Smart Shopping campaigns in Merchant Center will automatically upgrade to Performance Max

Any new campaigns created in Merchant Center will now be Performance Max campaigns.

Completing the transition. In July we reported that Google was beginning to automatically upgrade Smart Shopping campaigns to Performance Max. The upgrades were to begin in Google accounts between July and September.

Additionally, Google just announced that any campaigns in the Merchant Center would automatically be upgraded as well, and any new campaigns created would be Performance Max. Any campaign settings and budgets will also be transferred over.

To upgrade or not to upgrade. If you’re confused about what to do or not sure if you should upgrade your campaigns yourself, here’s what you need to know:

1. The automatic updates from Google should finish sometime this month
2. If you are still running Smart Shopping campaigns in Google, use the one-click upgrade tool to switch your Smart Shopping campaigns to Performance Max
3. If you are running Smart Shopping campaigns through Merchant Center, pause it and create a new Performance Max campaign, or let Google upgrade it automatically and look for the “Performance Max (Upgraded)” notification in your account
4. Once the upgrades are complete, double-check your budget and settings to ensure that everything is set to where you want it
5. Read the FAQs from Google and the announcement about Merchant Center upgrades here

Why we care. Google’s constant reminders about the automatic upgrades can be confusing and redundant, but if you’re still running Smart Shopping campaigns, all you need to do is upgrade them yourself, or wait for Google to do it for you. The transition to Performance Max should be finished this month.

About The Author

Nicole Farley is an editor for Search Engine Land covering all things PPC. In addition to being a Marine Corps veteran, she has an extensive background in digital marketing, an MBA and a penchant for true crime, podcasts, travel, and snacks.