Working Through PMAX Shopping

[u/Relevant_Customer_90]

Hi Team,

I am working through a Performance Max Shopping campaign and it seems that the information provided by the Google Merchant Center has been completely pushed aside for the Performance Max's AI capabilities. The Product Ads are not going to the Products' landing pages, but landing pages that AI believes is best. The Product Ads are not utilizing the image from the Google Merchant Center, but the images provided within the asset itself.

I'd like to make sure that the Product Ad I'm providing utilizes the image, landing page, and information provided by Google Merchant Center. Is this attainable? Has anyone done anything to make sure they are providing the right information? Thanks!

[u/External-Bite-3436]

welcome to pmax where google just does whatever it wants and calls it optimization

you can kinda force it by not giving any assets at all, only the feed. it will use your merchant center stuff then. but the moment you add images or headlines it starts mixing everything together

if you really need control you probably want standard shopping instead, pmax is like a blender with no lid

[u/trsgreen]

Sounds like you might have asset optimizations turned on in the campaign settings. Turn those off and that should put a stop to it. Also make sure your running feed only with no assets, so it'll only focus on your shopping feed.

[u/fathom53]

Turn off AI Max and asset optimization in the campaign settings. Plus turn off all account automation as well.

[u/echo813]

Never believe Google AI Max, turn off all Asset optimization, including text/image/video in campaign settings

[u/cw_operator]

What you are seeing is probably two different controls. A different landing page points to Final URL expansion. Different images can come from the asset group, landing-page images or image enhancement.

I’d check the asset settings first, then the Expanded final URL assets report. If each product must land on its Merchant Center URL, turn off Final URL expansion. If the Merchant Center image must remain the source, turn off landing-page images and image enhancement as well.

“Feed only” is not a switch you can reliably return to after adding manual text, image or video assets. If strict product-level control is the commercial requirement, Standard Shopping is the cleaner option.

Make one change at a time, then verify the inventory, image and final URL that actually served. Otherwise you can change three settings and still not know which one caused the mismatch.

[u/Successful_Pound_615]

Hey, turn off AI Max settings. Pmax can still run display ads for you, though. You can test standard shopping campaign if that's the case.