Google Lets You Cap or Kill Search Partner Spending in PMax Campaigns
New channel controls in Google Ads API give you precise control over where your budget flows, including the ability to set Search Partners to zero.
The 5-second version
- Google Ads API now supports channel controls at launch, letting you manage spending allocation across networks.
- Performance Max campaigns can assign Search Partner Network a 0% budget cap, giving you full control over ad placement.
- The update includes Smart Bidding Exploration and Promotion Mode settings tied to ROAS tolerances.
Google Ads just gave you a lever you've been asking for: the ability to control exactly how much of your Performance Max budget flows to Search Partner Network, including the option to shut it off completely.
On October 18, 2026, Google Ads product liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed that channel controls are now supported in the Google Ads API at launch. That means if you're running PMax campaigns and your data shows Search Partners are eating budget without delivering conversions, you can set that channel to 0% and keep your money on Google's owned network where you see results.
What Channel Controls Actually Do for Your Bottom Line
Performance Max campaigns, by design, spread your budget across Google's entire network: Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps. The system does the optimizing. But 'optimizing' doesn't always mean profitable for your business. If you're seeing high click volume from Search Partners with low conversion value, that's money leaking out.
Channel controls let you set a cap, or a hard zero, on any single channel. You keep the algorithm's power to find customers where they convert best, but you lock the door on the channels that don't work for you.
How to Use 0% Allocation in Your PMax Campaigns
If you manage Google Ads through the API (or use a tool that does), you can now assign Search Partner Network a 0% budget allocation. This isn't a manual pause, it's a structured control that tells the algorithm 'do not spend here.' Your budget then flows to the channels that matter.
The same API update also includes Smart Bidding Exploration and Promotion Mode controls, with ROAS-tolerance settings. That means you can control how much wiggle room the algorithm gets when it's testing new bidding strategies or running promotional campaigns. If your margin is tight, you set a lower tolerance. If you can absorb some variance to find upside, you loosen it.
What This Means for Your Workflow
- Audit your Search Partner performance in your last 30 days of PMax data. If ROI is consistently worse than Google Search, you have a case to zero it out.
- Set channel caps based on your conversion data, not guesses. The API lets you get precise about it.
- Test and measure. Set Search Partners to 0%, run for 14 days, compare your cost-per-conversion to the previous period.
- Combine channel controls with Smart Bidding tolerance settings for tighter control over algorithm behavior.
This isn't a massive overhaul, it's a control you've been missing. You built PMax to find customers at scale. Now you can tell it to stop looking in places where you lose money.
Questions owners ask
Can I really set Search Partners to 0% in my Performance Max campaign?
Yes. Google Ads product liaison Ginny Marvin confirmed that channel controls are supported in the Google Ads API at launch, and you can assign Search Partner Network spending a 0% allocation in PMax campaigns.
Is this API control available right now, or do I have to wait?
Channel controls are supported in the Google Ads API at launch, meaning they're available now if you're using the API to manage campaigns.
What else changed with this update?
The update also covers Smart Bidding Exploration and Promotion Mode, including ROAS-tolerance settings that let you control how aggressively the algorithm bids.
Why would I want to cap Search Partners at all?
If your conversion data shows Search Partner placements cost more or convert worse than Google's owned network, capping or zeroing them out protects your budget and improves your return.
