Google Ads introduces Promotion Mode and expands Smart Bidding Exploration

Google announced three major updates to its Google Ads platform that will take effect on August 17, 2026. The changes include the expansion of Smart Bidding Exploration to all Performance Max campaigns without product feeds and a beta rollout for Shopping ads (both Performance Max with product feeds and standard Shopping), a beta launch of Promotion Mode for handling demand spikes, and a backend adjustment to how budget‑constrained campaigns using target‑based bid strategies are optimized.

Smart Bidding Exploration now lets advertisers set a ROAS tolerance, enabling campaigns to pursue additional conversion opportunities from search queries they may not currently capture. Google reports an average 18 % increase in unique converting search query categories and a 19 % rise in overall conversions for campaigns using the feature.

Promotion Mode allows temporary adjustments to ROAS targets and adds extra daily budget during high‑demand periods such as seasonal events, product launches, or flash sales, without requiring major campaign restructuring. The bidding target optimization change aims to deliver more consistent performance for budget‑limited campaigns, with notifications beginning July 6.