Microsoft unveils key Performance Max updates and Smart Shopping sunset timeline

Microsoft confirmed the timelines for the introduction of key automated features like conversion value rules and video assets to Performance Max.

Additionally, the tech giant provided additional insights into the deprecation timeline for Smart Shopping campaigns, which is set to begin in Q3 of this year.

Why we care. If Microsoft can provide a product with capabilities equivalent to PMax within Google Ads, advertisers might be inclined to shift their ad budgets from Google to Microsoft’s PMax.

Q2 updates. Microsoft confirmed that the following capabilities will be rolled out to PMax within the next couple of months:

• Page feeds for URL extension.
• Conversion value rules.
• Brand exclusions (campaign level).
• Blocking of auto-generated text assets.
• Automated call to action.
• Extensions preview.
• Search term insights report.
• Campaign-level asset generation settings.

Coming in Q3. Microsoft will also be launching an Audience Exclusions feature on PMax this summer, but did not give a specific **** as to when.

Future plans. The tech giant added that the following capabilities were going to be added to PMax but did not provide any further detail to suggest when that might be.

• Cost per bidding strategy.
• Video assets.
• Experiments support.
• Forecasting tools.

Smart shopping sunset. Advertisers will receive direct email notices about upcoming migrations of existing smart shopping campaigns to PMax in April. The deprecation of Smart Shopping campaigns will happen in phases, starting in June and likely ending in September.

Automatic upgrade. If you’ve imported a PMax campaign from Google Ads that originally came over as a smart shopping campaign or DSA campaign, Microsoft will upgrade it to a PMax campaign in a phased approach over the next few weeks. If you are currently using a third-party platform that does not yet support PMax, they will continue to be imported as smart shopping or Dynamic Search Ads (DSA).

DSA deprecation update. DSA campaigns will remain in the platform and can be upgraded to PMax. Microsoft confirmed that there are no current timelines for sunsetting DSA.

What Microsoft is saying. Microsoft said in a statement:

• “In the coming months, we’ll be adding many new capabilities to our Performance Max campaigns such as brand exclusions, search insights reports, search themes, and video assets. As we share more information about what new capabilities are available, we’ll also share more success stories of how advertisers are seeing great success with Performance Max on Microsoft Advertising.”