Google Ads Is Changing
Here's Why You Need to Review Your Targets Now
If you're running Google Ads campaigns with a bid target — that's a target CPA or target ROAS — there's a change coming next month that you'll want to know about.
It's not a dramatic one. There's no new campaign type to learn, no interface overhaul, no scrambling required. But it does mean one thing: your targets are about to matter more than ever, and Google won't be updating them for you.
What's actually changing?
From 17th August 2026, campaigns with bid targets will deliver more consistent performance when they're limited by budget, even after you make budget adjustments.
In plain English? If your campaign is hitting its budget ceiling, Google's systems will behave more predictably around your CPA or ROAS target, rather than performance wobbling every time you nudge the budget up or down.
On the whole, that's a good thing. Consistency is what we all want from an ad account.
So what's the catch?
Your targets will not be updated automatically.
Google is essentially saying, "We'll stick more closely to the targets you've set, so make sure they're the right ones."
And this is where a lot of accounts fall down. Targets get set during onboarding, or during a January growth push, or when margins looked completely different, and then they sit there, quietly steering the campaign, long after the business has moved on.
If your targets are out of date, this update means your campaigns will consistently optimise towards the wrong goal. Consistently wrong is not an upgrade.
Your quick target review checklist
The good news? Reviewing your targets takes minutes, not hours. Here's exactly what to do before 17 August.
1. List every campaign using a bid target. Anything with a target CPA or target ROAS set. And don't forget Performance Max. PMax campaigns are so often set up and then left to their own devices.
2. Check when each target was last updated. If it's been more than three months, treat it as out of date until proven otherwise.
3. Compare the target to actual performance. Look at the last 30–60 days. Is your actual CPA or ROAS miles away from the target? A big gap in either direction means the target needs attention.
4. Check your current margins. Has your product pricing, shipping cost or profit margin changed since you set the target? Your ROAS target should reflect today's numbers, not last year's.
5. Check whether the campaign is budget-limited. This update specifically affects campaigns limited by budget, so have a look at the "Limited by budget" status in your campaigns view. These are your priority reviews.
6. Ask yourself: does this target match my current goal? A target set during a growth phase might be too aggressive now. Or a cautious target might be holding back a campaign that's ready to scale.
7. Update, then diarise. Make your changes before 17 August, then set a recurring reminder to review your targets every quarter, so a change like this never sneaks up on you again.
The bigger lesson here
This update is a nudge worth taking to heart: your bid targets aren't a set-and-forget setting. They're one of the most powerful levers in your account, and they should evolve as your business does.
Five minutes reviewing them now could save you weeks of budget quietly working towards a goal you set six months ago.
Pop 17th August in your diary, work through the checklist, and your campaigns will be in the best possible shape when the change lands.
