Google Tests Network Controls for Performance Max with New Partners Alpha Setting

Google is testing a new Partners (Alpha) setting within Performance Max campaigns that gives advertisers direct control over whether their ads serve on Search Partners and the Google Display Network.

The setting is currently available to a limited number of advertisers under an Alpha label. Google has made no announcement about broader availability.

What the Partners Alpha Setting Does

Performance Max campaigns have always included Search Partners and the Google Display Network by default, with no option for advertisers to exclude either. The new setting changes that.

Advertisers who have access to the Partners (Alpha) option can now choose independently whether to include or exclude Search Partners and the Google Display Network from their Performance Max campaigns. The two networks appear as separate controls, giving advertisers the ability to run on one without the other, or to exclude both entirely.

This is the first time network-level controls of this kind have been available within Performance Max since the campaign type launched.

Why This Matters for PMax Advertisers

The absence of network controls has been one of the most consistent points of friction for Performance Max advertisers since the campaign type replaced Smart Shopping and Local campaigns. The core tension is straightforward: Performance Max is designed around automation, but advertisers responsible for efficiency metrics need to be able to attribute performance to specific inventory sources.

Search Partners and the Google Display Network carry very different traffic profiles. Search Partners, which include Google’s network of search sites beyond google.com, can generate volume at variable quality depending on the industry and keyword category. The Google Display Network operates on an intent model that differs considerably from Search, which means its contribution to conversion metrics often looks different in attribution reports.

Without network controls, advertisers running PMax campaigns with strict ROAS or CPA targets have had limited ability to act on underperformance they suspect is coming from a specific network, because there was no mechanism to test the hypothesis. The Partners (Alpha) setting provides that mechanism.

How Advertisers Should Use the Setting

The practical application of the Partners (Alpha) setting is in controlled testing. Excluding Search Partners or the Display Network outright without a data-led reason removes volume that may be contributing positively to the campaign, and Performance Max’s learning system depends on adequate conversion volume to optimise effectively.

The more useful approach for advertisers with access to the setting is to use it as an experiment layer. Run a campaign with both networks included to establish a baseline, then test the same campaign with one network excluded to measure the impact on efficiency metrics. The two-experiment approach from the v24.2 API update released earlier this month makes this kind of structured network test more straightforward to implement for teams building on the API.

For advertisers who have already identified specific network-level performance issues through segment reporting, the setting provides a direct remedy that was previously unavailable.

What Comes Next

The Alpha label indicates the setting is in early testing with a selected group of advertisers. Google’s standard process moves features from Alpha to Beta to general availability, though the timeline and whether a feature reaches general availability are not guaranteed from Alpha status alone.

The significance of this particular feature makes it one worth monitoring closely. Network controls address a gap that a large proportion of Performance Max advertisers have experienced directly. If performance data from the Alpha cohort supports broader rollout, the Partners setting could become one of the more impactful additions to PMax’s control layer since the campaign type launched.

Advertisers who do not currently have access to the setting should check their Performance Max campaign settings periodically, as Alpha features are sometimes extended to additional accounts without formal announcement.