Google Ads API v26.1: Income Exclusions, New-Customer Value, Reach
In short: Besides network priority, Google's Ads API v26.1 (28 October 2026) adds API support for negative household-income criteria in Performance Max, an OPTIMIZE_FOR_NEW_CUSTOMERS recommendation with a suggested incremental conversion value, and unique-user reach metrics for six through ten-plus exposures with state information for suppressed values. These are API additions for eligible accounts and markets. India availability of income targeting is not confirmed.
- PMax household-income exclusions are an API addition. Market and account eligibility varies, and India support is not confirmed.
- A new-customer recommendation suggests an incremental conversion value. Check it against your own margin and retention.
- Reach metrics now cover 1+ through 10+ exposures, with state information when a value is unavailable or suppressed.
- None of these is proof of better performance. Test before scaling.
Three smaller additions in v26.1
Google's Ads API v26.1, released 28 October 2026, includes network priority controls (covered in our other guide) and three further changes that matter to analysts and automation teams.
1. Household-income exclusions in Performance Max
The API now supports negative household-income criteria for Performance Max, so eligible advertisers can exclude chosen income ranges programmatically. Availability depends on country and account, and this release does not promise that the feature appears in the Ads Manager interface or in every market. Do not assume it works for Indian accounts until you check.
Excluding people is not automatically better targeting. It can shrink reach and stop Smart Bidding finding unexpected buyers. If it is available to you, treat it as a controlled test: compare CPA and conversion value before and after.
2. A new-customer value recommendation
A new recommendation type, OPTIMIZE_FOR_NEW_CUSTOMERS, can expose a suggested incremental conversion value and lets supported tools apply it at account or campaign level. A first-time buyer can be worth more than a repeat buyer, but how much more depends on your margin, repeat rate and lifetime value, not on a platform suggestion.
- Check that your CRM or store reliably tells Google who is a new customer.
- Work out your own value for a new customer before accepting any suggestion.
- Remember this is API support, not evidence of better returns.
3. Reach-frequency buckets up to 10+
Unique-user reach metrics now cover six, seven, eight and nine-plus exposures, completing the 1+ to 10+ set, and the API adds state information that explains when a figure is unavailable or suppressed for privacy or quality reasons. Do not read a missing value as zero.
Average frequency can hide a small group seeing the same ad many times. These buckets help analysts build exposure-distribution reports and spot saturation. High frequency alone does not prove fatigue, so pair it with CPA and creative-level results.
What to do this week
- Ask whoever builds your reporting whether they use the API, and which version.
- If you run PMax in a supported market, confirm income-exclusion availability before planning a test.
- Write down your real new-customer value before looking at Google's suggestion.
Want these checks run on your own accounts? Request a free account review or see our Google Ads management.
Get new marketing updates in your inbox.
We email you when we publish something worth your time. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Sources
- Google Ads API release notes · Google Developers
Facts in this article come from the sources above, checked on 30 October 2026. Platform features roll out in phases, so check your own account before acting. We update this page when official details change.