Smart Bidding Exploration: ROAS Tolerance for PMax and Shopping
In short: Smart Bidding Exploration lets Google bid more aggressively on searches your campaign was already eligible for, by accepting a lower effective target ROAS. It now supports eligible Performance Max and Shopping campaigns with a tolerance of 5% to 30%. It is a scaling lever that trades efficiency for volume, not a shortcut to a better ROAS.
- You set a tolerance of 5% to 30% on your Target ROAS. A 200% target with 10% tolerance becomes an effective 180%.
- It does not add new keywords. It gives bidding more room on traffic you were already eligible for.
- It works best for campaigns that are not limited by budget and have reliable conversion values.
- Judge it over one or more conversion cycles, using revenue and profit, not just ROAS.
What it is
Smart Bidding Exploration was first associated with Search. Google's documentation now covers eligible Performance Max and Shopping campaigns, and on 16 October 2026 a Google Ads liaison said it is fully launched for retail Performance Max campaigns with a product feed and for standard Shopping.
It does not give you new keywords or new audiences. It deliberately relaxes your effective target ROAS so the bidding system can compete for additional converting traffic that it would otherwise skip.
How the tolerance works
You choose a tolerance between 5% and 30% on a Target ROAS campaign. Google applies it to your target to get an effective, lower target.
| Target ROAS | Tolerance | Effective target | Revenue per ₹10,000 spent at the effective target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400% | 5% | 380% | ₹38,000 |
| 400% | 10% | 360% | ₹36,000 |
| 400% | 20% | 320% | ₹32,000 |
| 400% | 30% | 280% | ₹28,000 |
The last column shows the trade. You accept less revenue per rupee spent in exchange for possibly more total orders. Whether that is a good deal depends on your margin.
When it fits, and when it does not
- Good fit: profitable campaigns with room to grow, a budget that is not the limiting factor, and conversion values that reflect real revenue or margin.
- Poor fit: campaigns that already spend their full budget, accounts with unreliable or missing conversion values, or any campaign where the margin at a lower ROAS would be too thin.
A simple test plan
- Pick one proven campaign. Do not test on your weakest one.
- Check break-even ROAS first. Work out the ROAS at which you stop making money after product cost, shipping and returns. Keep the effective target above it.
- Start at 5% to 10%, not 30%.
- Track revenue, orders and blended ROAS over at least one to two conversion cycles, as Google advises, instead of a few days.
- Compare to the previous period and, if you can, to a similar campaign without the change.
Related: Promotion Mode (beta)
Google's liaison also disclosed a 5% to 90% ROAS-tolerance range for Promotion Mode, which remains a beta on Search and Performance Max. You schedule a promotional period and can optionally boost budget, and the settings revert afterwards. How the percentage is interpreted is not fully documented publicly, so confirm the controls in your account and model profitability before using aggressive tolerances for a sale.
What we watch for
For ecommerce clients we check feed quality, conversion value accuracy and margin before changing any ROAS setting. See how we run these accounts on our Google Ads page.
Sources
- About Smart Bidding Exploration · Google Ads Help
- Smart Bidding Exploration FAQ · Google Ads Help
- Google Ads lets PMax advertisers set Search Partner spend to 0%, Marvin says · PPC Land
Facts in this article come from the sources above, checked on 28 October 2026. Platform features roll out in phases, so check your own account before acting. We update this page when official details change.