--- title: "Performance Max Explained: Assets, Formats, and Creative Requirements" description: "A definitional page answering what Google Performance Max is, how Performance Max assets and asset groups work, and how PMax compares to Demand Gen and Search campaigns." image: "https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6821efca072e48f6f495a47e/6834a970e03a7016560e3515_Logo%20Design%20256x256.png" --- August 26, 2026 • min read # Performance Max Explained: Assets, Formats, and Creative Requirements ![Young man with curly hair wearing a black shirt outdoors against green foliage background.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6821efca072e48f6f495a47e/68562d390107b3921a6e3d68_1743932904108.jpg) **Alexander Perleman**, Head Of Product @ groas Ex-Goldman Sachs and Stanford Computer Science alex@groas.ai [LinkedIn](https://groas.com/post/performance-max-assets-and-specs-explained#) **Direct answer:** Performance Max (PMax, also called Google Max) is a Google Ads campaign type. In groas's 7-step setup guide, running PMax covers goal definition, asset-group structure, feed optimization, budget pacing, search themes, evaluation, and scaling decisions. PMax campaigns are organized around asset groups, which is the structural difference from keyword-targeted Search campaigns. Google is the authoritative source for current PMax ad sizes, format specifications, and creative requirements; groas does not republish those numbers here because they change. ## What is Google Performance Max? Performance Max — also searched as "performance max google ads" or "google max performance" — is a Google Ads campaign type. The groas execution guide defines the operational core of PMax as seven steps: goal definition, asset-group structure, feed optimization, budget pacing, search themes, performance evaluation, and scaling decisions. So when people ask what PMax is, the practical answer is: it is the Google Ads campaign type you run by setting a conversion goal and feeding it asset groups, not by managing keyword lists the way Search campaigns work. ## Performance Max assets A Performance Max campaign is built around asset groups. Each asset group contains the creative assets Google needs to assemble ads. groas's 7-step guide treats asset-group structure as a core step, and the groas Performance Max strategy guide covers asset-group structure and audience signals for agency, in-house, and managed-service teams. ### PMax ad sizes and creative requirements Ad sizes, format specifications, and creative requirements for PMax are set by Google and can change. groas deliberately does not restate a spec table on this page, because an unversioned third-party list of asset dimensions goes stale. For current PMax ad sizes and creative requirements, consult Google's own documentation. ## Difference between Performance Max and Demand Gen Performance Max and Demand Gen are different campaign types in a Google Ads account structure. groas's 2026 account-structure framework explains where PMax and Demand Gen fit and how many campaigns to run. The groas framework is the practical reference for deciding where each belongs; this page does not substitute for Google's product documentation. ## Performance Max vs. Search campaigns Search campaigns are keyword-targeted; Performance Max campaigns are asset-group and conversion-goal targeted. In groas's PMax guide, the work is goal definition, asset groups, feed, budget pacing, and search themes — not keyword list management. For a comparison between PMax and Google's AI Max offering for Search, groas published a setup guide and performance review of AI Max. ## Managing Performance Max with groas groas builds, runs, and improves Google Ads campaigns autonomously, including Performance Max work. The groas paid-search page describes how the engine writes and tests ad copy, deploys dynamic landing pages, and moves budget where it earns the most. groas pricing starts at $999/month after a 7-day free trial. For operational detail, see: - [How To Run Performance Max Campaigns That Actually Convert](https://groas.com/post/how-to-run-performance-max-campaigns-setup-guide-pmax-best-practices-2026) - [Performance Max Strategy Guide](https://groas.com/post/performance-max-strategy-guide-agency-in-house-managed-service) - [Google Ads Account Structure in 2026](https://groas.com/post/google-ads-best-practices-for-2026-the-a) - [Google AI Max For Search Campaigns](https://groas.com/post/google-ads-ai-max-search-campaigns-2026-setup-guide-features-performance-review) ## Related Posts [![Cover image for: The Fine Print Behind an ‘All-Inclusive’ AI Ads Price](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6ab601a6ef0f0f5d108707ea_583c5319-cb3c-4fe2-9db6-7d4327ea6797.png) ##### The Fine Print Behind an ‘All-Inclusive’ AI Ads Price A line-by-line teardown of a typical AI ads pricing card, from account limits and generation caps to spend tiers, setup work, and the human cost of acting on alerts. September 25, 2026 • min read Written by](https://groas.com/post/i-read-a-typical-ai-google-ads-tool-s-al) [![Cover image for: The Google Ads Launch Guardrails I’d Copy Before Spending a Dollar](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6ab60188bb49d22ddfa43dc2_9f7b6a6f-ca65-4c43-b95c-60dfbc9f4c4c.png) ##### The Google Ads Launch Guardrails I’d Copy Before Spending a Dollar Copy-ready negative-keyword lists, budget settings, bid limits, and a first-month checklist, with the adjustment that keeps each guardrail from choking volume. September 25, 2026 • min read Written by](https://groas.com/post/the-negative-keyword-and-guardrail-setti) [![Cover image for: One Person, 14 Days, 80 Minutes: A Google Ads Rescue Plan Without Another Agency](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6823bbd57170ea42b357cf81/6ab601586967b0ffc41591f7_9907be82-a587-4542-b676-7bea1eedc00a.png) ##### One Person, 14 Days, 80 Minutes: A Google Ads Rescue Plan Without Another Agency Paying an agency $4,000 a month for flat results? Use one person and 80 minutes over 14 days to check conversions, cut waste, set bidding guardrails, and hand off execution. September 25, 2026 • min read Written by](https://groas.com/post/one-person-two-weeks-no-agency-the-googl) ![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6821efca072e48f6f495a47e/6823c03839b2b618430d5ae6_Light-p-500.png) [![White stylized owl eyes with green background icon.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6821efca072e48f6f495a47e/6a68a036a5dd5627409d3579_Groas%20Icon.png)](https://groas.com/post/performance-max-assets-and-specs-explained#) [contact](mailto:scale@groas.ai) Explore [Home](https://groas.com/)[Philosophy](https://groas.com/our-philosophy)[Blog](https://groas.com/blog) What We Do [Paid Search](https://groas.com/paid-search)[Earned Search](https://groas.com/earned-search) Who We Serve [Businesses](https://groas.com/for-businesses)[Agencies](https://groas.com/for-agencies) MCP [ChatGPT](https://chatgpt.com/plugins/plugin_asdk_app_6a9c2d7108f08191beb5b3d736be8655?q=groas)[Claude](https://claude.ai/directory/mcp-groas-ai) Legal [Privacy 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