How to Set Up Google Ads: What Each of the Six Campaign Types Requires

This walkthrough addresses the six campaign formats available in AdPilot's builder. It outlines Google Ads setup choices, including controls that might still need to be checked directly inside Google. It does not suggest that AdPilot shows every option or that all six types suit every business.

Check the current creation path

Google is revising certain campaign processes. Its Display migration guidance outlines a staged transition into Demand Gen: eligible advertisers could begin voluntary migration in June 2026, while the later creation and automatic-migration updates are not assigned a single universal date in that guidance. Before relying on an older screenshot, confirm which workflow the account currently presents.

Google also says that Video action campaigns have been upgraded to Demand Gen. Even so, Video campaigns still serve other goals and use other formats. A legacy Video action tutorial should not be mistaken for the setup path of every new Video campaign.

Set the common foundations first

Make sure the correct Google Ads account is selected, billing is ready, and publishing permissions are in place. Pick a single main business objective for the campaign and examine its conversion goals. The objective chosen in the wizard and the conversion actions used for bidding are connected decisions, not simply different names for the same thing.

As relevant to the campaign type, review location, language options, device settings, dates, networks, and scheduling. Note the intended selections before leaving defaults in place. A service region listed on the website does not prove the campaign will use that same region.

Select a bidding method that matches the objective and the measurement available. A budget sets the spending exposure, while a bid target states the performance goal. Increasing budget will not fix an inappropriate objective or make an unrealistic acquisition target suddenly attainable.

For most campaigns that use an average daily budget, Google's spending-limit guidance explains daily and monthly limits instead of an exactly equal spend each day. Review the rules for the campaign's actual budget type, including the effect of budget edits on limits. “Average daily” should not be read as a strict daily ceiling.

Last, verify the destination and the conversion action. Our profitability article demonstrates why a functioning ad and a logged event do not by themselves prove business success.

Search: connect a search intent to a useful answer

Construct ad groups around offers that can use the same relevant copy and destination. Add keywords intentionally and examine how matching behaves. The keyword is entered by the advertiser; the search term is the phrase the user actually typed. The two do not have to be identical.

Create responsive search ad assets that stay correct across different combinations. Add the destination, business information, and appropriate supporting assets, including sitelinks where useful. Instead of trimming copy until a warning vanishes, check character limits and policy messages in the creation interface.

Treat negative keywords with the same attention as positive keywords. A restriction meant to exclude jobseekers may be helpful, yet an overly broad phrase can also shut out a valid service query. Our negative-keyword guide covers that process.

Before going live, verify the live network and location selections, conversion objectives, bidding, and budget. Google's Search setup instructions describe the current account workflow. Keep a brief note explaining why the chosen searches and landing page fit together.

Shopping: the product data is part of the campaign

Confirm that the right Merchant Center account is connected and that the intended products are eligible. In setup, check the market, feed label, or any other inventory selection shown. Determine which products should be included and how you will assess groups that differ in commercial value.

Compare price, availability, product links, images, identifiers, and variant details with the website. Use Google's product data specification; the required attributes vary based on the product and destination. Product data may need correction even when the campaign itself shows no obvious issue.

Rather than a Search-style positive keyword list, Standard Shopping uses product groups to organize bidding on inventory. Inspect the default product grouping so that “all products” is a deliberate decision. Use Google's Shopping campaign instructions to confirm bids, budget, and the relevant exclusions.

Place margin and availability alongside product choice. A product that performs strongly may still leave too little contribution to justify the same acquisition cost as another item. AdPilot's Merchant Center FAQ describes the relationship between products and accounts.

Display: plan the audience context and visual message

Before choosing audiences or images, decide what the campaign is supposed to accomplish. Assemble a clear offer, destination, and suitable image and text assets. Preview the combinations that result, and make sure the message still holds up when layouts shift.

Check targeting, expansion controls, and any available content or placement exclusions. Write down which settings restrict delivery and which ones leave room for Google's systems to broaden it. Saying “we selected this audience” is incomplete if another enabled setting can alter how far delivery extends beyond it.

Since Display is being moved into Demand Gen, determine whether you are building a legacy Display campaign or using GDN inventory inside Demand Gen. The network itself and the name of the creation workflow are separate issues. Do not move a live campaign just to align it with this guide; first review Google's migration guidance and the account-specific situation.

Video: choose the job before choosing the format

First determine whether the campaign budget is intended to generate reach, views, or another supported result. After that, pick a matching subtype and bidding method. You cannot judge different video formats and objectives as if each one were meant to deliver immediate purchases.

Prepare the needed video assets and make sure Google can access them. Review the duration, aspect ratio, destination, and opening message in light of the chosen format. A strong long-form presentation is not automatically effective as a short ad.

Review audience and content settings, then decide which report you will rely on afterward. Google's Video creation guide explains the available paths. If the plan is conversion-focused and was formerly called a Video action campaign, follow the current Demand Gen guidance instead of an outdated setup recipe.

Performance Max: specify the outcome and review the freedom you allow

Start by identifying the conversions and values the campaign should chase. Arrange the relevant creative into asset groups with a distinct theme and destination. For retail campaigns, include the Merchant Center account and product selection in that structure.

Provide helpful audience signals and search themes when they make sense. Google's audience-signal guidance states that signals are recommendations, not locked audience restrictions. Think of them as customer insight you give to the system.

Review the active settings for final URLs, text tailoring, brand treatment, and exclusions. Record which outputs the campaign may create or extend. When expansion is on, a single provided URL does not cover every possible destination. The Performance Max search controls guide from Google points to those options and explains their limits.

For the exact steps tied to the objective, consult the Performance Max creation guide. Do not decide the campaign is ready based only on asset quality; instead, examine the complete summary of goals and assets.

Demand Gen: align audience, creative and channel choices

Select the goal, bidding, budget, and campaign configuration first, then create ad groups with a clear audience strategy and creative justification. Verify whether product-feed mode is included in the approach and whether the chosen assets work with it.

Google's channel controls are applied at the ad-group level. What can deliver depends on the ad format and the rest of the settings; picking a channel does not mean every creative will be eligible there. Look at automatic versus manual channel choice, and also inspect any audience expansion.

Create the image or video variants required for the selected configuration, then review previews and landing destinations. The current workflow is described in Google's Demand Gen creation guide. Treat audience selection as a testable assumption to judge with later performance, not as evidence that the campaign has already found the right customers.

Review the campaign as a customer would experience it

AdPilot's campaign-building guide describes the way it creates campaign drafts. After transfer, review the output, verify the linked account, and inspect the status. The current public product description notes that pushed campaigns are delivered paused; that gives you a chance to validate the setup before turning on delivery, not a replacement for review.

When the campaign can run but still does not begin serving, consult our delivery troubleshooting guide. If it does serve, assign the ongoing audit to a named owner. Setup is finished once the decisions are clear and the first outcome can be assessed.

Common questions

Should I launch all six types together?

Only when each one has a distinct purpose, enough assets, and a measurement plan you can afford. For a small team, launching fewer campaigns may make ownership and troubleshooting simpler.

Can I copy one campaign's settings into another type?

Certain business decisions do transfer, but the structures, assets, and available controls are not the same. In the destination campaign, review every copied setting within its new context.

Does finishing the wizard mean the ads are ready to spend?

No. It only shows that the creation step is done. Before enabling delivery, check campaign status, eligibility, assets, destination, and measurement, then confirm what actually occurs.

Download the campaign worksheet