[Google Ads Script Review] PMax Shopping Spend Drop Alert

Are you running PMax campaigns and do you hate wasted ad spend?

If so, here’s another Google Ads Script for you. 

What it does:
This script monitors Performance Max campaigns across multiple Google Ads accounts under an MCC. It checks if these campaigns were served in Google Shopping the previous day and if their spend meets a specified threshold. If any campaigns do not meet these criteria, the script sends a warning via email.

Why you’d care:
For most advertisers running PMax campaigns, clicks from the Shopping PLAs are the main revenue driver. Spending the budget on other channels like Display and YouTube mostly tanks results. If, for some reason (*), PMax stops generating clicks from Shopping and/or starts spending much more on Display or YouTube, you want to be in the know.

(*) Potential reasons for PMax dramatically shifting spend to non-Shopping channels:

  • Main products go out of stock
  • Main products get disapproved
  • Settings mistakes: wrong exclusion settings in product groups (e.g., custom label filters), too low/high ROAS targets, budget too high
  • Sudden change in actual ROAS performance due to: sale promotions, seasonality, competitor pricing, increased brand traffic
  • Google’s greed to make more $$$

Why I like it:
This script will help you monitor PMax behavior and make sure performance stays on par. It is another great example of how I like to use scripts to Keep an Eye on Google’s AI.

URL: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1GsgWS3GYeIXxTBvHyxJrkY-Za3FD1Vd8

Note on the installation:

Be sure to read the instructions in the Google Drive folder.

PRO TIP:
Learn about 15 other scripts I use to optimize PMax campaigns by watching the recording of my SMX Advanced session on “Mastering Performance Max campaigns using scripts.”

Happy scripting!

– Nils

Author: Nils Rooijmans

Google Ads Performance Architect with a passion for PPC Automation & AI, in particular via Google Ads Scripts.