- Performance Max runs ads across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and Maps from one campaign.
- You need at least 7 images per asset group: 3 landscape (1.91:1), 3 square (1:1), and 1 portrait (4:5).
- Minimum text assets are 15 headlines (30 chars each) and 5 descriptions (90 chars each) per asset group.
- Images must be JPG or PNG, max 5 MB, with key content in the center 80% of the frame.
- Uploading more diverse, high-quality images gives Google AI more combinations to test and improve results.
- Coinis generates and resizes compliant ad images at scale, saving hours of manual asset prep.
Performance Max is Google's most asset-hungry campaign type. Get the assets right and Google's AI takes over. Get them wrong and your campaign underperforms before it starts.
This guide walks you through every step.
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What Is a Google Performance Max Campaign?
Performance Max is a single campaign type that serves ads across every Google channel. One campaign. Six placements: Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and Maps.
How Performance Max uses AI
You supply the assets and goals. Google's AI handles bidding, audience targeting, budget allocation, and ad combinations. The system tests your headlines, images, and descriptions together, then leans into what works.
Per Google's Ads Help Center, Performance Max is "empowered by your specific advertising objective and the creative assets, audience signals, and optional data feeds you provide." The AI needs raw material. More assets means more combinations to test.
Why Performance Max matters for multi-channel reach
A standard Search campaign only reaches people typing queries. Performance Max reaches those same people on Search, then follows them across YouTube, Gmail, and the Display network. All from one setup. That cross-channel coverage is the core value.
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Required Assets: The Foundation of Your Performance Max Ad
You cannot launch without meeting the minimum asset requirements per asset group. Per Google's Ads Help Center documentation, the minimums are strict.
Text assets you need (headlines, descriptions, long headlines)
Each asset group requires:
- 15 headlines. Max 30 characters each.
- 5 descriptions. Max 90 characters each.
- Long headlines are optional but recommended. Max 90 characters.
Write every headline as a standalone phrase. Google mixes and matches them automatically. Assume no two will appear together.
Image asset specs (landscape, square, optional portrait)
Per Google's documentation on Performance Max asset requirements, each asset group needs a minimum of 7 images:
- 3 landscape images at a 1.91:1 aspect ratio.
- 3 square images at a 1:1 aspect ratio.
- 1 portrait image at a 4:5 aspect ratio.
You can upload up to 20 images per type. More is better.
Keep critical content inside the center 80% of each image. Google crops assets for different placements, and anything near the edges may get cut.
File format and size limits
- Formats: JPG or PNG only.
- Max file size: 5 MB per image.
- Minimum resolution (landscape): 600 x 314 px. Recommended: 1200 x 628 px.
- Minimum resolution (square): 300 x 300 px. Recommended: 1200 x 1200 px.
Stay at or above recommended resolutions. Low-res images look poor on high-density screens and can hurt your Ad Strength score.
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Step-by-Step: How to Create a Performance Max Campaign
This is the core workflow inside Google Ads Manager.
Select Performance Max as your campaign type
Open Google Ads. Click New campaign. Choose your goal (sales, leads, website traffic, store visits). On the next screen, select Performance Max from the campaign type list. Click Continue.
Choose your business goal
Your goal sets the conversion actions Google optimizes for. Select the goal that matches your actual objective. If you want purchases, select "Sales." If you want form fills, select "Leads." The AI bids toward whatever you choose here.
Create your first asset group
Google prompts you to name your first asset group. Think of asset groups as themed creative bundles. One product line or audience angle per group keeps assets relevant and Ad Strength high.
Each campaign needs at least one asset group. You can add up to 100.
Add headlines and descriptions
Write 15 unique headlines. Vary them. Include a product benefit, a price point, a CTA, a brand name. Google tests every combination. Repetitive headlines waste slots.
Write 5 descriptions. Keep each under 90 characters. Lead with the strongest value proposition.
Upload images in the correct aspect ratios
Upload a minimum of 3 landscape (1.91:1), 3 square (1:1), and 1 portrait (4:5) image. Aim higher. Google recommends providing more images to give the AI more combinations to test.
All images must be JPG or PNG. Max 5 MB per file.
Verify asset quality and Ad Strength score
Google calculates an Ad Strength score for each asset group. Ratings run from Poor to Excellent. A "Poor" score typically means too few assets, repetitive copy, or low-resolution images.
Check the score before launching. Fix any flagged issues first.
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Preparing Your Creative Assets: A Practical Approach
Most campaign delays happen here. Asset creation takes time, especially when you need three different aspect ratios at high resolution.
How to create or source landscape and square images
You need at least two distinct image shapes. Landscape (1.91:1) fills banner placements. Square (1:1) fills feed placements. Portrait (4:5) fills Stories-style surfaces. Shooting or designing for all three from scratch is time-consuming.
Why aspect ratio matters (1.91:1 vs. 1:1)
Google rejects images outside the accepted aspect ratios. An image at 2:1 or 0.9:1 will trigger an ASPECT_RATIO_NOT_ALLOWED error when linked to an asset group. The campaign cannot launch until the issue is resolved. Getting ratios right upfront saves hours of back-and-forth.
Using Coinis to generate compliant images at scale
Coinis currently publishes campaigns directly to Meta (Facebook and Instagram). Google Ads direct publishing is on the roadmap, not live today. But the Image Ads workflow generates ad-ready images from any product URL, already sized and styled.
That means you can produce landscape, square, and portrait images from one product link. No design tool. No manual resizing. Then download and upload them to Google Ads directly.
Resize and optimize with Smart Resize for multiple formats
Already have images but in the wrong dimensions? Smart Resize (inside Coinis Revise) adapts any image to a new aspect ratio without distorting the subject. One source image becomes three Google-compliant variants in seconds.
Faster than Photoshop for this specific task. The right tool for high-volume asset prep.
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Best Practices for Maximum Performance
Strong assets do not guarantee strong performance. But weak assets guarantee weak AI decisions.
Provide diverse, high-quality assets (15+ images recommended)
Google's AI tests combinations across channels. More diverse assets give it more options. Upload high-resolution images with varied visuals. Avoid five nearly identical product shots.
Reuse assets across campaigns with Creative Library
Coinis's Creative Library stores all generated and uploaded assets in one place. When you build a new campaign or asset group, pull existing assets directly from the library. No re-uploading. No hunting through folders. Consistent branding across every campaign.
Avoid removing underperforming assets prematurely
Google's AI needs time to test combinations. Removing assets after a few days interrupts the learning phase. Add new assets to supplement what is underperforming rather than deleting what is already live.
Let Google AI test combinations before optimizing
Performance Max campaigns typically need a few weeks of data before optimization signals stabilize. Resist changing assets, bids, or budgets during the early learning period. Watch the Ad Strength score and conversion trends first.
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Troubleshooting: Common Issues When Creating Your Campaign
Poor Ad Strength rating and how to improve it
A Poor rating almost always means too few assets or repetitive copy. Add more unique headlines. Upload more images. Vary your descriptions. Ad Strength updates as you add assets, so improvements show quickly.
Image aspect ratio errors
If Google flags an image for aspect ratio, the file does not match the 1.91:1, 1:1, or 4:5 requirements. Use Smart Resize to correct the dimensions before re-uploading. Do not manually crop if it will shift key content outside the center 80%.
Asset approval delays
New images and headlines go through Google's ad review process. Most assets review within one business day. If an asset stays "Under review" beyond 48 hours, check the asset for policy issues (logos, text overlays, restricted content). Resubmit after corrections.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum number of images required for a Performance Max campaign?
Each asset group requires at least 7 images: 3 landscape (1.91:1), 3 square (1:1), and 1 portrait (4:5). You can upload up to 20 images per type. More images give Google's AI more combinations to test.
What file formats does Google accept for Performance Max images?
Google accepts JPG and PNG only. Maximum file size is 5 MB per image. Keep key content inside the center 80% of each image to avoid cropping on different placements.
Why is my Performance Max campaign showing a 'Poor' Ad Strength?
A Poor Ad Strength rating usually means too few assets or repetitive copy. Add more unique headlines (up to 15), more descriptions (up to 5), and additional images across all three aspect ratios. Ad Strength updates as you add assets.
Can I use the same images across multiple Performance Max campaigns?
Asset groups cannot be shared between campaigns, but you can reuse individual image and text assets across different asset groups within the same campaign. For cross-campaign reuse, tools like Coinis's Creative Library store all your assets in one place for quick access.