Should You Launch Performance Max Immediately for a New Ecommerce Brand?

A blank Google Ads account and Performance Max sitting in the campaign type list looks like a shortcut. It is not. Here’s the data threshold to hit, and what to run while you wait for it.

TL;DR

Turning on PMax before your account has conversion history doesn’t just cause the campaign to underperform, but it can actively lose you money.

·         Performance Max relies on historical conversion data. Without it, Google’s AI has no reliable signal of what a valuable customer looks like.

·         Aim for 10-15 recent conversions before introducing Performance Max.

·         Build that history first using Search and Shopping campaigns with Maximise Clicks, then transition to conversion-based bidding.

·         Launch Performance Max with a single best-selling product or collection, not your entire catalogue, so Google learns from your highest-quality signals first.

Why This Matters

The instinct is understandable. PMax covers every placement Google has-Search, Shopping, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Maps– in just one campaign, and it’s positioned as the smart option. So why not let the most advanced tool do the work from day one?

While PMax is incredibly powerful, it only works when Google has enough data to understand what a valuable customer looks like. Without it, it becomes an incredibly expensive and inefficient way to find out what works.

Does Performance Max actually need conversion history to work?

Yes. This is one of the biggest mistakes new ecommerce brands make. PMax relies on historical conversion data, so launching it on a fresh account gives Google’s automation very little to optimise around. Without purchase history to learn from, the system cannot identify who your actual buyers are, and ends up spending against a guess rather than a clear signal.

What’s the actual conversion threshold before it’s safe to switch on?

At least 10-15 conversions before a PMax campaign goes live. That’s not just a guideline. Below that, the recommendation is to hold off entirely rather than launch PMax with a reduced budget.

That threshold also governs how bidding evolves inside Search and Shopping campaigns as they mature: click-focused bidding runs until roughly 10-15 conversions accumulate, at which point it is reasonable to shift toward conversion-based bidding, with Target ROAS introduced once volume reaches around 30+ conversions a month.

What should be running in that gap instead?

You want to start with Standard Search and Shopping campaigns on click-focused bidding. Avoid PMax and conversion-based bidding here, as conversion-based strategies need conversions to optimise against.

Two constraints matter in this phase:

·         Keep it to bestsellers. It is very difficult for Google to find the right products, test them, and effectively scale on the right products.

·         Separate branded and non-branded traffic. These should run simultaneously from the beginning rather than layering in once PMax is up and running.

Where experienced advertisers disagree

Not every Google Ads expert agrees on how branded traffic should be handled when PMax first launches.

Some recommend allowing branded traffic initially to help Google’s AI build stronger learning signals before excluding it later. Others argue branded traffic should be excluded from day one to avoid overstating performance and to measure new customer acquisition more accurately.

Both approaches have strengths. The right choice depends on the account’s maturity, available conversion data and growth objective. 

Performance Max Framework

Recommendation

Don’t run PMax and Search/Shopping as competing options – run them in sequence. Start with click-focused Search and Shopping on a tight bestseller list and let the account accumulate 10-15 conversions before shifting to conversion-based bidding. Only then bring PMax in, starting narrow.

Common Mistakes

·         Enabling PMax on a completely fresh account with no history.

·         Treating PMax as the only campaign in the account rather than a layered structure.

·         Loading the full catalogue into a PMax asset group.

·         Leaving Google’s automated asset generation and text customisation switched on without enough data to justify it.

FAQ

How many conversions do I need before running PMax?

10-15 at a minimum, this is baseline.

Should a brand-new ecommerce store launch with PMax first?

No. The recommended framework is click-focused Search and Shopping first, build conversion history, then introduce PMax.

What should PMax include when it does launch?

A narrow bestseller asset group rather than a broad catalogue. Utilise the same “don’t overload it” strategy used for early Shopping campaigns.

Author: Max Crakanthorp, Founder of Kraken Digital