets you set channels to high or low priority in Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where priority applies, high-priority channels spend first and low-priority channels get what&#8217;s left. That covers Maximize Conversions, Maximize Conversion Value, Maximize Clicks, Manual CPC, Target Impression Share, and target strategies that are limited by budget.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For Target CPA, Target ROAS and Target CPC campaigns that aren&#8217;t limited by budget, priority alone doesn&#8217;t change where spend goes. The budget cap does.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The budget cap is a best-effort percentage of average daily budget, set only on low-priority channels. 0% stops spend, and the cap isn&#8217;t available in Demand Gen.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In Performance Max and Demand Gen, Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail and Discover are bundled as &#8220;Google channels&#8221;, so in practice only Display and Search partners are worth setting to low.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In February 2027, Display expansion in Search campaigns loses its fixed 50% split. To keep today&#8217;s behaviour, set the Display Network to low priority with a 50% allocation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-watch-the-full-conversation\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"watch-the-full-conversation\"><\/span>Watch the full conversation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper\" style=\"width:853px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe hidef\" id=\"WYL_x45mdVeLGL8\"><div id=\"lyte_x45mdVeLGL8\" data-src=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fx45mdVeLGL8%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><button tabindex=\"0\" class=\"play\"><\/button><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/x45mdVeLGL8\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fx45mdVeLGL8%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"853\" height=\"460\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:853px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Growing Ecommerce EP59, Mike Ryan and Chris Scharm\u00fcller unpack Google&#8217;s new channel controls and explain why Display expansion needs your attention before February. They also tell a true Halloween story: a client&#8217;s Google Ads account was hacked late one Thursday night and recovered the same evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the Performance Max channel sliders that came before this update, see our earlier episode: <a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/podcast\/season-4\/pmax-channel-controls-what-the-new-sliders-do-to-your-budget\/\">PMax Channel Controls: What the New Sliders Do to Your Budget<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-faq\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"faq\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1794400725398\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What is channel prioritization in Google Ads?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Channel prioritization is a Google Ads setting, announced in October 2026, that lets you mark channels as high or low priority in Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns. Where priority applies, low-priority channels only get budget after high-priority ones, and outside Demand Gen you can cap their share of the daily budget. Every channel starts at high priority.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1794400772448\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Can I stop Performance Max from spending on the Display Network?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes, in practice. Set the Google Display Network to low priority in the Performance Max campaign, then set its budget allocation to 0%. Google&#8217;s documentation says 0% means no spend on that channel. The cap is best effort, so check the channel report after the change.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1794400792006\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Does channel prioritization change anything if my campaign isn&#8217;t limited by budget?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Usually not. Google says that for Target CPA, Target ROAS and Target CPC campaigns that aren&#8217;t limited by budget, channel prioritization doesn&#8217;t change how the budget is spent. A budget allocation cap on a low-priority channel still applies to those campaigns, so the cap is the setting that moves spend.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1794400806876\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What should I change in Search campaigns before February 2027?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">If Display expansion is on, set the Google Display Network to low priority with a 50% budget allocation. That keeps the split Google applies in the background today. Also check campaigns that use Target Impression Share bidding: from February 2027, Display stops serving on them.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1794400836670\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Why can&#8217;t I deprioritize YouTube in Performance Max?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">In Performance Max and Demand Gen, Google bundles Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail and Discover into one &#8220;Google channels&#8221; group. Deprioritizing that group deprioritizes Search and Shopping too. For control over individual surfaces, use Search or Demand Gen campaigns.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:77px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-want-the-next-google-ads-change-explained-before-it-hits-your-account\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-custom-css wp-custom-css-8fe0e7f8\">Want the next Google Ads change explained <br>before it hits your account? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Growing Ecommerce, with Mike Ryan and Chris Scharm\u00fcller, brings you a new episode every two weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@Smarter-Ecommerce\/podcasts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Subscribe on YouTube<\/a>] \u00b7 [<a href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/en\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Get the smec newsletter<\/a>]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Google Ads channel prioritization lets you set channels to high or low priority in Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns and, except in Demand Gen, cap how much of the daily budget a low-priority channel can spend. Priority shifts spend only for some bid strategies, while the cap &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":12969,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[479],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google-ads"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.2 (Yoast SEO v28.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Google Ads Channel Priority: Change This Before February - smec<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How Google Ads channel prioritization and budget caps work, why priority alone barely moves spend, and the Display setting to change before February 2027.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Google Ads Channel Priority: Change This Before February\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How Google Ads channel prioritization and budget caps work, why priority alone barely moves spend, and the Display setting to change before February 2027.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Google Ads &amp; Performance Max Insights for Ecommerce | smec Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SmarterEcommerce\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-11-11T14:05:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-11-11T14:19:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Google-Ads-channel-priority.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lenka Vuksanovic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@smec\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@smec\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lenka Vuksanovic\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/46bffcda40288122d4e355c4aaf53d04\"},\"headline\":\"Google Ads Channel Priority: Change This Before February\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-11-11T14:05:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-11-11T14:19:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1969,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/11\\\/Google-Ads-channel-priority.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Google Ads\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"FAQPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/\",\"name\":\"Google Ads Channel Priority: Change This Before February - 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At Smarter Ecommerce, she\u2019s the driving force behind smec\u2019s thought leadership and demand gen efforts, making sure the right people get the right insights at the right time. [linebreak] Lenka has a sharp focus on performance marketing, paid search automation, and B2B growth strategies, helping ecommerce advertisers navigate the challenges of AI-driven ad platforms. She plays a key role in shaping smec\u2019s content strategy, ensuring that retailers and brands stay ahead of the curve with data-driven insights and practical advice. [linebreak] Lenka is a key contributor to smec\u2019s blog, covering Google Ads, Performance Max, and multi-channel strategies to help businesses navigate paid search and make smarter decisions. [linebreak] Want to stay ahead in ecommerce marketing? Follow Lenka\u2019s work on smec\u2019s blog, connect with her on LinkedIn, and learn how to move beyond ROAS to real business growth.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/lenka-vuksanovic\\\/\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Lead Growth Strategist & Demand Gen Architect\",\"worksFor\":\"Smarter Ecommerce (smec)\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/author\\\/vuksanovic\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/#faq-question-1794400725398\",\"position\":1,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/#faq-question-1794400725398\",\"name\":\"What is channel prioritization in Google Ads?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Channel prioritization is a Google Ads setting, announced in October 2026, that lets you mark channels as high or low priority in Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns. Where priority applies, low-priority channels only get budget after high-priority ones, and outside Demand Gen you can cap their share of the daily budget. Every channel starts at high priority.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/#faq-question-1794400772448\",\"position\":2,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/#faq-question-1794400772448\",\"name\":\"Can I stop Performance Max from spending on the Display Network?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes, in practice. Set the Google Display Network to low priority in the Performance Max campaign, then set its budget allocation to 0%. Google's documentation says 0% means no spend on that channel. The cap is best effort, so check the channel report after the change.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/#faq-question-1794400792006\",\"position\":3,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/#faq-question-1794400792006\",\"name\":\"Does channel prioritization change anything if my campaign isn't limited by budget?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Usually not. Google says that for Target CPA, Target ROAS and Target CPC campaigns that aren't limited by budget, channel prioritization doesn't change how the budget is spent. A budget allocation cap on a low-priority channel still applies to those campaigns, so the cap is the setting that moves spend.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/#faq-question-1794400806876\",\"position\":4,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/#faq-question-1794400806876\",\"name\":\"What should I change in Search campaigns before February 2027?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"If Display expansion is on, set the Google Display Network to low priority with a 50% budget allocation. That keeps the split Google applies in the background today. Also check campaigns that use Target Impression Share bidding: from February 2027, Display stops serving on them.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/#faq-question-1794400836670\",\"position\":5,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smarter-ecommerce.com\\\/blog\\\/en\\\/google-ads\\\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\\\/#faq-question-1794400836670\",\"name\":\"Why can't I deprioritize YouTube in Performance Max?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"In Performance Max and Demand Gen, Google bundles Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail and Discover into one \\\"Google channels\\\" group. Deprioritizing that group deprioritizes Search and Shopping too. 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At Smarter Ecommerce, she\u2019s the driving force behind smec\u2019s thought leadership and demand gen efforts, making sure the right people get the right insights at the right time. [linebreak] Lenka has a sharp focus on performance marketing, paid search automation, and B2B growth strategies, helping ecommerce advertisers navigate the challenges of AI-driven ad platforms. She plays a key role in shaping smec\u2019s content strategy, ensuring that retailers and brands stay ahead of the curve with data-driven insights and practical advice. [linebreak] Lenka is a key contributor to smec\u2019s blog, covering Google Ads, Performance Max, and multi-channel strategies to help businesses navigate paid search and make smarter decisions. [linebreak] Want to stay ahead in ecommerce marketing? Follow Lenka\u2019s work on smec\u2019s blog, connect with her on LinkedIn, and learn how to move beyond ROAS to real business growth.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lenka-vuksanovic\/"],"jobTitle":"Lead Growth Strategist & Demand Gen Architect","worksFor":"Smarter Ecommerce (smec)","url":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/author\/vuksanovic\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#faq-question-1794400725398","position":1,"url":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#faq-question-1794400725398","name":"What is channel prioritization in Google Ads?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Channel prioritization is a Google Ads setting, announced in October 2026, that lets you mark channels as high or low priority in Search, Shopping, Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns. Where priority applies, low-priority channels only get budget after high-priority ones, and outside Demand Gen you can cap their share of the daily budget. Every channel starts at high priority.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#faq-question-1794400772448","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#faq-question-1794400772448","name":"Can I stop Performance Max from spending on the Display Network?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes, in practice. Set the Google Display Network to low priority in the Performance Max campaign, then set its budget allocation to 0%. Google's documentation says 0% means no spend on that channel. The cap is best effort, so check the channel report after the change.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#faq-question-1794400792006","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#faq-question-1794400792006","name":"Does channel prioritization change anything if my campaign isn't limited by budget?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Usually not. Google says that for Target CPA, Target ROAS and Target CPC campaigns that aren't limited by budget, channel prioritization doesn't change how the budget is spent. A budget allocation cap on a low-priority channel still applies to those campaigns, so the cap is the setting that moves spend.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#faq-question-1794400806876","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#faq-question-1794400806876","name":"What should I change in Search campaigns before February 2027?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"If Display expansion is on, set the Google Display Network to low priority with a 50% budget allocation. That keeps the split Google applies in the background today. Also check campaigns that use Target Impression Share bidding: from February 2027, Display stops serving on them.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#faq-question-1794400836670","position":5,"url":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/google-ads\/google-ads-channel-prioritization-budget-allocation\/#faq-question-1794400836670","name":"Why can't I deprioritize YouTube in Performance Max?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"In Performance Max and Demand Gen, Google bundles Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail and Discover into one \"Google channels\" group. Deprioritizing that group deprioritizes Search and Shopping too. For control over individual surfaces, use Search or Demand Gen campaigns.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12965"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12965\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13002,"href":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12965\/revisions\/13002"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smarter-ecommerce.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}