Google Ads API v26: Search Lift, Performance Max, and Conversion Updates

What Is Google Ads API?

Google Ads API is an application programming interface that lets developers retrieve advertising data and manage Google Ads accounts without relying exclusively on the web interface.

Agencies and advertisers can use it to create and update campaigns, upload assets, retrieve spend and conversion data, manage bidding settings, and automate reporting. It powers proprietary analytics applications, advertising management tools, and integrations with other systems.

The API has major and minor releases. Major versions can introduce incompatible changes that require code updates. Version 26 is a major release.

Search Lift: New Ways to Measure Advertising Impact

One of the most significant additions in v26 is API support for Search Lift measurement.

Search Lift measures changes in search interest associated with exposure to advertising. Unlike ordinary click reporting, it is designed to help estimate how advertising influences subsequent search activity.

Version 26 introduces the read-only SearchLiftKeywordBundle resource and segmentation using segments.search_lift_keyword_bundle and segments.search_property. The release includes 15 Search Lift metrics, including relative_search_lift, normalized_incremental_searches, and search_lift_impressions. Developers can also access Campaign.lift_measurement_config.

These fields make relevant study results accessible programmatically. Their presence in the API does not mean Search Lift studies are automatically available for every campaign.

Local Services Performance Max Campaign Creation

Google Ads API v26 adds the ability to create Local Services Performance Max campaigns programmatically.

The implementation uses PmaxCampaignSettings.local_services_enabled. This setting is specified when the campaign is created and cannot be changed afterward.

Developers must also provide country_code and listing_id in LocalServicesPmaxCampaignSettings. The listing ID identifies the relevant Google Business Profile listing.

The update additionally supports associating leads with campaigns, a coupon lead type, and a conversion category for message leads.

An important migration detail is that country_code, previously optional, is required when creating this type of campaign. Integrations must account for the new required parameters.

Enhanced Conversions: Unified Configuration

Version 26 updates how developers inspect Enhanced Conversions settings at the account level.

The release introduces a unified approach to enablement settings, including enablement_setting and effective_enablement_setting. It removes the legacy enhanced_conversions_for_leads_enabled field from ConversionTrackingSetting.

Developers who previously inspected Enhanced Conversions for Leads through the removed field must move to the new configuration schema. Google’s release notes identify ConversionTrackingSetting.enablement_setting under Customer.conversion_tracking_setting as the replacement for checking the account-level setting.

This is a breaking change, so existing integrations should be tested before upgrading.

Simplified EU Political Advertising Declarations

Google Ads API v26 changes when Campaign.contains_eu_political_advertising must be provided.

The declaration becomes optional for qualifying campaigns and Demand Gen ad groups with upgraded targeting that positively target only locations outside the European Union and contain no proximity or location-group criteria.

New require_eu_political_advertising_declaration fields in relevant geographic targeting resources help determine whether a declaration is needed.

This update simplifies API input requirements in certain situations. It does not waive Google’s underlying political advertising policies or applicable legal obligations.

Other Google Ads API v26 Changes

Shopping: Support for Campaign.listing_type now extends to Shopping campaigns.

Demand Gen: CurrencyConstant exposes the minimum daily Demand Gen budget for a given currency.

Travel Ads: Google renamed several AdGroupBidModifier criteria previously associated primarily with hotels so that they can be used for broader travel categories. Updated field names include user_set_dates, advance_booking_window, length_of_booking, start_day_of_week, and start_date_range. Integrations referencing legacy hotel-specific fields should be reviewed.

A Faster Release Schedule and Migration Requirements

On October 12, 2026, Google announced plans to move to a faster Google Ads API release schedule, with two releases per month beginning with v26. Previously, releases were less frequent.

Google describes the faster cadence as a way to give developers earlier access to advertising platform capabilities, including features used by automated systems and AI agents.

To use v26 features, developers need to update their client libraries and application code. Migration testing should cover breaking changes, particularly the required Local Services Performance Max parameters and removed Enhanced Conversions field.

Google’s published sunset schedule currently lists November 2027 for the end of support for the v26 major version.

Who Is Affected by Google Ads API v26?

This release primarily affects advertising software developers, agencies with proprietary Google Ads integrations, and companies that automate campaign management or reporting.

The most notable additions involve Search Lift reporting, Local Services Performance Max, and Enhanced Conversions configuration.

Advertisers who work only through the standard Google Ads interface generally do not need to modify their campaigns simply because a new API version has been released.

Version 26 also does not promise lower CPA or higher ROAS. Its main contribution is broader programmatic functionality, updated data structures, and changed requirements for managing advertising through the API.